About Benchmark Analytics
Benchmark Analytics is the professional banner under which public policy consultant Nick Hossack conducts his consulting work and publishes an independent, data-driven newsletter. The firm’s mission is to promote smarter regulation, clearer thinking, and stronger economic performance in Australia.
Nick was formerly director of policy at the Australian Bankers Association (ABA) and adviser to Prime Minister John Howard. He has advised on some of Australia's highest profile public policy matters.
Nick Hossack is a contributor to national policy debates via The Australian Financial Review and The Spectator Australia. His opinion pieces, grounded in data and shaped by a belief in liberal economic reform, focus on regulation, competition, and government accountability.
Consulting services
Benchmark Analytics helps companies, industry groups, and other organisations navigate regulatory challenges and engage more effectively in policy debates. Clients typically seek our support when facing the threat of regulatory intervention or operating under inefficient, outdated, or overly complex rules.
Our goal is to design solutions that align commercial interests with the broader public good — showing that good policy and good business need not be in conflict.
We provide:
- Regulatory impact analysis
- Regulatory risk assessments
- Policy reform and deregulatory advice
- Strategic reviews and government submissions
- Plain-English reports for internal and external stakeholders
Our approach is guided by a simple principle:
Rules should enable, not obstruct.
We believe regulation should reduce red tape, encourage market entry, and reward innovation — not suppress it.
The Benchmark Analytics newsletter offers clear, data-focused insights drawn from high-quality Australian sources — including the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), APRA, ASIC, and various commercial data providers.
Newsletter
Australia has access to a world-class statistical infrastructure, but too often, the interpretation and communication of this data are dulled by political caution, institutional groupthink, or a reluctance to challenge conventional narratives. This newsletter seeks to do the opposite — to illuminate, not obscure.
We aim to serve professionals in:
- Public policy and regulatory affairs
- Government and bureaucracy
- Media and political analysis
- Business strategy and economic advocacy
Each issue presents data with a focus on comparative performance:
Who’s doing better? Who’s falling behind?
Whether it’s employment, productivity, budget discipline or regulatory burden, we try to rank and assess — clearly and factually.
While editorial choices inevitably reflect the values of its author, the newsletter strives for objectivity in presentation and remains grounded in evidence. We avoid spin, and welcome scrutiny.