Author Archives: Gene Tunny

Flegg recommends $50 spending cap during natural disasters

Posted on May 5, 2011 by Gene Tunny

After the flood waters had receded on the afternoon of Thursday 13 January, I made it to Indooroopilly Shoppingtown and was surprised to see 3 police officers outside the Woolworths. Obviously there had been an incident there earlier that day … Continue reading →

Posted in Floods, Retail trade | Leave a comment

Good times ahead for Queen City of the North

Posted on May 3, 2011 by Gene Tunny

Long-time Townsville residents sometimes fondly refer to their hometown as the “Queen City of the North”, which it is, in a way, being the most populous Australian city north of the Tropic of Capricorn, with around 170,000 residents compared with … Continue reading →

Posted in Mining, Population, Townsville | 1 Comment

Teacher bonus scheme a worthwhile experiment

Posted on May 2, 2011 by Gene Tunny

PM Julia Gillard’s announcement today of a bonus pay scheme for teachers is good news, as it signals the Government’s commitment to improving teacher quality, which is a very important contributor to the educational outcomes of Australian children. The ABC … Continue reading →

Posted in Education | 1 Comment

Self-employed tradies and freelance consultants logging long hours

Posted on May 1, 2011 by Gene Tunny

According to Dr Phil, “there’s a lot of dogs after them bones.” Independent contractors, such as self-employed tradies and freelance consultants, instinctively know this and often take on whatever work becomes available regardless of their capacity to undertake it, because they … Continue reading →

Posted in IR | Leave a comment

Terrible name, but senior Australians advisory panel could be useful

Posted on April 30, 2011 by Gene Tunny

While checking out the Treasury website the other day, I noticed the Gillard Government has established an Advisory Panel on the Economic Potential of Senior Australians. The panel’s awkward name briefly made me wonder if the budgetary situation was so … Continue reading →

Posted in Population | Leave a comment

Sunshine Coast Coles given massive renewable energy target

Posted on April 28, 2011 by Gene Tunny

For the sake of our grocery bills – as no doubt the higher cost of renewable energy will be passed on to consumers – let’s hope this strange condition put on Coles by Sunshine Coast Council doesn’t set an example … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate change, Energy | Leave a comment

Queensland is top spender on roads

Posted on April 27, 2011 by Gene Tunny

Here’s a handy chart from the new Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) report Australia’s Public Transport: Investment for a Clean Transport Future. Of course, the ACF doesn’t want you driving, but taking the train, bus or ferry, or riding or walking … Continue reading →

Posted in Transport | Leave a comment

Flood and cyclone relief money wasted on pokies

Posted on April 26, 2011 by Gene Tunny

With increasing evidence that a lot of flood and cyclone relief money ended up going through pokie machines, welfare and problem gambling support groups are trying to rationalise the spike in gambling as stress relief, ignoring the possibility that the … Continue reading →

Posted in Cyclones, Floods | Leave a comment

Positive signs for Queensland economy

Posted on April 25, 2011 by Gene Tunny

The extended Easter break has seen a boost in tourism and retail spending, reinforcing expectations that Queensland’s economy will rebound after recent sluggishness: Tourists returning to Queensland after floods Easter Saturday trading boom Tourism rebound in Fraser Coast

Posted in Macroeconomy, Retail trade, Tourism | Leave a comment

That sure is a mining boom

Posted on April 24, 2011 by Gene Tunny

While reading a recent informative article on the Economic Contribution of the Resources Sector in Queensland, I was struck by a chart that shows employment in Queensland’s mining sector has more than doubled since 2003 to around 50,000 employed persons. … Continue reading →

Posted in Mining | 3 Comments