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Brendan Coates

Fellow, Grattan Institute

Brendan is a fellow at the Grattan Institute. Before joining Grattan, Brendan worked with the World Bank in Indonesia, and prior to that, he undertook a number of roles with the Australian Treasury, including as part of the Treasury’s China Policy Unit. Brendan holds a Masters of International Development Economics from the Australian National University and Bachelors of Commerce and Arts from the University of Melbourne.

Migrant Crisis Series

How should the skilled migration points test be reformed? It’s an $84 billion question

Jun 03, 2024 11:01 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

As the government consults on potential reforms to points-tested visas for skilled migrants, the stakes couldnt be higher. Skilled migrants contribute enormously to Australias prosperity shaping our diverse society,...

Older women often rent in poverty – shared home equity could help some escape

Feb 24, 2022 20:41 pm UTC| Economy

Many older Australian women face insecure futures. Those who are single, divorced or widowed are much more likely to suffer poverty, housing stress and homelessness. Our new Grattan Institute proposal for a national...

Now we'll need $100-$120 billion. Why the budget has to spend big to avoid scarring

Sep 09, 2020 06:33 am UTC| Economy

Australia is in for a long and damaging economic slump, unless governments inject substantially more fiscal stimulus. The July budget update forecast that unemployment would hit 9.25% in coming months. The Treasury...

Early access to super doesn’t justify higher compulsory contributions

Aug 09, 2020 22:44 pm UTC| Economy

A big part of the Morrison governments response to COVID-19 has been allowing people early access to their superannuation. Australians who have claimed hardship have applied for A$30.7 billion to date. This has been...

Money for social housing, not home buyers grants, is the key to construction stimulus

Jun 03, 2020 15:15 pm UTC| Economy

Theres no doubt Australias construction industry is facing tough times. COVID-19 has caused migration to slow to a trickle. Some 2.6 million Australians have either lost their jobs or had their hours cut in the past two...

Think superannuation comes from employers' pockets? It comes from yours

Feb 03, 2020 12:17 pm UTC| Insights & Views Economy

A key question for the governments retirement incomes review is who ultimately pays for compulsory super contributions, especially since they are set to climb from 9.5% of wages to 12% over the next five years. Legally,...

Rudd's rental affordability scheme was a $1 billion gift to developers; Abbott was right to axe it

Sep 10, 2019 20:38 pm UTC| Insights & Views Real Estate Politics

Most Australians are spending more of their income on housing than they used to, but low-income households are being squeezed the hardest. Many are in poverty, and many more are suffering financial stress. A growing...

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Economy

England Drought Expands to 71% as Heatwave Deepens Water Crisis

Nearly three-quarters of England is now experiencing drought conditions as prolonged heat and exceptionally low rainfall put increasing pressure on water supplies, agriculture and wildlife, the British government said...

Gold Prices Rise as Fed Rate Hike Bets Ease

Gold prices extended their strong rally on Monday as weak U.S. employment data reduced expectations for further Federal Reserve interest rate hikes, while investors turned their attention to upcoming U.S. inflation...

S&P 500, Nasdaq Slip as Oil Jumps on Iran Tensions

U.S. stocks ended Monday slightly lower as renewed uncertainty over the Middle East conflict pushed oil prices higher and weighed on technology shares. The SP 500 and Nasdaq Composite declined as investors grew less...

Wall Street Slips as Oil Prices Surge 5% on Iran-Hormuz Uncertainty

Wall Street stocks edged lower on Monday while oil prices jumped about 5% as investors weighed Federal Reserve interest rate expectations and uncertainty surrounding negotiations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The Dow...

UK Retail Sales Rise as World Cup and Heatwave Boost Food, Pubs and Clothing

British consumers increased spending on food, pubs and clothing in July, supported by Englands run to the World Cup semi-finals and unusually hot weather. However, shoppers remained cautious about larger purchases as...

Politics

North Korea Slams Japan’s 2026 Defense White Paper

North Korea has sharply criticized Japans 2026 Defense White Paper, accusing Tokyo of using concerns over Pyongyangs military activities to justify an expanding arms buildup and a more assertive defense posture. In a...

Russian Missile Attack on Kyiv Sparks Fires in City Centre

Russian forces launched a missile attack on Kyiv early Tuesday, triggering explosions and fires in the centre of the Ukrainian capital, according to local officials and witnesses. Kyivs military administration reported...

US Revokes Over 175,000 Visas Under Trump Immigration Crackdown

The U.S. State Department has revoked more than 175,000 visas held by foreign nationals under President Donald Trumps administration, marking a significant expansion of the governments immigration and visa enforcement...

Trump Demands Iran Pay Compensation Over Deaths and Injuries

U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that he will demand compensation from Iran for people he says were killed or seriously wounded in conflicts involving Tehran, responding to Irans own push for compensation following...

South Korea, US Set Major Military Drills for August

South Korea and the United States will hold their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) military drills from August 17 to 27, with this years exercises placing greater emphasis on countering drones, GPS interference and...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

Nvidia Secures $500 Billion AI Infrastructure Push With Wall Street Giants

Nvidia is expanding its influence beyond semiconductors after announcing agreements aimed at mobilizing up to $500 billion in third-party capital for artificial intelligence infrastructure. The move brings the AI chip...

SEC Clears Path for Data Center Securitizations as AI Financing Demand Surges

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has provided regulatory clarification that could make it easier for data center owners and operators to access capital markets as the artificial intelligence boom drives...

Apple Tests China’s CXMT Memory Chips for iPhones and MacBooks Amid AI Supply Crunch

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is reportedly testing memory chips from Chinese semiconductor manufacturer CXMT Corp as the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence infrastructure puts increasing pressure on global memory...

Sony, TSMC Eye $6.3 Billion Japan Chip Venture for Next-Gen Image Sensors

Sony Group and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) are reportedly preparing to invest about 1 trillion yen ($6.32 billion) in a new Japanese semiconductor venture focused on next-generation chips for image...

Nvidia Seen Beating Q2 Targets as Vera Rubin Cycle Begins

Nvidia (NVDA) could enter a multi-quarter growth cycle as shipments of its next-generation Vera Rubin AI chips begin, with BofA Global Research forecasting stronger-than-expected quarterly results and maintaining a bullish...