Author Archives: Gene Tunny

Queensland remains top destination for interstate migrants

Posted on September 11, 2011 by Gene Tunny

OESR’s latest Population Growth Highlights and Trends report released on Friday notes: Despite Queensland’s relatively low level of net interstate migration in 2010, its net gain of 7,200 was the largest of all Australian states. Victoria gained 2,900 new residents … Continue reading →

Posted in Migration, Population | 1 Comment

CSG projected to generate $20-30 billion p.a.

Posted on September 10, 2011 by Gene Tunny

From the latest Queensland Gas Market Review, released yesterday: Based on these numbers, and a forecast gas price of $7-8/GJ, coal seam gas (CSG) producers would earn total revenues of $20-30 billion per annum by 2030. The Australian has coverage … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy | Leave a comment

Qld unemployment rate increases to 6.2% – due to surge in labour force participation

Posted on September 8, 2011 by Gene Tunny

There is no point worrying too much about monthly movements in the labour force data, as several months of data are usually necessary to identify clear trends, as I noted in my previous post Media over-reacts to jobs data. Hence, … Continue reading →

Posted in Labour market, Macroeconomy | Leave a comment

Gold Coast building industry still suffering from pre-GFC over-investment

Posted on September 7, 2011 by Gene Tunny

With high vacancy rates for both residential and commercial property – a legacy of the pre-GFC boom in construction on the Gold Coast – there is little need for additional construction activity on the Coast any time soon. Hence, it’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Gold Coast | Leave a comment

Qld and WA leading Australia’s economic rebound

Posted on September 7, 2011 by Gene Tunny

Today’s National Accounts data should leave no one in doubt as to the underlying strength of the Australian economy – thanks in large part to Queensland and WA, as per the figure below:

Posted in Macroeconomy | Leave a comment

Qld economy will easily hit Bligh’s 100,000 new jobs target

Posted on September 5, 2011 by Gene Tunny

Given the massive amount of resources sector investment in the pipeline, I have no doubt the Queensland economy will rebound strongly and prove wrong pessimistic stories such as this one: Anna Bligh’s target of 100,000 new jobs in jeopardy amid … Continue reading →

Posted in Labour market, Macroeconomy, Queensland Government, Queensland Rail | 1 Comment

CEOs get bonuses for showing up

Posted on September 5, 2011 by Gene Tunny

Australian CEOs would agree with Woody Allen’s maxim that “80% of success is showing up.” A new report from the Australian Council of Super Investors (CEO Pay in the Top 100 Companies) notes (p. 11): The lack of correlation between … Continue reading →

Posted in Labour market | 2 Comments

Treasury’s dismissal of stimulus criticism is unconvincing

Posted on September 3, 2011 by Gene Tunny

In a just released Economic Roundup paper (The Australian Economy and the Global Downturn), the Commonwealth Treasury attempts to rebut one of the standard criticisms of fiscal stimulus, which relates to its impact on the exchange rate: Another view is … Continue reading →

Posted in Macroeconomy | Leave a comment

Private schools probably don’t have to worry about half-baked funding reforms

Posted on September 1, 2011 by Gene Tunny

The Federal Government’s Gonski Review of Funding for Schooling has attracted some attention for a bold recommendation in one of its commissioned reports that private schools should be forced to take on struggling students. The Courier-Mail has coverage here: Schools … Continue reading →

Posted in Education | Leave a comment

Stimulus was always going to be problematic in an open economy

Posted on August 31, 2011 by Gene Tunny

One of the major implications of the 1983 floating of the Australian dollar was that fiscal policy became less powerful than monetary policy. Any fiscal expansion (i.e. stimulus) would put pressure on domestic interest rates, attracting money into Australia (some … Continue reading →

Posted in Macroeconomy | 2 Comments