Tag Archives: coronavirus

Gigi Foster event on the Great COVID Panic + latest podcast episode on price controls & infrastructure

Thankfully, we’re getting much closer to a return to normality with the international border reopening. While we should focus on the brighter future, at the same time we should rigorously review what happened over the last two years, and ask … Continue reading

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

Poorly thought out regulations for Qld reopening

With its poorly thought out regulations surrounding Queensland’s reopening, the state government is providing lots of instructive examples of adverse unintended consequences of regulations. Among other problems, we have had: overstretched COVID testing centres, here and in other states, although … Continue reading

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

Sunny Coast booming | Qld must remain open for business petition

Relative to pre-COVID levels, while all Queensland regions have much higher job vacancies, it is the Sunshine Coast that is well in the lead, according to the National Skills Commission’s internet vacancies data for November 2021, published yesterday (see chart … Continue reading

Posted in Labour market, Macroeconomy | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Livestream featuring US jobless claims, Aussie GDP + farewell to Tony Makin

I did a livestream earlier today with my regular co-host Tim Hughes on the latest economic news of the week, including the latest US initial jobless claims confirming a strong US economy, the impact of the omicron COVID-variant on equity … Continue reading

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

Gov’t and renewables making disproportionate contributions to demand growth in Qld

The September quarter National Accounts published by the ABS yesterday revealed that the general government sector made a disproportionate contribution to Queensland state final demand growth that quarter, suggesting a strong pick up in the hiring of public servants, contractors, … Continue reading

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

No way Qld Gov’t can cancel 17 December reopening to other states – Omicron be damned

Fortunately, the Queensland Government gave a firm commitment to reopen the state to interstate visitors on 17 December, and I doubt the Omicron variant will force the Government to cancel that reopening. It would wreck the government politically, just as … Continue reading

Posted in Macroeconomy, Retail trade | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Tourism operators need Qld Gov’t to continue reopening and not to panic as COVID comes in

There is a lot of excitement about the reopening of Queensland, which can’t come quickly enough, but at least it is actually happening, so long as the Queensland Government holds its nerve and doesn’t reimpose restrictions once COVID cases start … Continue reading

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ABS reveals big impact of lockdowns on retail trade + today’s livestream link

Let’s hope the Queensland Government doesn’t impose a lockdown in response to the new cases coming out of Goondiwindi, as the ABS’s estimates of retail turnover for September quarter show us once more the large adverse impact that lockdowns have … Continue reading

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

Gov’t says COVID “enduring emergency” – “temporary” powers will be in place longer than two years

As expected, the Queensland Government has brushed off One Nation MP Stephen Andrew’s e-petition to “Restore Democracy in Queensland”, citing the “enduring emergency” from COVID-19. The Government still claims the emergency powers it gave to the Chief Health Officer in … Continue reading

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Weekly wrap up – Aussie reopening, Kiwi inflation, oil and petrol prices, and Bitcoin news

My latest Friday livestream covered: accelerating NZ inflation and the implications for interest rates of accelerating inflation in advanced economies more broadly; the great Australian reopening and booming job vacancies (i.e. as noted by the National Skills Commission “Nationally job … Continue reading

Posted in Labour market, Macroeconomy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments