The job's in front of them

At present, many Australian governments seem lost in ideological mantras. All talk, little walk.

They seem to ignore reality even while reality is catching them out.

Everybody cops the costs of their policy mistakes. Already have.

Ideological ministers are numerous. Here's just one who should know better.

At the Federal level, Andrew Leigh is currently assistant minister for competition, charities and treasury. He's also assistant minister for employment.

These are most serious responsibilities.

Yet he's also author of the childish 'three-eyed koalas' cartoon/meme opposing nuclear fission as a low emissions, 24/7 reliable, power source. No gravitas – let alone objective analysis – there.

Inter alia, he's also author of a book titled The Shortest History of Economics.

I like short economic histories.

I especially like those emphasising how policies need to allow for market responses to them.

Here's my 'shortest history of economics' (in 42 words, not Andrew Leigh's 224 pages).

In economics, if you don't know this, then, sorry, you don't know anything.

It applies, inter alia, to 'Robin Hood' tax grabs. You'd have to be pretty green to propose these.

Goods and services scarce, not free.
Demand and supply set price and quantity.
Buyers and sellers are not sitting ducks.
React to incentives changing results.
Ignore this at your peril won't change what I've said.
Markets reflect it take that as read.