The public policy making process in Australia is adrift, notwithstanding regular affirmations by governments at all levels to an evidence and consultation-based approach. Accepted good policy making criteria are well known but an analysis of 18 recent major policies has shown that too few adequately satisfy the standards we should expect. While these case studies...

Yield curve models within the popular Nelson and Siegel (hereafter NS) class are shown to arise from a formal low-order Taylor approximation to the generic Gaussian affine term structure model. That theoretical foundation provides an assurance that NS models correspond to a well-accepted framework for yield curve modeling.It further suggests that any yield curve from...

An effective innovation system requires productive interactions between all its parts. Within Australia there is a view that business-university interactions are suboptimal. Government has set a target for doubling the interactions between business and publicly funded researchers by 2020; and the Group of Eight has a strategic priority to build closer links between its member...

This paper seeks to increase the understanding of the impact of award wage increases on small businesses in Australia by providing an analysis of the characteristics and performance of small award-reliant businesses and their employees. Results derived from firm level data showed that small award-reliant only businesses were less likely to experience increased productivity, profitability...

This is the 2011 Trade report compiled by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade showing import and export indicators as well as comparing Australian productivity with other leading trade nations around the world.