Tag Archives: cba

Lockdown CBA podcast discussion with Prof. Douglas Allen of Simon Fraser University

If you’ve seen any of Alan Jones’s recent commentary on Sky Australia you may have heard him talk about a recent cost-benefit analysis (CBA) of Canada’s COVID lockdown. Episode 90 of my Economics Explored podcast features a discussion regarding COVID lockdown costs versus … Continue reading

Posted in Macroeconomy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How many Australians coped with COVID stress: alcohol

Watching Catherine McGregor chatting with psychologist Dr Tanveer Ahmed on Sky Australia (People will have to ‘rethink’ New Year goals as a result of COVID-19 uncertainty), I remembered that many of my friends have been coping with COVID-related stress by … Continue reading

Posted in Retail trade | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Precautionary Principle and COVID-19 – podcast conversation with Joe Branigan

The Precautionary Principle, which recommends an extreme “safety first” approach, is being used to justify the closure of state borders in Australia to deal with COVID-19. For instance, Justice Rangiah explicitly referred to a “precautionary approach” in his decision against … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Valuing the Environment podcast chat with Boyd Blackwell

In 2017, Deloitte Access Economics estimated the value of the Great Barrier Reef at $56 billion. You may ask, how could you even attempt to place a dollar value on the Reef? What techniques are used? Aren’t some of our … Continue reading

Posted in Environment, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

State gov’t economic responses to COVID-19 podcast episode

In my latest podcast episode, I elaborate on my opening remarks to the Queensland Parliamentary Inquiry on the state government’s economic response to COVID-19 on Monday. Among other things, I mention Joe Branigan and Henry Ergas’s new Menzies Research Centre … Continue reading

Posted in Budget, Infrastructure, Macroeconomy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Opening remarks to Qld Parliamentary Inquiry on economic response to COVID-19

Yesterday I was part of a panel of economic experts consulted by the Queensland Parliamentary Inquiry into the state government’s economic response to COVID-19. The notes I used for my opening remarks are reproduced below. The proceedings were broadcast via … Continue reading

Posted in Budget, Health, Macroeconomy, Queensland Government | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Picking winners – industry policy podcast chat with Craig Lawrence

With the Queensland Government willing to invest $200 million in Virgin Australia to keep its HQ in Brisbane, I thought it would be timely to record a podcast interview on investment attraction and industry policy more broadly. On Tuesday, I … Continue reading

Posted in Industry policy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

City Infrastructure with Craig Lawrence – Economics Explained ep.26

At this stage, the official line is that Queensland’s local government elections will still go ahead on Saturday 28 March despite the coronavirus threat, although the Queensland Electoral Commissioner has told ABC Radio “Things could change…” (see this ABC News … Continue reading

Posted in Infrastructure, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sunstein’s Cost-Benefit Revolution is recommended reading

While economists often lament that governments don’t use cost-benefit analysis enough, Harvard Law Professor and former US regulatory czar Cass Sunstein offers a much more optimistic perspective in his excellent 2018 book The Cost-Benefit Revolution, which I’ve only just got … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Economics of Infrastructure with Craig Lawrence podcast discussion – Part 2

I’ve just published part 2 of my Economics Explained podcast discussion on the economics of infrastructure with Craig Lawrence, Managing Director of Brisbane-based Lytton Advisory: Economics of Infrastructure – Part 2 Craig Lawrence has three decades of experience as a … Continue reading

Posted in Infrastructure, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment