Category Archives: Budget

What is the fiscal impulse from the Australian Budget?

Posted on May 23, 2023 by Gene Tunny

The Australian Government is moving in the right direction, but not fast enough, with fiscal policy if it wants to fight inflation. It appears too reliant on the expected cessation of pandemic-related stimulated measures to support its claim that the … Continue reading →

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Qld Gross State Product was up 22% in dollar terms in 2021-22

Posted on July 5, 2022 by Gene Tunny

Hidden in a note to its economic forecasts table in the state budget was the extraordinary estimate from Queensland Treasury that, in nominal dollar terms, the state economy expanded 22% last financial year, 2021-22 (see the chart below based on … Continue reading →

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Qld’s bolshie budget – my latest thoughts

Posted on June 22, 2022 by Gene Tunny

Reading the Courier-Mail’s latest state budget reporting, quoting Cameron Dick as a self-proclaimed Robin Hood Treasurer, it’s clear the state government no longer gives a damn what business thinks. It’s gone full-on economic populist with its royalties hike ($1.2bn over … Continue reading →

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Qld state budget: thanks for the billions coal miners, now pay us even more

Posted on June 21, 2022 by Gene Tunny

As I’ve been forecasting for months now, the Queensland state budget is in much better shape than the state Treasury forecast back in December. Higher royalties, stamp duty, and other taxes helped deliver a $1.9 billion operating surplus in 2021-22 … Continue reading →

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Super-high coal royalties to help address Qld hospitals crisis

Posted on May 27, 2022 by Gene Tunny

As I predicted earlier this month (see John McCarthy’s 13 May InQld article), the Queensland Government will be boosting health spending in the upcoming budget to deal with the hospitals crisis, and to a large extent it’s able to do … Continue reading →

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If you’re sick of politics BAU, check out my Pirate Party economics podcast interview

Posted on May 11, 2022 by Gene Tunny

What does the economic policy platform of a Pirate Party look like? What does it say about intellectual property protection (i.e. copyright and patents), the Right to Repair, UBI, taxation, and business support? And what type of pirates are Pirate … Continue reading →

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Coaldrake integrity inquiry submission

Posted on April 26, 2022 by Gene Tunny

Professor Peter Coaldrake appears to be doing a great job in his Review of culture and accountability in the Queensland public sector, and I’ve been impressed by his findings in his interim report regarding the politicisation of the public service, … Continue reading →

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Unemployment and state budgets update

Posted on April 13, 2022 by Gene Tunny

On Monday, I appeared on the 612 ABC Brisbane Radio Drive program (from 2:09:00) to chat with Kelly Higgins-Devine about how we estimate the unemployment rate, a matter of interest that day obviously due to the Opposition Leader being unable … Continue reading →

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Qld Gov’t $3k EV subsidy looks like poor value for money for taxpayers

Posted on March 19, 2022 by Gene Tunny

As far as I can tell, the Queensland Government hasn’t released any economic analysis of its $3,000 electric vehicle (EV) subsidy, probably because, if it did, the analysis would reveal the subsidy was a poor use of public funds. Some … Continue reading →

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Qld Titles Registry trickery should be investigated in integrity inquiry

Posted on February 4, 2022 by Gene Tunny

There is growing pressure for a wide-ranging inquiry into the Queensland Government’s integrity, and, in my view, any such inquiry should explore the fake privatisation of the Titles Registry in mid-2021. This gave the Government political cover to take on … Continue reading →

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