# Mimicking populists will not cut living costs or raise productivity, Cormann warns

https://mins.news/en/item/103953

- The Guardian, 2026-10-17 01:49 UTC
- Politics
- Original: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/oct/17/mimicking-populists-will-not-ease-cost-of-living-or-raise-productivity-mathias-cormann-warns-ntwnfb

> OECD secretary general and former Australian finance minister Mathias Cormann is urging mainstream parties not to respond to cost-of-living concerns with populist measures such as migration caps. He argues that higher productivity, more housing, real wage growth and lower energy costs are the way forward. Citing OECD research, he says migrant arrivals were associated with faster employment growth among Australian-born workers and had no measurable wage effect.