Category Archives: Infrastructure

Chat with Joe Branigan on LNP’s New Bradfield Scheme and 5% jobless target and Labor’s $600M Council cash splash

Yesterday afternoon I caught up with my good friend and former Treasury colleague Joe Branigan to chat about the upcoming Queensland election, and you can listen to our wide-ranging conversation via the player/link below. Among other issues, we chatted about … Continue reading

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Second GC motorway should have been built decades ago – BODBTN extract

It was good to see in a media statement yesterday the state government’s commitment to a second M1: The Palaszczuk Government’s economic recovery plan will be significantly boosted with a $755 million commitment to build the 16-kilometre stage one of … Continue reading

Posted in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Infrastructure, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

State gov’t economic responses to COVID-19 podcast episode

In my latest podcast episode, I elaborate on my opening remarks to the Queensland Parliamentary Inquiry on the state government’s economic response to COVID-19 on Monday. Among other things, I mention Joe Branigan and Henry Ergas’s new Menzies Research Centre … Continue reading

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Unfreezing discount rates with Marion Terrill from Grattan – latest podcast episode

Building Queensland and Infrastructure Australia require the use of a 7% discount rate in cost-benefit analyses of public infrastructure projects, but is a 7% discount rate applied to the future benefits of public infrastructure projects too high? Marion Terrill of … Continue reading

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US infrastructure: lessons from Australia, with Darren Brady Nelson – Economics Explained EP36

I recently spoke with Darren Brady Nelson about his new Heartland Institute Policy Brief How to fix America’s crumbling infrastructure: lessons from Australia. You can now listen to our conversation which I’ve published as Economics Explained EP36. Darren is an … Continue reading

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City Infrastructure with Craig Lawrence – Economics Explained ep.26

At this stage, the official line is that Queensland’s local government elections will still go ahead on Saturday 28 March despite the coronavirus threat, although the Queensland Electoral Commissioner has told ABC Radio “Things could change…” (see this ABC News … Continue reading

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Fifth anniversary of Palaszczuk Gov’t – my comments in today’s Courier-Mail

Courier-Mail State Affairs Editor Steven Wardill has written a great article on where the Palaszczuk Government is placed on its fifth anniversary today, Premier’s support plunges to same level as Bligh bloodbath, in which he quotes me: One of Queensland’s … Continue reading

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Economics of Infrastructure with Craig Lawrence podcast discussion – Part 2

I’ve just published part 2 of my Economics Explained podcast discussion on the economics of infrastructure with Craig Lawrence, Managing Director of Brisbane-based Lytton Advisory: Economics of Infrastructure – Part 2 Craig Lawrence has three decades of experience as a … Continue reading

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Lowest confidence in six years – not a happy Friday in Qld

Earlier this year I encountered some resistance at various presentations I gave on the gloomy outlook for the Queensland economy, but I suspect I wouldn’t get much push back now. Today, the Courier-Mail is reporting on its latest YouGov poll results: CONFIDENCE … Continue reading

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Economics of infrastructure interview with Craig Lawrence of Lytton Advisory

I spend much of my spare time listening to podcasts, including EconTalk, Planet Money, and the Tim Ferriss Show among others, and I’ve often thought it’s about time I start my own podcast. Over the last month or so, I’ve … Continue reading

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