It’s probably no surprise that NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet – now expecting his seventh child, and with 11 siblings of his own – should be in favour of a ‘Big New South Wales.’ And urged on by leading bureaucrats, the new state Premier is backing a five-year doubling of the pre-pandemic migration rate, which he says will help boost the economy. But recent surveys show his views are in stark contrast to those of the general population. continue…

by Andreas Lundberg Posted in Insightful Insights.

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We understand the current difficult times families and communities are facing although we hope your Easter weekend was filled with quality family time. I wanted to share Andrea Bocelli’s performance in an empty Milan cathedral on Easter Sunday where he sang Amazing Grace. We hope this performance can lift your spirits. Stay safe.

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Insightful Insights.

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Sorry to let ethics creep into my blog, but sometimes you just have to make a statement.  You see, right now, China is carrying out highly repressive policies reminiscent of George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four.  Given China’s global ambitions, these are scary times not just for Chinese people, but for all people who value freedom and democracy. continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Editor's Pick, Insightful Insights.

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As we head into annual general meeting (AGM) season in Australia, one of the topics that will no doubt receive some focus will be management remuneration. This is increasingly a vexed issue in Australia and other developed markets, with management remuneration generally having skyrocketed in relative terms in recent decades. continue…

by Tim Kelley Posted in Insightful Insights.

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Warren Buffett has observed that honesty is the most important trait in the people you work with. The same might be said of firms you invest in. Which makes a recent study into cultural honesty interesting reading. It found that Switzerland is the most honest country in the world. Any guesses for which nations are least honest? continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Insightful Insights.

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If you feel like you’ve been working longer hours of late, you’re not alone. Data just released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) show that everyday Australians are needing to pedal harder just to stay still, as they try to battle stagnant wages growth, rising asset prices and falling cash rates. continue…

by Dean Curnow Posted in Insightful Insights.

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Humans are fascinating, complex creatures, capable of amazing achievements.  At the same time, as psychology researchers like Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky have pushed forward our understanding of the human mind, it has become increasingly clear that we are indeed strange.  Far from being the rational decision makers that behavioural theory once assumed, we find that our cognitive processes can be deeply flawed, leading to poor decision making and sub-optimal outcomes. continue…

by Tim Kelley Posted in Editor's Pick, Insightful Insights.

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Norwegian company Equinor has just released a draft environmental plan for deep water oil drilling in the Great Australian Bight. A misstep in this project would have disastrous environmental, social and economic impacts for all Australians, which is why we think it should be rejected. continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Insightful Insights.

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After many years of under-investment in infrastructure, Australian governments have recently been on an infrastructure spending frenzy. Some projects have been worthwhile. Others have not. Is it time to pause and think more carefully about the way public money is spent? continue…

by Andreas Lundberg Posted in Insightful Insights.

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It’s not often I’m motivated to republish, in its entirety, a speech from the head of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

The subject covered however is one that touches us all, and in ways we didn’t realise. And it represents another example of the change that industries confront from time to time and which investors have to consider and navigate. continue…

by Roger Montgomery Posted in Insightful Insights.

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