Ann Pettifor

Crunch Time – Conference of Australia’s progressive think-tanks

May 8, 2009

You can watch Ann’s speech on the Green New Deal at the new Crunch Time website. Crunch time is the first major conference of progressive Australian think tanks, covering topics including the economy, democracy, climate change, poverty, social inclusion and much more.

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2 thoughts on “Crunch Time – Conference of Australia’s progressive think-tanks”

  1. Dear Ann Pettifor,

    I concur with much of what you say. But I think that the ultimate cause of the financial crisis is something

    that you have not identified. It is simply the fact that the financial sector, unlike productive sectors of the economy, charges fees based on a

    percentage of transaction value instead of based on work done.

    The rest of the economy has to produce something by toil or by thinking. And

    is paid salaries which are effectively based on an hourly rate = time spent.

    Until it is made illegal to charge a fee based on transaction

    value instead of work done the coffers of the financial sector entities that do this “work” will continue to overflow with ill-gotten gains.

    When you think about it, there would have been no financial incentive and no driving force behind playing “hot potato” with CDOs if there had not

    been a fee associated with these transactions that was based on a percentage of their alleged face value.

    Regards
    Mike Stenford

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