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Robert Breunig

Robert Breunig

Professor of Economics, Australian National University

Robert Breunig conducts research in three main areas: economics of the household; empirical industrial organisation; and statistical and econometric theory. In recent work, he has studied the inter-generational transmission of dependence on government assistance; he has examined the relationship between women’s labour supply and child care policy and studied optimal child care subsidy policies; he has examined the complex relationship between outsourcing and innovation; and he has evaluated new econometric techniques for analysing panel data models of binary outcomes.

He publishes regularly in respected, international journals. His research is motivated by important social policy issues and debates. His work is characterised by careful empirical study and appropriate use of statistical technique.

Robert Breunig’s research agenda have led to many partnerships with government organisations in Australia and overseas. He works regularly with the Australian Treasury, the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations and the Department of Innovation as well as many other agencies. He has been a consultant to private sector on marketing, mergers, bank competition and customer loyalty programs.

Robert Breunig particularly enjoys interaction outside of typical academic circles and takes pleasure in helping those who don’t usually use economics or statistical analysis to better understand and make use of these tools in their work. He has an extensive track record of helping the public service to build research capacity which he views as a particularly important activity.

He has received grant support from the United States Department of Agriculture and the Australian Research Council.

It's time to end Western Australia's $4 billion-per-year GST bonus

Jun 01, 2023 11:38 am UTC| Economy

The Morrison governments decision to give a special deal to Western Australia for the distribution of the income from the goods and service tax is one of the worst public policy decisions made in Australia in the past two...

Tax breaks cost a reported $250 billion, but handle these new figures with care

Mar 04, 2023 11:57 am UTC| Economy

Treasurer Jim Chalmers promised a Tax Expenditures Statement by the end of February and he delivered this week, just in time, on Tuesday February 28. The statement contains many headline-grabbing figures about the cost...

Success in life is tied to parental education. That's why we need to track intergenerational school performance

Feb 14, 2023 12:57 pm UTC| Insights & Views Life

The notion of the fair go is meant to be central to Australias national ethos. Its not easy to define, but most of us would agree it means the chance to reach your full potential, regardless of your background. This...

We need to restart immigration quickly to drive economic growth. Here's one way to do it safely

Oct 15, 2020 14:24 pm UTC| Economy

Faced with a difficult economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, Australia needs to act quickly with creative solutions to reestablish immigration into the country, even before a potential vaccine is found. Over the...

Progressive in theory, regressive in practice: that's how we tax income from savings

Jul 21, 2020 14:24 pm UTC| Investing Economy

Were told Australia has a progressive tax system the more you earn, the higher the rate. And thats certainly the case for earnings from wages. An Australian on A$35,000 sacrifices 21 cents out of each extra dollar they...

Not so bad. Most of us who work long hours like the jobs we are in. Those who don't, change jobs quickly

Sep 02, 2019 23:18 pm UTC| Insights & Views Life

No biggie. Most of us who overwork like the jobs we are in. Those who dont change jobs fairly quickly Overwork? Most of us who work long hours like our jobs. Those who dont, move on We are forever being told that we...

Traditional culture may help Indigenous households manage money better

Oct 31, 2018 13:01 pm UTC| Insights & Views Real Estate

Few areas of public policy are as hotly debated as how to close the income gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. There are some uncontroversial goals, such as improving job opportunities and reducing the...

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Economy

Jackson Hole Symposium Focuses on Financial Innovation Amidst Inflation Concerns

Today, August 27, 2026, the annual Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium opens in Wyoming with a focus on Financial Innovation: Implications for Payments and Policy. The conference will explore key topics including...

Asian Currencies Mixed as Dollar Holds Firm Ahead of Jackson Hole

Asian currencies traded mixed on Thursday as the U.S. dollar hovered near a one-week high, supported by hotter-than-expected U.S. inflation data that kept expectations of another Federal Reserve interest rate hike alive....

US Stocks Finish Flat as Inflation Data, Nvidia Earnings Keep Investors Cautious

U.S. stocks ended Wednesday largely flat as investors digested July inflation data and remained cautious ahead of Nvidias highly anticipated quarterly earnings. The SP 500 closed unchanged at 7,677.00, while the Nasdaq...

Japan Firms Ramp Up Yen Hedging as Currency Weakness Persists

Japanese companies are increasingly turning to currency hedging as persistent yen weakness drives up import costs and creates uncertainty for businesses dependent on overseas goods. Taku Ueno, CEO of Takara MC, which...

Oil Prices Fall as Middle East Ceasefire Hopes Rise

Oil prices declined on Wednesday, extending their weekly losses as signs of diplomatic progress in the Middle East raised hopes that hostilities could ease and the Strait of Hormuz could gradually reopen to commercial...

Politics

U.S. Probes Apex Logistics Over Nvidia AI Chip Shipments to China

The U.S. government is investigating Singapore-based Apex Logistics over allegations that the freight company helped transport Nvidia AI chips and computer systems to China despite U.S. export restrictions, Bloomberg...

Pentagon Eyes U.S. Troop Cuts in Europe Amid NATO Review

A Pentagon review of U.S. military deployments in Europe is expected to produce at least four options for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth by November 6, as Washington considers potentially reducing its troop presence across...

Judge Rejects Minnesota Bid to Force ICE Agent Extradition

A federal judge has rejected Minnesotas attempt to force Texas Governor Greg Abbott to immediately extradite a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer accused of shooting a Venezuelan man during a major...

U.S. Disrupts China-Linked Hacking Campaign Targeting Government Agencies

The United States has disrupted a China-linked cyber operation accused of targeting sensitive government agencies, including the Justice Department, NASA, Federal Reserve and U.S. Senate, authorities said Wednesday. The...

34 Australians Missing After Deadly Nepal Floods

At least 34 Australians are missing after catastrophic floods struck Nepal and parts of Chinas Tibet, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Thursday, as rescue teams struggle to assess the full scale of the Himalayan...

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

OpenAI AI Agent Swarm Behind Hugging Face Hack

A swarm of roughly 700 AI agents developed by OpenAI carried out a July breach of open-source AI platform Hugging Face, with some agents attempting to conceal their actions, according to reports released Wednesday. The...

Meta Agrees to $18 Billion Settlement, Tightens Teen Social Media Rules

Meta Platforms has agreed to pay up to $18 billion over the next decade and impose stricter protections for teenagers using Facebook and Instagram, settling claims from nearly all U.S. states that its platforms were...

Nvidia Revenue Soars 106% as AI Demand Hits ‘Inflection Point’

Nvidia reported stronger-than-expected quarterly earnings on Wednesday as booming demand for artificial intelligence hardware pushed revenue up 106% from a year earlier, prompting CEO Jensen Huang to declare that AI has...

Salesforce Shares Surge as AI Demand Powers Q2 Earnings Beat

Salesforce Inc. (NYSE: CRM) delivered stronger-than-expected second-quarter fiscal 2027 results, fueled by rapid growth in artificial intelligence products, improved profitability and rising customer demand. Salesforce...

HP Stock Drops 9% Despite Q3 Earnings Beat and Raised 2026 Outlook

HP Inc. (NYSE: HPQ) delivered stronger-than-expected fiscal third-quarter results, supported by robust Personal Systems sales and tariff refunds. However, HP stock fell more than 9% in after-hours trading Wednesday as...
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