Australia's former productivity boss says the Morrison government is failing to stimulate the economy, and warns it seems more concerned about public perception than actual policies.

Peter Harris, who chaired the Productivity Commission between 2012 and 2019, said productivity had collapsed and wages had stagnated but "the political leadership tool of choice today is simply to emphasise the positive".

Former Productivity Commission chairman Peter Harris. Credit:Andrew Meares

"With no policy catalyst coming out of Canberra to address the constraint that low productivity growth places on wages, our future growth looks set to enter a realm best described as chronically slow," he said.

Combining perceptions of the government's handling of the bushfire crisis with economic management, he accused the Coalition of vacating the leadership field and praised former administrations.