MBS Media coverage

Doubt cast on car bail-out

Northern Territory News, pg 30, 15 November 2008
"There are two interpretations of why the Government is giving so much money. One is they are naive. The second is they're pandering to vested interests, both producers and unions because it's a highly unionised sector," said MBS Professor Paul Kerin.

20 leaders walk into a room...carrying the weight of the world

The Age, pg 11, 14 November 2008
This weekend a G20 summit in Washington will try to tackle the financial crisis encircling the globe. But can competing interests and the common good work together? Already there is clear evidence of deep philosophical differences between some European nations, particularly the French, who are pressing for substantially more regulation. “The French economy is very regulated, and the EU has a different attitude to Australia and the US,” says Mark Crosby, associate professor at Melbourne Business School.

Government has missed the message on telcos

Joshua Gans, The Age, pg 12, 13 November 2008
Economists argue light-handed regulation is the best approach for telecommunications, writes MBS Professor Joshua Gans. Read the full article.

Helping control emissions

ABC The World Today, 13 November 2008
As three of the major car makers in the US put their hands out for Government assistance, Prof Paul Kerin from the Melbourne Business School, says car parts subsidisation won't really help emissions control. He states that innovation in general is 'just a buzz word' used by those with vested interests to justify the existence of industries.

Is a bail out the answer?

Radio Adelaide, 13 November 2008
This week, Kevin Rudd has approved a $6b bail out package for the Australian car industry but will the American Government follow suit? US car giants, General Motors and Ford, are lobbying the US Government for funding to prevent financial collapse but is a bail out the answer given the global concerns about climate change? Paul Kerin, a Professorial Fellow at the Melbourne Business School, explains what a potential bail out package will mean in the US.

$6.3bn 'free ride' for US carmakers

The Australian, pg 1, 12 November 2008
Melbourne Business School professor Paul Kerin said the assistance package would benefit vested interests. "This plan is spending two and half times what Bracks proposed so it's no surprise that it's a shocking value for taxpayers and consumers." He said carmakers "were masters at playing off naive governments around the world".

Putting the Government on the back foot

ABC 2 News Breakfast , 12 November 2008
Dr Sam Wylie, from Melbourne Business School discusses the furore over the Government's economic modeling. He comments that it is not surprising to see differences in the Treasury and RBA forecasts. He agrees it is a big call to suggest Ken Henry has bowed to the will of the Government, adding the Opposition is attempting to put the Government on the back foot.

Symmetry, no caps and roving usage will be real gains

Joshua Gans, The Age, pg 16, 12 November 2008
Speed on the hop is what consumers will pay for, writes MBS Professor Joshua Gans. Read the full article.

From a taxpayer's perspective, high-speed broadband is a high-odds gamble

Joshua Gans, The Age, pg 8, 11 November 2008
In the second of a five-part series, Melbourne Business School Professor Joshua Gans discusses whether the Government’s broadband plan is a public good. Read the full article.

History lesson 101: don't panic, don't protect

The Australian Financial Review, pg 28, 11 November 2008
The global financial turmoil has cause some politicians to move to protectionist positions, including pre-election inklings that Barack Obama has concerns foreigners are a threat to American jobs. During the Great Depression the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act passed in 1930 by US legislators backfired and resulted in European countries initiating a wave of retaliatory tariffs. Lowy Institute director of international economy Mark Thirlwell said Smoot-Hawley was an example of what not to do in the middle of a financial crisis, a warning against overly protectionist positions. Melbourne Business School economic historian Eric Jones said however that governments had behaved fairly well in the crisis.

Assistance package?

ABC TV Lateline, 10 November 2008
The Federal Government has unveiled a $6bn assistance package for the car industry. Prof. Paul Kerin from the Melbourne Business School says no analysis has been done on whether this is a good return for taxpayers.

Target those diversity messages

HR Magazine, pg 12, 10 November 2008
In the summer 2008 issue of Human Resource Management, researchers including Ian Williamson from the Melbourne Business School, argue that to be effective, employer marketing messages must match specific recruits’ experiences.

Funding and certainty

3AW Drive, 10 November 2008
The car industry welcomes the Australian Government's $6B rescue package which will include more incentives for manufacturers to develop green cars. Prof Paul Kerin, from Melbourne Business School, recalls Ian McFarland and Steve Bracks' moves on this.

Not yesterday’s business

Radio National - PM, 10 November 2008
The Federal Government has announced a $6b plan to stimulate the Australian automotive industry. Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister, says "I don't believe car making is yesterday's business or something better left to the Germans or Japanese". Paul Kerin from the Melbourne Business School, is critical of the scheme.

Rudd to rev up car rescue plan

The Australian, pg 1, 10 November 2008
Kevin Rudd will forge ahead with a multi-billion-dollar car industry assistance package today, amid fears of further job losses and a downturn in the market, but he will warn manufacturers not to expect a blank cheque. Critics of the car industry rescue plan argue the Government is throwing good money after bad. Melbourne Business School Professor Paul Kerin said "It's a waste of taxpayer money. It might help the industry but not Australia as a whole”.

Think carefully before leaping headlong on to the big, fast broadband wagon

Joshua Gans, The Age, pg 1, 10 November 2008
MBS Professor Joshua Gans examines the political, economic and policy shackles on the nation’s multi-billion-dollar broadband battle. Read the full article.

To fix distortions, Canberra should ditch all guarantees

Paul Kerin, The Australian, pg 25, 10 November 2008
In spite of denials by the Government, its provision of deposit and wholesale funding guarantees to authorised deposit taking institutions (ADIs) has put non-ADIs such as fund managers at a competitive disadvantage. Rather than bow to non-ADI pressure to extend guarantees to them, we should ditch guarantees altogether, writes MBS Professor Paul Kerin. Read the full article.

Decline reflects poorly on the arts

John Armstrong, The Australian, pg 22, 06 November 2008
Capitalism, argues MBS philosopher-in-residence John Armstrong, needs to be complemented by a level of maturity we lack because the humanities, too, have dipped into a recession. Read the full article.

Managing Expectations

ABC 2 News Breakfast , 05 November 2008
Dr Sam Wylie, Research Fellow, Melbourne Business School, says that in bringing the announcement of the mid-year Australian economic outlook forward, Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan is trying to 'manage expectations' about the Australian budget surplus.

Dollar's plunge eliminates the case for industry handouts

Paul Kerin, The Australian, pg 29, 03 November 2008
During recent industry assistance reviews, vested interests used the then-high Australian dollar to demand outrageous handouts, courtesy of taxpayers and consumers, writes MBS Professor Paul Kerin. Read the full article.