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Stephen Kirchner

Program Director, Trade and Investment, United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney
Dr Stephen Kirchner is Program Director, Trade and Investment, United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney. He is also a senior fellow at the Fraser Institute in Canada, where he has contributed to research projects comparing public policies in Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

Previously, he was an economist with the Australian Financial Markets Association, where he worked on public policy issues relating to the efficient and effective functioning of Australian financial markets and Australia’s position as a regional and international financial centre.

Stephen has been a research fellow at the Centre for Independent Studies, a senior lecturer in economics at the University of Technology Sydney Business School and an economist with Standard & Poor’s Institutional Market Services based in both Sydney and Singapore. He has also worked as an advisor to members of the Australian House of Representatives and Senate.

He has published in leading academic and think-tank journals, including Public Choice, The Australian Economic Review, Australian Journal of Political Science and The Cato Journal.

His op-eds have appeared in publications including The Wall Street Journal, Straits Times, Businessweek, The Australian Financial Review, The Australian, and Sydney Morning Herald.

Kirchner holds a BA (Hons) from the Australian National University, where he was awarded the L. F. Crisp Prize for Political Science, a Master of Economics (Hons) from Macquarie University, and a PhD in Economics from the University of New South Wales.

Central Banking Series

The evidence suggests Reserve Bank rate cuts don't hurt confidence

Feb 04, 2020 12:16 pm UTC| Insights & Views Central Banks Economy

When the Reserve Bank board meets today for the first time this year it is likely to leave its cash rate unchanged at the current all-time low 0.75%. Afterwards, it will announce its reasons, many of them good. But...

Now we know. The Reserve Bank has spelled out what it will do when rates approach zero

Nov 27, 2019 12:30 pm UTC| Insights & Views Central Banks

Last night, in a much anticipated speech broadcast live on the Reserve Banks website, Governor Phil Lowe laid out in very clear terms the circumstances in which the bank would resort to quantitative easing and the way in...

Below zero is "reverse". How the Reserve Bank would make quantitative easing work

Jun 19, 2019 02:29 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy Central Banks

With its official cash rate now expected to fall below 1% to a new extraordinarily low close to zero, all sorts of people are saying that the Reserve Bank is in danger of running out of ammunition. Ammunition might be...

Economy

Gold Prices Retreat From Two-Month High as Softer Inflation Eases Fed Rate Hike Bets

Gold prices fell Thursday as investors took profits after bullion recently climbed to a fresh two-month high. Despite the pullback, softer U.S. inflation data continued to support the precious metal by reducing...

Wall Street Hits Record High as Softer Inflation Data Eases Fed Rate Hike Fears

Wall Street closed at a record high Thursday as softer U.S. producer inflation data reduced expectations for a Federal Reserve rate hike, boosting technology stocks and pushing Treasury yields lower. The SP 500 gained 0.7%...

US Dollar Slips as Softer PPI Data Eases Fed Rate Hike Expectations

The U.S. dollar edged lower on Thursday after softer-than-expected producer inflation data reduced expectations that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates in the coming months. The U.S. Dollar Index fell 0.1% to...

UK Economy Posts Surprise June Growth as World Cup and Hot Weather Lift Activity

Britains economy recorded stronger-than-expected growth in June 2026, supported by easing concerns over the Iran war, the mens soccer World Cup and hot weather, according to official figures released Thursday. UK gross...

US Dollar Holds Firm as Fed Outlook and Iran Tensions Keep Markets on Edge

The U.S. dollar remained steady on Thursday as investors assessed the Federal Reserves interest rate outlook following U.S. inflation data that matched expectations. Meanwhile, elevated oil prices and renewed U.S.-Iran...

Politics

Trump Orders U.S. Navy to Return to Steam Catapults for Aircraft Carriers

U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered the U.S. Navy to replace its electromagnetic aircraft launch systems with traditional steam catapults, marking a major shift in the technology used aboard the Navys newest aircraft...

Iran Eyes New Development Bank Membership as BRICS Pushes Local Currency Trade

Iran is expected to join the New Development Bank (NDB), the multilateral lender established by BRICS nations, as Tehran seeks stronger financial ties with emerging economies and alternative channels outside the U.S....

Nigel Farage Faces Count Binface in Clacton Election Test

Voters in Clacton headed to the polls on Thursday in an unusual local English election that pits Reform UK leader Nigel Farage against more than 30 challengers, including comedian Count Binface. The election comes after...

Putin Visits Japan-Claimed Iturup Island, Drawing Strong Protest From Tokyo

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Iturup, a disputed island claimed by Japan, on Thursday, prompting a strong protest from Tokyo as tensions remain elevated across Northeast Asia. Iturup, known as Etorofu in Japan,...

Meloni Loses Ground Among Young Italian Voters Ahead of 2027 Election

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is losing support among young voters, potentially creating a major challenge for her right-wing coalition ahead of Italys 2027 national election. Polling by Youtrend shows Melonis...

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

Anthropic Eyes $6B Decart AI Acquisition Ahead of Mega IPO

Anthropic is reportedly in talks to acquire Nvidia-backed AI startup Decart AI as the Claude developer looks to expand its computing capabilities and address growing demand ahead of a potential public listing. Bloomberg...

Google Pushes Gemini AI Overhaul as Sergey Brin Targets Model Supremacy

Google co-founder Sergey Brin has stepped up efforts to accelerate development of the companys Gemini AI models as Alphabet battles OpenAI and Anthropic for leadership in artificial intelligence. Brin has reportedly urged...

Lenovo Revenue Surges 43% as AI Demand Drives Record First-Quarter Growth

Lenovo Group reported record first-quarter revenue as booming demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure and AI-enabled devices fueled strong growth across its major businesses, pushing its Hong Kong-listed shares...

Cisco Forecasts Strong Fiscal 2027 Growth as AI Networking Demand Surges

Cisco Systems has issued a stronger-than-expected fiscal 2027 outlook, fueled by rising demand for networking equipment and artificial intelligence infrastructure from hyperscale customers. The networking technology giant...

Super Micro Stock Jumps 19% as AI Server Demand Drives Strong 2027 Outlook

Super Micro Computer (NASDAQ: SMCI) shares surged about 19% on Wednesday after the AI server maker issued fiscal 2027 guidance that significantly exceeded Wall Street expectations, easing concerns following its softer...