Category Archives: Budget

Qld Treasurer trying to have it both ways on budget outlook

Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick is trying to have it both ways regarding Queensland’s budget outlook. He is arguing the Opposition’s target of a budget surplus by 2023-24 is unattainable, but he has previously argued the budget outlook is so uncertain … Continue reading

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Frydenberg’s won’t-die-wondering Budget

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg delivered a strong speech tonight in handing down what I’d label as his won’t-die-wondering budget, or possibly as the Nixon-goes-to-China budget, a federal budget with an expected current financial year deficit of $214 billion and projected total … Continue reading

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Gov’t claims police boost “fully funded”, but won’t release full budget forward estimates

Earlier today, in announcing a huge boost to police staffing, expected to cost $624 million over five years, Queensland Police Minister Mark Ryan commented (in the media release Palaszczuk Government to deliver an extra 2,025 police personnel): “Unlike the commitments … Continue reading

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Auditor-General exposes deep flaws in Queensland’s governance

Queensland’s Auditor-General is having a big week, with the publication of hard-hitting reports into the latest Queensland Health IT bungle (see today’s Courier-Mail) and the Government’s economic response to COVID-19. The report on the economic response revealed a lack of … Continue reading

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ABC radio interview on COVID-19 Fiscal and Economic Review

Yesterday afternoon I had a great conversation with Steve Austin on his 612 ABC Brisbane Drive program regarding the state government’s budget update it published on Monday. We discussed the issues I covered in my post Woefully inadequate budget update, … Continue reading

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Woefully inadequate Qld budget update

We already knew the Queensland budget has deteriorated massively due to the COVID-crisis, so today’s state budget update was not surprising in terms of the huge fiscal deficits it announced, $9.3 billion in 2019-20 and $13.1 billion in 2020-21. Nor … Continue reading

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Upcoming FACCI Federal Budget seminar on 9 October

On Friday 9 October, I’ll be facilitating a video conference for the French-Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FACCI) on the 2020 federal budget, which looks to be in poorer shape as each day passes, with the ongoing stage 4 … Continue reading

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Why the world needs economists – latest podcast episode

In my latest podcast episode, I explore what economists do and why the world needs them. I talk about the important roles that economists play in advising on government budget and economic policies and on the feasibility of specific projects, … Continue reading

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Qld Gov’t going for broke in COVID response

As well as confirming Australia is in a deep recession, with a 7% fall in GDP in June quarter, the National Accounts published by the ABS earlier today revealed Queensland state and local governments (mostly the state government) are spending … Continue reading

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The Deficit Myth and Modern Monetary Theory – latest podcast episode

I’ve recorded some thoughts on Stephanie Kelton’s best-selling book The Deficit Myth which is popularising so-called Modern Monetary Theory: The Deficit Myth and Modern Monetary Theory – initial views In my recorded conversation with my Adept Economics colleague Ben Scott, … Continue reading

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