Tag Archives: australia

Upcoming presentation by HSBC’s Paul Bloxham on Australia’s next growth driver, the services sector

With such significant uncertainty regarding the economic outlook, as the Australian economy is re-balancing at the end of the mining boom, there is much speculation regarding the future drivers of economic growth and jobs. Hence I am delighted that HSBC’s … Continue reading

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Interview on Turnbull Cabinet on 612 ABC Brisbane

Yesterday afternoon, Emma Griffiths from 612 ABC Brisbane interviewed me regarding PM Malcolm Turnbull’s Cabinet and what it means for the economy: The future of business under Turnbull I told Emma that it appears business is very optimistic about the … Continue reading

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Upcoming ESA Qld event on family-based taxation featuring Senator Matt Canavan & Alex Robson

Equity is important for the design of tax systems. Equity involves treating similar people the same (i.e. horizontal equity), but also adjusting taxes to allow for differences in the ability to pay taxes and in the benefits that people receive … Continue reading

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More than half of Australian large businesses receiving government financial assistance of some type

Australian large businesses have proven themselves much better than smaller businesses at securing government financial assistance such as grants and tax concessions. Around 57 per cent of large businesses (i.e. 200+ employees) received some type of government financial assistance in … Continue reading

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Great RBA speech highlighting new labour market flexibility and links with NZ labour market

The Queensland Branch of the Economic Society of Australia, of which I’m the Secretary, was delighted yesterday to host a speech by the Assistant Governor (Economic) of the Reserve Bank of Australia Christopher Kent on Adjustments in the Labour Market. … Continue reading

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Medicare levy hike would not address major problem of vertical fiscal imbalance

The Daily Telegraph today reports some new modelling on the proposed Medicare levy hike undertaken by my old friend and former Queensland resident Ben Phillips, now Principal Research Fellow at NATSEM: Medicare: Levy hike would cost families $2000 a year … Continue reading

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Lessons from John Howard’s GST reform suggest current tax reform process will most likely fail

At a panel discussion on tax reform in Brisbane last night, there were some important insights for the current taxation debate made by former PM John Howard’s economic adviser Peter Crone, Australian newspaper contributing editor Professor Judith Sloan, and Griffith’s … Continue reading

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ACE 2015 tax policy panel discussion involving Treasury suggests little chance of major tax reform

The official Treasury water bottle. A pleasant surprise in the ACE 2015 conference bag. Thanks to Graeme Davis from Treasury, Alex Robson from Griffith, Miranda Stewart from ANU and Paul Abbey from PwC for some informative and stimulating presentations at … Continue reading

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Undoubtedly China crash bigger risk to Australia than Grexit

The news.com.au finance reporter Frank Chung is right to note the risks to Australia from a possible crash in China are much greater than the risks from the Greek crisis (see Chinese chaos worse than Greece). We are much more … Continue reading

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Everybody’s talking about tax

With the Commonwealth Government currently undertaking a major tax review, it is timely that there are two events on tax reform being held in Brisbane next month, both supported by the Economic Society of Australia (QLD), of which I’m the … Continue reading

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