Estimating the Benefits of Hilmer and Related Reforms.

In a recent report (IC 1995a) the Industry Commission (IC) estimates that the implementation of the Hilmer Report and related reforms will yield a GDP gaim of around 5.4 per cent. In this paper, assumption are subject to a detailed critique. It is argued that most of the estimated productivity gains are grossly over-optimistic, representing upper bounds of possible achievement rather than likely outcomes. Furthermore, it is argued that the dominant flow-on effects of microeconomic reform will be negative, arising from the fact that at least some of the workers directly displaced by reform will permanently displaced from the employed labour force.