Tag Archives: budget

New Qld Government should allow plenty of time for thorough review of spending

Posted on February 27, 2015 by Gene Tunny

I noticed that former Olympian Kieren Perkins has cast doubt on Queensland’s ability to host an Olympic Games and has pointed to the Queensland Government’s lack of a clear strategy to pay down debt (see today’s Courier-Mail). While the Queensland … Continue reading →

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Fiscal reality will drive the next reform agenda – guest post from Joe Branigan

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Gene Tunny

I’m delighted to present a guest post from my old friend and former Treasury colleague Joe Branigan. It goes without saying that the views presented below are Joe’s and not necessarily mine. That said, I agree broadly with Joe regarding … Continue reading →

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

New Qld Government faces big fiscal challenges

Posted on February 2, 2015 by Gene Tunny

Many Queenslanders in the construction and engineering sectors will be disappointed by the capital spending plans of the likely new Queensland Government. Previously, there was some excitement at the prospect of a large boost to capital spending across Queensland, with … Continue reading →

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Media commentary on Qld Government election costings

Posted on January 29, 2015 by Gene Tunny

I spoke with Steve Austin on 612 ABC Brisbane yesterday morning regarding the Queensland Government’s election costings, after Steve first spoke with Treasurer Tim Nicholls (3 days until the election – Treasurer Tim Nicholls). The main point I made was … Continue reading →

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Better off allocating all lease proceeds to debt reduction

Posted on January 12, 2015 by Gene Tunny

John Quiggin’s interesting new paper on the budgetary impact of asset leases, reported in the Brisbane Times today (Strong Choices will have ‘adverse impact’), correctly points out the adverse budgetary impact of the Queensland Government allocating around one-third of asset … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Infrastructure, Queensland Government | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Good set of policy principles (mostly) from new Queensland think tank AiP

Posted on January 6, 2015 by Gene Tunny

New Queensland think tank the Australian Institute for Progress (AiP) has released a set of high-level policies for the Queensland election, which are mostly consistent with sound public finance and the promotion of free markets (see Our priorities for Queensland … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Industry policy | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Remarkable cost-cutting performance from Queensland Government

Posted on January 4, 2015 by Gene Tunny

Average input costs for Queensland Government activities appear to have declined by up to 5 per cent since mid-2012, based on State Accounts data from Queensland Treasury, assuming State Government activity mostly drives the State and local general government consumption … Continue reading →

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2014 wrap up – Qld Govt excelled on budget management, but Adani & Tatts deals questionable

Posted on December 30, 2014 by Gene Tunny

The Queensland Government’s major economic policy achievements in 2014 included: strong budget management, particularly through expenditure restraint, with the Mid Year Fiscal and Economic Review reporting that expenses in 2014-15 are expected to now be $720 million lower than budget … Continue reading →

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Queensland mid-year Budget update – Nine News interview

Posted on December 19, 2014 by Gene Tunny

Katherine Feeney of Nine News Brisbane interviewed me yesterday regarding Queensland’s mid-year Budget update, which significantly downgraded Queensland’s fiscal outlook, largely due to lower coal and LNG prices in the forecast period. Katherine and the Nine team did a good … Continue reading →

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Budget blowout highlights risk of permanent deficits without major spending cuts

Posted on December 15, 2014 by Gene Tunny

With today’s Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook expected to reveal a blowout in this year’s budget deficit from around $30 billion to $35-40 billion, the Commonwealth Government is right to be reviewing childcare benefits and the proposed paid parental leave … Continue reading →

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