Tag Archives: assetsales

Unclear whether Qld Govt will have evidence needed to win asset sales debate

The Queensland Government is right to have begun advertising for advisers on asset sales, to ensure that assets such as CS Energy and Stanwell are sold in a timely fashion after the next election (Government advertises for asset sales advisors). The … Continue reading

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Wise words from the PC on capital/asset recycling

I’ve been a strong supporter of the Queensland Government’s privatisation agenda, but have been unimpressed by the Strong Choices campaign promoting the agenda, which is uninformative and based on questionable logic. In its just-released Public Infrastructure Inquiry Report, the Productivity … Continue reading

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Government right to worry about State credit rating, not that of generators

I’m underwhelmed by a report in the Brisbane Times that the credit ratings of Queensland Government-owned power generators CS Energy and Stanwell will drop if they are privatised: Credit ratings agency Fitch has given the Electrical Trades Union its latest ammunition in … Continue reading

Posted in Energy, Queensland Government | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Privatisation debate continues

It’s unsurprising that former Queensland Treasury supremo Sir Leo Hielscher supports asset sales (as reported in the Brisbane Times today), given that as one-time head of the Treasury Corporation he was very concerned with actually finding the cash to pay the bills … Continue reading

Posted in Budget | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Queensland Treasurer will deliver necessary though unpopular Budget

Today the Queensland Treasurer will deliver a State Budget that is necessary, but which is likely to be unpopular. It is necessary because getting State debt under control and restoring our AAA credit rating needs to be done now, to reduce … Continue reading

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Comment on Nine News about desirability of asset sales in Qld Budget

I was pleased to run into Katherine Feeney from Nine News on Boundary St, West End this afternoon. She was gauging community views on the upcoming Queensland Budget and I made a comment to her on the desirability of asset sales: … Continue reading

Posted in Budget | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

7.30 Qld interview on asset sales

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

Posted in Budget, Energy, Queensland Government, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Qld Budget needs to reflect challenging conditions – asset sales good option to cut debt

The March quarter private capital spending figures released today by the ABS confirm that Treasury was right to make conservative, sub-par growth forecasts in developing the Federal Budget. Queensland Treasury will have to do the same in the Queensland Budget, … Continue reading

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Failure of Strong Choices now obvious – missed chance to persuade on asset sales

The Queensland Government should have directly made the case for asset sales, rather than hoping people would conclude they’re necessary after playing the choose-your-own-budget game on the Strong Choices website, a point I’ve made a few times over the last few weeks (see … Continue reading

Posted in Budget, Labour market | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Brisbane Times article on asset sales

I’m quoted in a Brisbane Times article today regarding asset sales: Asset sales divide economists – but they are united in saying ‘Strong Choices’ is flawed I re-iterated the same points I’ve made over the last couple of weeks: that asset … Continue reading

Posted in Budget, Queensland Government | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments