Category Archives: Arts

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

Courier-Mail’s Paul Syvret on my “coldly commercial prism”

Posted on November 22, 2015 by Gene Tunny

Thanks to the Courier-Mail’s Paul Syvret for quoting my last post in his Saturday opinion piece on the proposed new 1,500 seat theatre for Brisbane (see Opinion: New inner-city theatre would be a boost for Brisbane, which may be behind … Continue reading →

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

New 1,500 seat theatre would likely be a waste of taxpayers’ money

Posted on November 19, 2015 by Gene Tunny

The Queensland Government is commissioning a relatively large business case, at a cost of $1.3 million, for a new 1,500 seat theatre for Brisbane, but it is likely there can be no plausible business case, because the theatre would be a … Continue reading →

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

Recommended reading on Keynes as a Universal Man

Posted on May 19, 2015 by Gene Tunny

One of the best books of the year is Richard Davenport-Hines’s Universal Man: The Seven Lives of John Maynard Keynes. These seven lives are: altruist, boy prodigy, official, public man, lover, connoisseur and envoy. The book emphasises Keynes as a … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts, Macroeconomy | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Ticket scalping crack down unnecessary and undesirable

Posted on October 27, 2014 by Gene Tunny

Some unnecessary and undesirable interference in the natural workings of markets was supported by a Queensland parliamentary committee on major events last week (see the Major Events Bill report). It appears the Government is proposing to extent current laws that … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts, Queensland Government | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

High Australian dollar has wide-ranging impacts – e.g. on CSR & local production of foreign films

Posted on March 12, 2013 by Gene Tunny

The high Australian dollar has been linked to job losses at CSR, according to an AAP report (CSR blames cuts and plant closure on currency). There is no doubt the high Australian dollar is having profound impacts on a number … Continue reading →

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Government should resist subsidising Disney Nemo film – no long-term benefit to Qld

Posted on February 15, 2013 by Gene Tunny

The Queensland Government should refuse to contribute money to attract the filming of Disney’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea to the Gold Coast (see the news report Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt could film a movie in Australia). The previous … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts, Gold Coast | Tagged , , , , , | 14 Comments

Government was right to cut funding to Literary Awards

Posted on September 5, 2012 by Gene Tunny

Given that the Literary Awards went ahead without government assistance, and that a number of awards went to authors from outside Queensland such as Frank Moorhouse (as reported in the Courier-Mail this morning), the Government’s decision earlier this year to … Continue reading →

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Qld Literary Awards going ahead anyway, meaning Govt’s decision is justified

Posted on April 7, 2012 by Gene Tunny

With predictions that Queensland would become a cultural wasteland following the Government’s decision to cut funding for the Queensland Literary Awards, I’m relieved that organisers are confident they will go ahead regardless, as reported by the ABC yesterday (Qld Literary … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts | Tagged | 3 Comments

Why is Qld’s live music industry larger than Victoria’s?

Posted on September 20, 2011 by Gene Tunny

Queensland’s live music industry is the second largest in Australia, as reported in the Brisbane Times today (Queensland’s music economy rocking): Victoria may enjoy a reputation as a mecca for gigging musicians, but a new national industry report indicates live, … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts | 2 Comments