Monthly Archives: April 2017

LSE’s Stephen Machin to deliver public policy evaluation Winter school at O’Reilly’s, Gold Coast

Posted on April 27, 2017 by

Economists will often caution that correlation does not necessarily imply causation, or that causation may not run the way you expect. So, for example, the negative correlation between educational attainment and crime, that more educated people are less likely to … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime, Education, Labour market, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Courier-Mail’s public service wages-budget threat story based on Joe Branigan’s QEW guest post

Posted on April 26, 2017 by

Well done to Joe Branigan on having his QEW guest post from last week, “Moody Blues”, quoted by the Courier-Mail’s Steven Wardill today (Qld Budget 2017: Public service wages threaten bottom line): THE cash-strapped State Government will have to impose … Continue reading →

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Interview with ABC Radio’s Steve Austin on “The time Australia’s Treasury almost ran out of money”

Posted on April 24, 2017 by

I had a nice chat with 612 ABC Brisbane’s Steve Austin last Friday morning regarding my time in the Australian Treasury, particularly during the financial crisis in 2008-09, and focusing on what he described as: The time Australia’s Treasury almost … Continue reading →

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

Moody Blues – guest post by Joe Branigan

Posted on April 21, 2017 by

I am delighted to publish a guest post by my old friend and former Treasury colleague Joe Branigan on the recent upgrade to the outlook for Queensland’s credit rating from Moody’s. GT Moody Blues by Joe Branigan Moody’s Investor Services … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Qld full-time employment still below level of five years ago, but hopefully is on the upswing

Posted on April 15, 2017 by

Queensland’s economic story over the last few years has been dominated by the end of the mining boom, which has had particularly adverse impacts in some Queensland regions, such as in the Fitzroy, Mackay and Townsville regions. The end of … Continue reading →

Posted in Labour market, Macroeconomy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Palaszczuk will most likely beat Newman in jobs created over term of government

Posted on April 14, 2017 by

The Queensland Government looks likely to enter the next election campaign boasting a job creation record superior to the previous LNP Government’s. Let us put aside the debate over just how much credit governments deserve for job creation (but please … Continue reading →

Posted in Labour market, Macroeconomy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

NAIF $900M loan to Adani for mega-mine rail line is far from a first best solution, possibly second or third best

Posted on April 13, 2017 by

As a former Treasury official and long-time critic of industry assistance, I’m sympathetic to the Federal Opposition’s criticism of the expected $900 million soft loan from the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) to Adani for the rail line to its … Continue reading →

Posted in Infrastructure, Mining, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Upcoming celebration of bicentenary of Ricardo’s Principles of Political Economy and Taxation on Wednesday 19 April

Posted on April 11, 2017 by

Wednesday next week, the 19th of April, will be the bicentenary of the publication of the hugely influential Principles of Political Economy and Taxation by the English classical economist and stockbroker David Ricardo (1772-1823). It was a book that revolutionised … Continue reading →

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Debbie hits Qld Budget, but QIC may help out Government by investing in Cross River Rail

Posted on April 6, 2017 by

Cyclone Debbie and the floods that followed have tragically resulted in the loss of at least five lives and have done billions of dollars’ worth of damage in Queensland and NSW. And through lower coal royalties (largely associated with an … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Cyclones, Transport, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Still lots of room to boost population density in Brisbane

Posted on April 3, 2017 by

The vexed issue of heritage protection is in the news again, with controversy over the development of two apartment blocks behind the 1886 Clayfield heritage home Mundumburrah”, which will be raised and brought forward on its lot to accommodate the … Continue reading →

Posted in Housing, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments