The author has been described by News Ltd as an "iconoclast", "Svengali", a pollie's "economist muse", and "pungently accurate". Fairfax says he is a "Renaissance man" and "one of Australia’s most respected analysts." Stephen Koukoulas concludes that he is "85% right", and "would make a great Opposition leader." Terry McCrann claims the author thinks "‘nuance’ is a trendy village in the south of France", but can be "scintillating" when he thinks "clearly". The ACTU reckons he’s "an enigma wrapped in a Bloomberg terminal, wrapped in some apparently well-honed abs."

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Stutchbury: No mention of Swan-RBA board remuneration spat

Another great column by Stutch in the Oz:

"EUROMONEY magazine has this week praised its Finance Minister of the Year, Wayne Swan, for backing the Reserve Bank of Australia's political independence in setting interest rates.

But it didn't refer to Swan's removal of the Reserve Bank board's independence in setting the pay of its two top officials, a practice in place since the central bank was founded in 1960. Nor did it mention the spat between the Treasurer and the board's remuneration committee, comprising former Telstra chairman Donald McGauchie, Fairfax Media chairman Roger Corbett and company director Jillian Broadbent."