Author Archives: Gene Tunny

CIS Ideas post on government size & economic growth paper by Makin et al.

Posted on July 28, 2018 by Gene Tunny

I spent an enjoyable week visiting the Centre for Independent Studies in Sydney, and while there I was roped into drafting a short post for their regular Friday Ideas email. My post was on a recent conference paper by Griffith … Continue reading →

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

The Andrew Leigh-Sinclair Davidson company tax debate

Posted on July 17, 2018 by Gene Tunny

In March, there was extensive media coverage (e.g. in the Guardian Australia) of shadow assistant treasurer Andrew Leigh’s company tax research which found companies paying lower effective company tax rates (i.e. actual tax paid/profits) did not create more jobs than … Continue reading →

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

Economics of second best in energy policy

Posted on July 12, 2018 by Gene Tunny

Australia’s energy policy is such a confusing mess that the Australian’s economics editor Judith Sloan actually supports the ACCC’s dubious call (in its Electricity Pricing Inquiry Final Report) for the Australian Government to act as a buyer of last resort … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A question you could ask RBA Deputy Governor Guy Debelle at ESA Qld business lunch on 22 August

Posted on July 3, 2018 by Gene Tunny

Ten years after the 2008 financial crisis, economists are still debating whether the policy response at the time was excessive or insufficient (e.g. the excellent recent Macro Musings podcast with Larry Ball on the Lehman collapse) and whether banking needs … Continue reading →

Posted in Macroeconomy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

My comments in Morningstar article on Australia’s “27-year economic winning streak”

Posted on June 30, 2018 by Gene Tunny

One frequently quoted economic fact I think is a bit dubious is that Australia has had a record breaking expansion of 27 years. Although Australia avoided a technical recession (by not having two successive quarters of declining real GDP) during … Continue reading →

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

Inner Brisbane Cross River Rail CAPEX comparable to statewide education CAPEX

Posted on June 21, 2018 by Gene Tunny

Just before I appeared on 612 ABC Brisbane’s Breakfast program last week, one of the presenters Bec Levingston asked Deputy Premier Treasurer Jackie Trad what it would cost to air condition every classroom in Queensland, a question she obviously couldn’t … Continue reading →

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

My ABC radio interviews on the Qld state budget for 2018-19

Posted on June 13, 2018 by Gene Tunny

I made two trips to ABC’s South Brisbane studios yesterday. On the Breakfast program, hosts Bec Levingston and Craig Zonca and I chatted about Queensland’s growing state debt, the distinction between good and bad debt, and the state’s credit rating. … Continue reading →

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

What I’m expecting from the 2018-19 Qld state budget

Posted on June 9, 2018 by Gene Tunny

This coming Tuesday, 12 June, Queensland Deputy Premier-Treasurer Jackie Trad will deliver her first state budget. It is her best chance to establish her economic credibility. Trad is fortunate the state economy is performing reasonably well, albeit not strongly across … Continue reading →

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

Better to let the private sector risk money on a new Brisbane theatre

Posted on May 28, 2018 by Gene Tunny

In a November 2015 post New 1,500 seat theatre would likely be a waste of taxpayers’ money, I questioned the desirability of a state government-funded $1.3M business case to investigate a new 1,500 seat theatre for Brisbane. At the time, … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Upcoming AIIA talk on Asian tiger & tiger cub economies and impacts on Qld and Australia

Posted on May 25, 2018 by Gene Tunny

When I first started studying economics in the early nineties, the international economies that mattered most to Australia were Japan, then beginning its lost decade, and the US, the winner of the cold war and the undisputed global economic and … Continue reading →

Posted in China, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments