Category Archives: Budget

Pets are good for your health, the Budget and the economy

Bondi Vet Dr Chris Brown has noted: “…pets make us happy. They wash away our worries while showing us how life should be lived. And pets are proven to also make us healthier.” Pets also have economic and budgetary impacts, … Continue reading

Posted in Budget, Health, Housing, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Pets are good for your health, the Budget and the economy

Makin and Pearce confirm urgency of Budget repair in Conference of Economists paper

At the Australian Conference of Economists in Adelaide this week, Griffith University Economics Professor Tony Makin and ESA Qld Vice President Julian Pearce will present a very interesting paper titled Fiscal Consolidation and Australia’s Optimal Public Debt. Tony and Julian … Continue reading

Posted in Budget, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

To protect AAA, Federal Government needs to control age pension and manage the Force from the North

What an extraordinary week it has been! We began the week with no clear election winner and the prospect of a hung parliament, and now we end it with the strong likelihood the Government is back with a majority of … Continue reading

Posted in Agriculture, Budget, Macroeconomy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Upcoming Qld Treasury briefing on Budget economic forecasts to ESA Qld

As the Secretary of the Queensland Branch of the Economic Society of Australia, I am very pleased that Greg Uptin, a senior Queensland Treasury official, will once again brief us on the Treasury’s economic forecasts underpinning the 2016-17 State Budget. … Continue reading

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

Qld Budget includes unbelievably low expenditure growth forecasts

As the Queensland Budget bad news (revenue write-downs, super raids, etc) had already been released by the Government, there was not much to get excited about yesterday afternoon, or so I thought. Then I had a look at the Government’s … Continue reading

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

My comments in today’s Courier-Mail on $3bn Qld revenue write-down

Yesterday’s announcement that the Queensland Budget will suffer a further $3 billion in revenue write-downs confirmed what I have been saying for a while now about Queensland’s under-performing economy. I am quoted in today’s Courier-Mail (pay-walled, sorry) noting that the … Continue reading

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

My comments on super repatriation in today’s Courier-Mail

Page 17 of today’s Courier-Mail I am obviously concerned about the possible risks associated with the State Government’s planned withdrawal of funds set aside to meet defined benefit superannuation liabilities, and I am quoted to this effect in today’s Courier-Mail, … Continue reading

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

Could we cope with two Federal Budgets in one year?

Michael Roche, QRC CEO, and I at Jade Buddha for the Resources Roundup At the QRC Resources Roundup at Jade Buddha, Brisbane CBD on Wednesday afternoon, after I provided my thoughts on the 2016-17 Budget, I was asked whether there … Continue reading

Posted in Budget, Mining, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

“Responsible economic management & fiscal restraint”-really?

The 2016-17 Budget is very disappointing, but economists and former Treasury officials were always going to be disappointed in an election year. It is also a Budget that is particularly disappointing to the Queensland Government, due to a lack of … Continue reading

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

Exciting week for economy watchers: State of the States, a possible rate cut, and the Budget

CommSec’s latest State of the States Report is out today, and, while I think its placement of Queensland in around the middle of Australia’s States and Territories (5th out of 8) is reasonable, I have some sympathy for Queensland Treasurer … Continue reading

Posted in Budget, Housing, Infrastructure, Macroeconomy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments