Author Archives: Gene Tunny

Good set of policy principles (mostly) from new Queensland think tank AiP

New Queensland think tank the Australian Institute for Progress (AiP) has released a set of high-level policies for the Queensland election, which are mostly consistent with sound public finance and the promotion of free markets (see Our priorities for Queensland … Continue reading

Posted in Budget, Industry policy | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Earlier election better for the Queensland economy

It’s good news for the Queensland economy that the Premier is expected to announce a late January or early February election today. The CCIQ September quarter Pulse Survey report notes that uncertainty around the upcoming election has affected business expectations, … Continue reading

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Remarkable cost-cutting performance from Queensland Government

Average input costs for Queensland Government activities appear to have declined by up to 5 per cent since mid-2012, based on State Accounts data from Queensland Treasury, assuming State Government activity mostly drives the State and local general government consumption … Continue reading

Posted in Budget | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Queensland economic outlook for 2015

It became clear toward the end of 2014 that the upcoming Queensland election would be fought in a relatively weak economy. 2014 unfortunately saw an increase in Queensland’s unemployment rate from around 6 per cent to around 7 per cent … Continue reading

Posted in Macroeconomy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

2014 wrap up – Qld Govt excelled on budget management, but Adani & Tatts deals questionable

The Queensland Government’s major economic policy achievements in 2014 included: strong budget management, particularly through expenditure restraint, with the Mid Year Fiscal and Economic Review reporting that expenses in 2014-15 are expected to now be $720 million lower than budget … Continue reading

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Strong December sales needed after lean year for Queensland retailers

I’m looking forward to this morning’s Boxing Day sales in Brisbane CBD, which hopefully will live up to expectations of big crowds and high turnover, as historically low interest rates and lower petrol prices free up cash for discretionary spending … Continue reading

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Queensland mid-year Budget update – Nine News interview

Katherine Feeney of Nine News Brisbane interviewed me yesterday regarding Queensland’s mid-year Budget update, which significantly downgraded Queensland’s fiscal outlook, largely due to lower coal and LNG prices in the forecast period. Katherine and the Nine team did a good … Continue reading

Posted in Budget | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Boys under-performing at Queensland State Schools

A new ABS study on educational outcomes at Queensland State Schools confirms the importance of socio-economic factors in school performance, and also reveals a surprisingly large gap in NAPLAN performance between boys and girls (see chart below I’ve copied and … Continue reading

Posted in Education | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Budget blowout highlights risk of permanent deficits without major spending cuts

With today’s Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook expected to reveal a blowout in this year’s budget deficit from around $30 billion to $35-40 billion, the Commonwealth Government is right to be reviewing childcare benefits and the proposed paid parental leave … Continue reading

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

The compliance burden of work Christmas parties

Back in October, Chris Richardson from Deloitte Access Economics pointed out the large costs (up to $70 billion in total p.a.) that businesses are imposing on themselves and other businesses through internal rules, such as those designed to demonstrate the … Continue reading

Posted in Labour market | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments