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Australian Economy

Fund Manager can’t understand why people [Joe Hockey] feel the need to say a market is not in a bubble.

In our last post, we quoted Australia’s Treasurer, Joe Hockey when interviewed on CNBC in New York denying a bubble exists in Australia’s overheated property market. Last fortnight, The Australian Financial Review’s Christopher Joye interviewed First Eagle portfolio manager Matthew McLennan. Q: You are clearly very knowledgeable on the Australian

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Australian Economy

Joe Hockey – No housing bubble, we are different!

Australia’s Treasurer, Joe Hockey, has been caught in an interview on CNBC in New York shamelessly spruiking the Australian Real Estate market. The interviewer asked Hockey, “Let’s talk about the Australia housing, a very favourite topic on my own, close to my heart as I have a home in Sydney

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Australian Economy

Housing bubble has RBA backed into the corner

If you can believe the real estate spruiker, emergency low interest rates have put a fire under Australia’s housing market. And as Australia already suffers the side effects of a large housing bubble developed over the past decade, investors will need to use extreme caution as signs emerge Australia’s central

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Australian Economy

RBNZ takes action to limit damage from housing bubble

New Zealand’s central bank appreciates the bigger the bubble, the bigger the bust. Today, it has taken action to curb potential damage from a bigger housing bust by restricting lending in the hope of cooling New Zealand’s overheated housing market. Reserve Bank Governor Graeme Wheeler said “In the current situation,

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Australian Economy

Voters want action on Housing affordability: News Limited

News Limited is generally considered to have a pro housing slant, but today it has printed a series of articles suggesting housing affordability is the top issue facing voters in this year’s election. “HOUSING affordability is a burning issue for Australian voters – more important than border security, broadband and

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Australian Economy

PM appeals in vain to the shafted generation

Generation Y, Kev wants you on board. During Kevin Rudd’s comeback leadership victory speech he had a message for our young generation: Before I conclude, let me say a word or two to young Australians. It’s clear that many of you, in fact too many of you have looked at

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China

GFC2 – Will it be made in China?

Since the GFC, Australia has literally bet the house on China. We have put all our eggs in one basket. And like Australian housing, you shouldn’t become complacent on the China miracle either. Throughout much of last decade, many western households around the world spent more than they earned. China’s

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China

Fitch says China credit bubble unprecedented

Ratings agency Fitch has warned China’s credit bubble is now unprecedented…. » Fitch says China credit bubble unprecedented in modern world history – The Telegraph, 16th June 2013. » China’s credit bubble is unprecedented: Fitch – The Sydney Morning Herald, 18th June 2013.

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Australian Economy

Wage pressures all round

On Saturday, the Herald Sun reported the average W.A. job seeker has experienced a fifteen per cent fall in hourly rates from the same time last year. The average hourly rate is now $51.60 a hour, down from $59.80 a year ago. Geologists have seen the largest falls and can

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Australian Economy

Home prices down sharply in the month of May

The month of May started with a 25 basis point cut in the official cash rate to 2.75 per cent, the lowest setting in 53 years. Real Estate experts were adamant this would put a pulse back in a directionless market. But rather, we have seen a sharp plunge in

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Australian Economy

Garnaut takes us behind the smoke and mirrors

On Tuesday night, Professor Ross Garnaut delivered a speech to Victoria University’s 2013 Vice-Chancellor’s Lecture and dinner, titled “Ending the great Australian complacency of the early twenty first century.” It is a well-researched and candid view of Australia’s current economic position and the significant challenges we now face. The age

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ABS House Price Indices

Lower than emergency lows

Treasurer Wayne Swan says it is “utterly irresponsible” to call today’s 25 basis point cut to the official cash rate as a cut to “emergency” levels. He is referring to the emergency low 3.00 per cent the cash rate reached after the collapse of Lehman Brothers and at the height