Unconventional Economist

Leith van Onselen is Chief Economist at the MB Fund and MB Super. He is also Chief Economist and co-founder of MacroBusiness. Leith has previously worked at the Australian Treasury, Victorian Treasury and Goldman Sachs.

New forecasts show Aussie household incomes are set to plunge

Fuel excise cut proves extremely popular but reckless

A Roy Morgan SMS Poll shows that 83% of Australians aged 18+ ‘approve’ of the federal government’s temporary cut to the fuel excise on petrol and diesel, while 17% disapprove of it.

Labor quietly reverses course on international student numbers

Last year, the Albanese government increased its 2026 international student planning level by 25,000, to 295,000. However, it was a loose cap only, with Ministerial Direction (MD) 115 allowing institutions to exceed their caps by 15% before the Department of Home Affairs would deprioritise visa processing for new applicants linked to that institution.

Australia’s land price bubble is the real housing crisis

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ (ABS) annual national accounts for 2024–25, the total value of residential land rose by 7.0% over the financial year to an all-time high of $8.3 trillion.

NDIS holds the key to budget sustainability

The Albanese government is preparing to make slowing the growth of the $50 billion NDIS a central pillar of its May budget savings, as the Middle East conflict drives up household pressures and undermines other planned revenue measures.

Australia’s housing market continues to lose momentum as demand fades

The latest data shows that Sydney’s and Melbourne’s housing markets are decelerating, dragging down national price growth.

Soaring listings are hitting Sydney and Melbourne house prices

Cotality’s daily dwelling values index shows that Sydney’s and Melbourne’s housing markets are now experiencing price corrections, with values experiencing declines over the latest month and quarter: In contrast, the other major capital cities – Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide – continue to record strong value growth.

Easter long weekend reading and MB media appearances

Why Australian house prices must fall

NDIS swells the ranks of the public service

The $50 billion National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) has become a perpetual motion machine that is driving ‘jobs and growth’ across the economy while acting as a lead weight on the federal budget.

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