Category Archives: Uncategorized

Students to rally against bureaucratic inefficiency

Posted on August 6, 2014 by Gene Tunny

While out at the University of Queensland today, I picked up the above flyer in the uni refectory regarding a rally against the new Tertiary Transport Concession Card (TTCC), which is designed to ensure only people genuinely studying can claim … Continue reading →

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Good news for regional Qld if Carmichael mine goes ahead – jobs market weaker than in SEQ

Posted on July 28, 2014 by Gene Tunny

The big news for the Queensland economy today is the Federal Government’s approval, subject to meeting environmental conditions, of Adani’s massive Carmichael Coal and Rail Project. There are, however, doubts about whether the project remains economically viable given the downturn … Continue reading →

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Brisbane to have a denser inner city, but urban sprawl as well

Posted on July 7, 2014 by Gene Tunny

I’ve written before about how residential building development is being concentrated in a few former commercial areas in the inner city and outer suburban areas such as North Lakes and Springfield (Where is residential development occurring in the Brisbane metro … Continue reading →

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Mabo’s legacy of lasting importance to Torres Strait

Posted on June 5, 2014 by Gene Tunny

The Tuesday that has just passed, the 3rd of June, was Mabo day. To commemorate Mabo day, the Torres Strait Regional Authority has held its monthly Board meeting this week on Murray Island (known to traditional inhabitants as Mer Island), … Continue reading →

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The economics of cheating – Australia’s new leisure class can afford time and resources for affairs

Posted on June 4, 2014 by Gene Tunny

In an interesting Brisbane Times article last week (Mistresses, married women and early morning workouts), Katherine Feeney quoted her hairdresser on how common affairs are nowadays: “So many married men – so many wealthy, married men – have mistresses these … Continue reading →

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7.30 Qld interview on asset sales

Posted on June 1, 2014 by Gene Tunny

Last week, Maria Hatzakis interviewed me for the Queensland edition of the 7.30 Report, which aired on Friday night: Privatisation push as power prices surge again In understanding why the sale of electricity assets is desirable, the Productivity Commission’s Electricity … Continue reading →

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Weekend reading and listening – 3-4 May 2014

Posted on May 3, 2014 by Gene Tunny

Recording of my interview by Pat Hession on Townsville radio on the National Commission of Audit report: Reworking the Budget Excellent article on how to save money on pharmaceutical benefits spending: PBS savings: two sides of the coin Great paper from the CIS’s … Continue reading →

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Commission of Audit report brings back memories of Fightback!

Posted on May 2, 2014 by Gene Tunny

The Federal Treasury and Finance Departments have been very influential in shaping the National Commission of Audit report released yesterday. It targets a lot of expenditure items and Government bodies that Treasury in particular doesn’t like, such as industry assistance … Continue reading →

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New Treasury modelling supports change in tax mix towards GST

Posted on April 9, 2014 by Gene Tunny

In the latest Commonwealth Treasury Economic Roundup, there is an excellent paper on the economic impacts of company tax. The paper could be viewed as supporting a cut in company tax and replacing the lost revenue with greater GST revenue, either … Continue reading →

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Weekend reading – 15-16 March

Posted on March 15, 2014 by Gene Tunny

The Productivity Commission’s monster of a report on Public Infrastructure, which (rightly) recommends congestion pricing on roads, is worth reading, particularly because of the excellent Chapter 14 in Volume 2 on Social and Economic Regulation. On the costs to business … Continue reading →

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