Category Archives: Macroeconomy

Chief Medical Officers should make their value judgements clear and Premiers shouldn’t just defer to them

The Australian Institute for Progress ran an excellent webinar last night, on the economic response to the pandemic, featuring prominent Australian businesswoman and former ACT Chief Minister Kate Carnell and Griffith University Economics Professor Tony Makin. It’s certainly a good … 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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Catch up on COVID-19 with Joe Branigan

I fear that the draconian stage 4 restrictions in Victoria and Queensland’s re-imposition of the hard border with NSW are over-the-top, disproportionate policy responses that will cause unwarranted economic and social harm, both short and long-term. Earlier today, I chatted … Continue reading

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JobKeeper test revision necessary given bleak outlook

Given the Victorian COVID-19 response debacle, the economic outlook is no doubt even bleaker than the bleak outlook reported by CCIQ today in its June Pulse Survey report (see chart below), so it’s welcome news that the federal government is … Continue reading

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Economic Update – US GDP, Gold, and Aussie jobs & CPI

In my latest video, I review the economic news of the past week, including US GDP, the record high gold price, and Australian jobs and CPI data in this time of the COVID-19 second wave. Incidentally, I highly recommended you … Continue reading

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Challenges of Economic Forecasting in the COVID-19 Pandemic with Prof. Rodney Strachan from UQ

The Brisbane south side COVID-cases and the Queensland Government’s declaration of greater Sydney as a COVID-hot spot are bad news for Queensland’s economy. Around the world, public health measures and public anxiety related to COVID-19 are causing huge swings in … Continue reading

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Qld’s regional economies & COVID-19 – video chat with Pete Faulkner

Earlier today I chatted with Pete Faulkner from Far-North-Queensland-based Conus Business Consultancy Services regarding how Queensland’s regional economies have been impacted by COVID-19. Check out the recording of our Zoom conversation below. You can download the slides we chatted about … Continue reading

Posted in Brisbane, Cairns, Labour market, Mackay, Macroeconomy, Migration, Mining, North Queensland, Population, Tourism, Townsville, Uncategorized, Wide Bay-Burnett | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Suppression preferred over more costly elimination strategy say Ergas & Branigan

Henry Ergas and Joe Branigan have just had a new paper published by the Menzies Research Centre, COVID19: Getting Australia Safely Back to Work. Yesterday I interviewed Joe about the paper and you can hear our conversation using the player … Continue reading

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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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Opening remarks to Qld Parliamentary Inquiry on economic response to COVID-19

Yesterday I was part of a panel of economic experts consulted by the Queensland Parliamentary Inquiry into the state government’s economic response to COVID-19. The notes I used for my opening remarks are reproduced below. The proceedings were broadcast via … Continue reading

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