The Economy, Stupid

The first computer revolution was supposed to bring mass unemployment but didn't. Is this time really different?

Australia's early settlements were radical experiments in almost exclusively male societies. Their impact is still felt today.

Australia's social safety net is designed for those most in need - but increasingly the benefits are flowing to the wealthiest households.

California is seeking to introduce a tax on the wealth of billionaires. Is it time we did the same?

You're driving around looking for petrol, and you notice station after station charging exactly the same price.That could be because they are competing fiercely, and have cut prices to the point where they can't cut them anymore.Or it could be because they've coordinated. Professor David Byrne examined 1.6 million prices in order to find out.
Guests:
David P. Byrne, Ritchie Chair of Economic Research, The University of Melbourne. 
Megan Flamer,  Senior industry fellow, RMIT University.
Referred to:
Negotiating Coordination: A Study in Retail Gasoline, David P. Byrne, Nicolas de Roos et al, The University of Melbourne, March 14, 2026
Learning to Coordinate: A Study in Retail Gasoline, David P. Byrne,  Nicolas de Roos, The American Economic Review, July 23, 2018
Price Discrimination by Negotiation: a Field Experiment in Retail Electricity, David P Byrne , Leslie A Martin , Jia Sheen Nah, The Quarterly Journal of Economics, April 19, 2022
Consumer search and income inequality, International Journal of Industrial Organization, David P. Byrne, Leslie A. Martin, International Journal of Industrial Organization December 2021