Tag Archives: brisbane

On whether we should follow bad laws + Public Choice podcast chat with Brendan Markey-Towler

Despite the positive messaging from the Queensland Government yesterday, Brisbane’s lockdown has been extended by at least 24 hours, because of two new cases on the south side, causing considerable angst among more than one million people and ruining weddings … Continue reading

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Brisbane Council CEO $700k pay chat with Scott Emerson on 4BC

I had a good chat with Scott Emerson on his 4BC Drive program on Tuesday afternoon about the fat pay packet of Brisbane City Council boss Colin Jensen, who is paid over $700k each year, placing him easily in the … Continue reading

Posted in Brisbane | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Solving school enrolment and on-street parking problems with economics

As an economist, it’s frustrating to see the same issues recur because our decision makers fail to recognise and adopt the straightforward solutions suggested by economics, solutions which take advantage of the so-called price mechanism or market forces.  First, consider … Continue reading

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Queenslanders, sign up for Brisbane Holiday Dollars lottery

The Brisbane Holiday Dollars voucher program is a tiny stimulus from a macroeconomic perspective, representing only $3 million of state government funding at the most, but businesses dependent on tourism need all the help they can get given all the … Continue reading

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Missing Middle Housing podcast chat with Natalie Rayment of Wolter Consulting

Brisbane City Council’s worst piece of policy making in recent years was the townhouse ban affecting much of Brisbane (see Townhouse Ban in Effect and my 27 August 2019 post). Around the world, progressive cities such as Portland, Oregon are … Continue reading

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The Olympics: economic boon or burden? My latest podcast episode

InQld reported on Tuesday: A rare closed doors meeting of Brisbane City Council last night voted to support the city’s bid for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games after spending eight hours poring over details of how to satisfy the … Continue reading

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Cairns economy post-JobKeeper – conversation with Pete Faulkner of Conus

Queenslanders are waiting anxiously for the state government’s COVID media conference this morning, to learn what’s happening with the infection of the doctor at the PA Hospital. Let’s hope our authorities take into account the fact the vaccine is being … Continue reading

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More work needed to show SEQ Olympics would stack up

The increasingly likely 2032 SEQ Olympics stimulated a lot of debate across Australia last week, and I expect scepticism of the Olympics will grow in the lead up to the Games. At the moment, regional Queenslanders such as Robbie Katter … Continue reading

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Most host cities lose money on the Olympics – SEQ Olympics needs to be delivered cost-effectively

While it’s exciting news that SEQ is the lead candidate for the 2032 Olympics (check out the Brisbane Times report), the reality is that the Olympics probably won’t be an economic boon and it will end up costing Queensland taxpayers … Continue reading

Posted in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Infrastructure | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Federal quarantine facilities in remote areas should be considered after repeated failures of state-run inner city hotel quarantine

Now that COVID has escaped from inner-city hotels in four cities, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth, our governments should finally realise we need to do things differently. Otherwise our economic recovery will be jeopardised by repeated “short, sharp” lockdowns that … Continue reading

Posted in Macroeconomy | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments