Leith van Onselen: Biography, Career, and Political Views

If you follow Australian economics commentary, you’ve probably seen the name Leith van Onselen attached to sharp takes on housing, immigration, and interest rates — he’s the co-founder of MacroBusiness, a site that punches well above its weight in policy debates. This article pulls together what’s publicly known about his career, his views, and the gaps that remain, including the question many people ask: is he related to that other van Onselen?

Current Role: Chief Economist at MB Fund and MB Super ·
Co-founder: MacroBusiness (established 2011) ·
Former Roles: Economist at Australian Treasury and Victorian Treasury ·
Media Column: Writes as the Unconventional Economist for ABC News ·
Social Media: X handle @leithvo; YouTube channel Leith van Onselen

The table below distills the key public facts about his professional identity.

Who is Leith van Onselen?

Early life and education

• Van Onselen has not publicly shared his birth date, age, or formal education history. Most biographical sources skip these details entirely.
• The only clue is his decade-long career at the Australian Treasury (federal government department) and Victorian Treasury (state government department), which suggests he likely holds a degree in economics or a related field — but no source confirms this.

Career at the Australian Treasury

• Before entering media, van Onselen spent more than a decade in economic policy roles. According to his MacroBusiness author page (co-founded economics commentary site), he worked at the Australian Treasury, the Victorian Treasury, and Goldman Sachs.
• Nucleus Wealth, an investment platform that has featured him as a guest, also reports his tenure spanned over a decade across these three institutions (Nucleus Wealth (financial advisory firm)).

Co-founding MacroBusiness

• Around 2011, van Onselen co-founded MacroBusiness, an independent economics and financial news website that quickly became a go-to source for Australian macro analysis.
• His own site describes him as “Chief Economist and co-founder of MacroBusiness” (MacroBusiness author page).
• Secondary listings on Muck Rack (journalist portfolio platform) and Prowly (media directory) corroborate this role, confirming he has maintained the position since the site’s launch.

The pattern — from treasury economist to independent commentator — defines his career arc.

What is Leith van Onselen’s professional background?

Early career in government economics

His early professional life was rooted in public service. Working for both federal and state treasuries gave him first-hand exposure to budget formulation, fiscal policy, and economic forecasting. The MacroBusiness bio (economics commentary platform) notes that he “previously worked as an economist at the Australian Treasury, Victorian Treasury and Goldman Sachs.” The inclusion of Goldman Sachs indicates a stint in private-sector finance as well, though no precise dates are available.

Transition to private sector and media

After leaving government, van Onselen moved into financial commentary. He began writing for ABC News as the Unconventional Economist, a column that often challenges prevailing economic narratives. The ABC News author page states: “Leith van Onselen writes as the Unconventional Economist. Leith has previously worked as an economist at the Australian Treasury, Victorian Treasury and …” (ABC News (Australian public broadcaster)). This dual role — blogging independently while also appearing on a major public broadcaster — gives him a cross-platform presence few Australian economists enjoy.

Current roles and responsibilities

Today, van Onselen serves as Chief Economist at MB Fund (investment fund) and MB Super (self-managed superannuation provider). These roles involve analysing macroeconomic trends and advising on investment strategy. He remains active at MacroBusiness, publishing multiple articles per week on housing, interest rates, and immigration policy.

His move signals a broader shift in how economic expertise reaches the public.

What are Leith van Onselen’s political views?

Views on immigration and population growth

Van Onselen is one of Australia’s most vocal critics of high immigration levels. He argues consistently on MacroBusiness that rapid population growth exacerbates housing shortages and infrastructure strain. His columns for ABC News often question the economic benefits of mass migration. No source directly states his party affiliation, but his policy positions align with what analysts describe as a “libertarian” or “classical liberal” framework — favouring free markets but sceptical of government-driven population expansion.

Perspective on housing affordability

He frequently critiques Australian housing policy, especially the tax treatment of property investors (negative gearing and capital gains discounts). In his view, these policies inflate prices and prevent younger Australians from entering the market. His commentary on MacroBusiness blends data with polemic, a style that has earned him both strong fans and fierce critics.

Overall economic philosophy

According to Muck Rack (journalist portfolio platform), van Onselen is “interested in economic and financial issues.” His body of work suggests he distrusts reactive stimulus and favours structural reform — though he has never published a formal manifesto. The MacroBusiness bio (co-founded economics commentary site) positions him as an economist writing from within a market and policy commentary platform, not a party-political officeholder.

Is Leith van Onselen related to Peter van Onselen?

Possible sibling relationship

Both men share the uncommon Dutch surname “van Onselen” and are prominent in Australian public life. Peter van Onselen is a well-known television host, political commentator, and academic at the University of Western Australia. The similarity naturally fuels speculation that they are brothers or cousins.

Public statements from both parties

Despite searching through available sources — including van Onselen’s own bios, ABC profile, and Peter van Onselen’s Wikipedia page (encyclopedic reference) — no confirmed public source states they are directly related. Peter van Onselen’s Wikipedia entry does not mention Leith. Leith’s own bios do not reference Peter.

Why this question arises frequently

The combination of a rare surname, a shared profession (both are media commentators), and overlapping coverage of Australian politics makes the relationship a natural question. But without explicit confirmation from either party, it remains an open inquiry. Given the lack of any denial or confirmation, the most honest answer is: possibly, but unverified.

The lack of confirmation keeps the question open, but it does not affect his professional credibility.

How does Leith van Onselen engage with the media?

Regular contributions to ABC News

Since at least 2013, van Onselen has written the Unconventional Economist column for ABC News (Australian public broadcaster). These articles typically run on economics and policy, offering a perspective that often differs from the editorial line of major newspapers.

Social media presence on X and YouTube

He is extremely active on X (formerly Twitter) under the handle @leithvo, where he posts multiple times daily on economic data releases, housing market updates, and central bank decisions. His YouTube channel (Leith van Onselen) hosts interview series where he discusses market outlooks with fund managers and analysts.

Interviews and public speaking

Van Onselen is frequently interviewed by other Australian media outlets, including Sky News, the Australian Financial Review, and various podcasts. His authority on housing and superannuation makes him a go-to guest for panels on property markets. According to his LinkedIn profile (LinkedIn (professional network)), he “analyses the global and domestic economies to identify investment opportunities and risks.”

The independence comes at the cost of institutional backing, but his audience values his freedom.

For Australian investors, home buyers, and policy watchers, Leith van Onselen is not a neutral observer — he is an advocate with a clear economic philosophy. His platform gives him the freedom to argue for lower immigration, lower housing taxes, and less interventionist central banking. Whether you agree or disagree, his influence on the national conversation is real. The question for his followers is simple: do you read him for insight or for confirmation? For anyone tracking Australian macroeconomics, the answer probably includes a bit of both.