Ross Gittins
Ross Gittins is economics editor of the SMH and an economic columnist for The Age. His books include Gittins' Guide to Economics, Gittinomics and The Happy Economist.
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How Bill Shorten has the tactical edge on Malcolm Turnbull
Ross Gittins Most of us have highly stereotypical, caricatured views of the parties' respective strengths and weaknesses.
The truth about Malcolm Turnbull's Google tax
Ross Gittins Does the Coalition really want its generous mates to "pay their fair share of tax"? Be sceptical. I am.
Super makeover still leaves many in the cold
Ross Gittins The government has taken brave steps to clean up a mess it created years ago but in terms of fairness it falls short.
Umpire calls time on negative gearing and voters should listen
Ross Gittins Many voters have strong views for or against negative gearing. But when rival politicians fall to arguing about their policies, most of us find we don't know enough to decide who's right.
Banks still haven't got the message that bad behaviour is not on
Ross Gittins Is there any justification for a royal commission into the conduct of the banks? Is it just a political stunt? All royal commissions are called for political reasons and many are stunts, in the sense...
The Herald's 185th anniversary: a columnist's view is as important as ever
Ross Gittins How has the Herald changed in 185 years? How should I know – I've been working for it for less than a quarter of that time.
We all pay the price when businesses break our trust
Ross Gittins Big businesses must clean up their own behaviour before they start telling others what to do.
There needs to be more to work than money
Ross Gittins Has it ever occurred to you that, in all our economic striving, most of us – almost all our business people, economists and politicians, but also many normal people – are missing the...
After the mining boom, the jobs will keep flowing to the service industry
Ross Gittins It's a question doubting customers have been asking me through the whole of my career: but where will all the jobs come from? We worry about jobs, convinced there's never enough of them.
Doctors share the blame for a sick budget
Ross Gittins Advances in automation have made subsidies for many health services unnecessary, but taking steps to remove them leads to outrage.
Malcolm Turnbull is losing his chance to be a great Prime Minister
Ross Gittins The closer we get to the pointy end of the Coalition government's first term, the more Malcolm Turnbull seems to be shrinking to the size of his stunted predecessors.
Prisons trap our money along with crooks
Ross Gittins Things may be gloomy in other countries, and even in parts of our own economy, but there's one aspect of Australian life where everything's on the up: we're enjoying a sustained prison boom.
Parties need money, business supplies it
Ross Gittins According to the Labor Party's rising star, Senator Sam Dastyari, 10 big companies control our political process.
Banks are using us to hedge their bets
Ross Gittins We only need a tiny part of the financial services industry – the rest is just speculation and it doesn't stand up to close scrutiny.
Ignore the gloom: the Australian economy isn't in bad shape
Ross Gittins Gloomy news from abroad is making people worried about the economy here, but the pessimism is unfounded. Here's why.
Happiness at Christmas time comes to those who give
Ross Gittins Think of Christmas as about giving rather than receiving and you're well on the way to being happier.
The evolving heart of modern marriage
Ross Gittins I've never been impressed by those economists who think they can use their little pocket model of the economy to explain every aspect of life.
Why we all fall for phishing schemes
Ross Gittins As almost every economist will tell you, the market economy – the capitalist system, if you prefer – works in a way that's almost miraculous. All of us owe our present prosperity to it.
Retirement won't be easier any time soon
Ross Gittins The trouble with interest rates is that they cut both ways - a cost to borrowers is income to savers, and vice versa.
Wake up, under 50s: super is for you too
Ross Gittins Mention super and everyone over 50 pricks up their ears, while everyone under 50 wonders what's on telly tonight.
