Category Archives: Productivity

Foreign investment and productivity – my latest Economics Explored podcast episode

The latest episode of my Economics Explored podcast is on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Productivity. In the episode, I speak with the authors of a recent study published in the Journal of International Business Studies: Foreign Influence, control, and indirect ownership: … Continue reading

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Thoughts on the border decision and QPC’s productivity reform livestream

First, better late than never I suppose, so I should be thankful the Queensland Government, on 1 December, will finally open up the state to Sydneysiders and let us travel to Sydney without having to endure hotel quarantine when we … Continue reading

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Upcoming QPC Productivity Reform livestream on 24 November

The Queensland Productivity Commission (QPC) has arranged an upcoming livestream on Productivity Reform in Australia and NZ, scheduled for 24 November, with some well known Australian and NZ economists, econo-crats, and pundits. According to the program we’ll hear from, among … Continue reading

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Red tape and regulation – CIS On Liberty podcast

Yesterday I spoke with Associate Professor Salvatore Babones from Sydney Uni on my forthcoming Centre for Independent Studies Policy Paper Rationalising Regulation. You can watch our conversation on YouTube via the player below. Thanks to those readers who I know … Continue reading

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Seven Habits podcast discussion

In the latest episode of my podcast, I discuss one of my all-time favourite books, Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, with regular podcast guest Tim Hughes. I focus on the relevance of the 7 Habits to economists. … Continue reading

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Working from home during & after the pandemic with Alison Pennington – podcast interview

Earlier this week I interviewed Alison Pennington, Senior Economist at the Centre for Future Work at the Australia Institute, about the opportunities and risks of working from home during this time of COVID-19. Alison has been getting a lot of … Continue reading

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Big economic issues for the 2020s

In my latest Economics Explained episode Big economic issues for the 2020s, I discuss the major economic issues I’ve been thinking about lately: the secular stagnation hypothesis, digital disruption and surveillance capitalism, and climate change. Use these timestamps to jump … Continue reading

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Digital Minimalism calls for cost-benefit analysis of social media apps & digital tools

On the 612 ABC Brisbane Drive program yesterday afternoon, host Steve Austin suggested to Education Minister Grace Grace that increasing use of laptops, tablets, and smartphones could be behind declining NAPLAN scores for writing over the last decade.  Steve noted … Continue reading

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Gutsy submission from Joe Branigan to regional decentralisation inquiry questioning inquiry’s rationale

The Australian Parliament is currently undertaking an inquiry into regional development and decentralisation, but the inquiry’s rationale has been brought into question by a brilliant submission from SMART Infrastructure Facility Senior Research Fellow (and occasional QEW contributor) Joe Branigan titled: … Continue reading

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UQ student’s Treasury prize winning essay highlights benefits of competition & free trade

The Australian Treasury yesterday announced the winner of its inaugural essay competition, and the award went to University of Queensland Economics student Elizabeth Baldwin, who incidentally also won the RBA/Economic Society of Australia essay prize last year. The essay question … Continue reading

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