Monthly Archives: June 2014

Government should wait for QCA Report before committing to new industry assistance

Posted on June 29, 2014 by Gene Tunny

It’s unfortunate the Queensland Government has entered into a thirty year deal with the Tatts Group while the QCA review of industry assistance is underway, a review which might be informative on the relative costs and benefits of supporting the … Continue reading →

Posted in Industry policy | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Lacklustre labour market gives added urgency to regulatory reforms

Posted on June 27, 2014 by Gene Tunny

Job vacancies data released by the ABS yesterday suggest the Queensland labour market will remain relatively weak over the next few months at least (see chart above). The data are also consistent with Queensland Treasury’s forecast in the Budget that … Continue reading →

Posted in Labour market, Macroeconomy, Retail trade | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Privatisation debate continues

Posted on June 26, 2014 by Gene Tunny

It’s unsurprising that former Queensland Treasury supremo Sir Leo Hielscher supports asset sales (as reported in the Brisbane Times today), given that as one-time head of the Treasury Corporation he was very concerned with actually finding the cash to pay the bills … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Health, fitness and software publishing are promising sectors for new Qld businesses

Posted on June 25, 2014 by Gene Tunny

Over the year to June 2013, which saw a decline in total business numbers according to ABS Business Counts data, some Queensland industry sectors nonetheless saw growth in business numbers, particularly health, fitness and software publishing (see chart below based … Continue reading →

Posted in Health | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Illogical to reject Uber over safety concerns

Posted on June 23, 2014 by Gene Tunny

It’s disappointing the Queensland Transport Minister Scott Emerson has been swayed by the taxi industry’s argument that safety regulations and supply restrictions (i.e. a limited number of taxi licences) are both needed to ensure passenger safety (Brisbane no closer to … Continue reading →

Posted in Transport | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Interstate migration to Qld remains low – overall gain, but net loss to Victoria continues

Posted on June 20, 2014 by Gene Tunny

The new population data released by the ABS yesterday (see the Queensland Treasury brief) show interstate migration – a major source of growth in the 1990s and early 2000s – continues to make only a small contribution to Queensland’s population … Continue reading →

Posted in Migration, Population | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Lack of consumer confidence reflected in new vehicle sales – but trend towards SUVs continues

Posted on June 18, 2014 by Gene Tunny

Anxious consumers and businesses remained reluctant to purchase new motor vehicles in May, with new vehicle sales 2.1% lower than in April and 4.3% lower than in May 2013 (see ABS summary). Both vehicles for personal and business use appear … Continue reading →

Posted in Macroeconomy | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Qld Govt recognises importance of coal to economy and budget

Posted on June 15, 2014 by Gene Tunny

Reading the Courier-Mail story today about how the Government looks set to favour coal miners over farmers in Central Queensland,  I recalled a chart my friend and colleague Brad Rogers once showed me of the contributions made by different commodities … Continue reading →

Posted in Mining | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Minimum wage reduces retail jobs available for young people

Posted on June 12, 2014 by Gene Tunny

Walking around the newly renovated Indooroopilly Shoppingtown in Brisbane’s western suburbs recently, I was struck by how many high-end clothing and jewellery stores there now are in the centre. Partly this would be because high-end shops would be more likely … Continue reading →

Posted in Labour market, Retail trade | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Gold Coast light rail debacle should serve as a warning to other cities

Posted on June 10, 2014 by Gene Tunny

The Gold Coast light rail project has had a number of significant failures, including major cost blowouts, major disruptions to local businesses during construction, and poor signage that will infuriate tourists who hop off at the Surfers Paradise station when … Continue reading →

Posted in Gold Coast, Transport | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment