Part 5/9:
O'Brien attributes Australia's productivity woes to what he describes as the “non-market sector”—essentially, large-scale government spending. He argued that persistent government expenditure hampers economic growth, leading to poorer living standards for Australians. The evidence, he claims, is the decline in Australia's global competitiveness—from 13th to 18th place—and the deterioration of living standards compared to other nations.