Monthly Archives: October 2010

Government spends big in Far North to revive weak economy

Posted on October 31, 2010 by Gene Tunny

The Cairns business community is looking for a boost from $3 billion in infrastructure investment that is scheduled for Cairns and the surrounding region.  The Queensland Government-compiled list of infrastructure projects is dominated by Queensland and Commonwealth Government projects: Cairns … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Time to reform training and apprenticeships

Posted on October 27, 2010 by Gene Tunny

Federal Government body Skills Australia has released a discussion paper on vocational education and training (VET) which asks the questions that need answering if we are to get a VET system that avoids wacky results like this one (p. 42 … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Xenophon accuses Coles of predatory pricing in Caboolture

Posted on October 25, 2010 by Gene Tunny

The transcript of last Thursday’s Senate Estimates hearing in Canberra reveals SA Senator Nick Xenophon has accused Coles of predatory pricing against SA-owned Drake Supermarkets, which has recently opened a store in Caboolture (see page E8 of the transcript). Questioning … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Problems with picking winners

Posted on October 24, 2010 by Gene Tunny

Two recent news stories confirm that governments should leave it to private investors to decide which commercial projects get funding. Governments may simply invest where it’s fashionable (e.g. biotech, renewable energy) and miss some really good opportunities associated with less … Continue reading →

Posted in Industry policy | Leave a comment

Qld economy dominated by employers with Brisbane and Interstate HQs

Posted on October 23, 2010 by Gene Tunny

The destinies of Queensland’s regional economies depend largely on decisions taken in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.  In his latest Weekly Economic Update*, the Queensland Shadow Treasurer Tim Nicholls MP has presented some interesting figures on the regional breakdown of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | Leave a comment

Higher tertiary entrance scores for teachers pointless

Posted on October 18, 2010 by Gene Tunny

The Queensland Government should reject a proposal to lift the tertiary entrance score required to study teaching to an overall position (OP) score of 12.  The Courier-Mail reports: QUEENSLAND could lose some of its most-talented future teachers if a proposal … Continue reading →

Posted in Education | Leave a comment

Ipswich not as bike friendly as Brisbane

Posted on October 15, 2010 by Gene Tunny

Queensland Transport Minister and MP for Ipswich Rachel Nolan will be disappointed that Ipswich City Council isn’t helping her achieve the ambitious targets for cycling in the Government’s Draft Connecting SEQ Strategy.  The Queensland Times reports today (Riders to rally … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Gillard says no more corporate welfare – good because we’re already spending $7.7bn p.a.

Posted on October 13, 2010 by Gene Tunny

Prime Minister Julia Gillard deserves applause for her tough stance on corporate welfare, which she announced in Brisbane yesterday: Gillard says she won’t be hurling money at business The PM is keen to boost our productivity performance, which has been … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

OECD indicator points to downturns in UK and China

Posted on October 12, 2010 by Gene Tunny

There could be more economic turbulence ahead according to the latest OECD leading indicator data, which combine a number of leading indicators of economic activity (e.g., building approvals, share prices, terms of trade) into a single indicator for each of … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

$4,000 not enough to make people leave SEQ

Posted on October 10, 2010 by Gene Tunny

Today’s Courier-Mail reports: Fewer than 100 people have applied for the State Government’s $4,000 Regional First Home Owner Grant, leaving a question mark over the scheme’s future. A 12-month trial was launched in June to entice first-home buyers to settle … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment