Tag Archives: filmindustry

Picking winners – industry policy podcast chat with Craig Lawrence

Posted on June 5, 2020 by

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 →

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Money on the Screen – film industry episode of Economics Explained podcast

Posted on October 19, 2019 by

The latest episode of my Economics Explained podcast, Money on the Screen, explores the economics of the film industry. What affects the return on investment in films? Should governments subsidise film productions as they do in Australia? In the episode, … Continue reading →

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My comments in Saturday’s Courier-Mail on payroll tax concessions—e.g. for BrewDog & Disney

Posted on April 22, 2019 by

With the possible exception of President Trump, the most interesting American politician at the moment is the millennial, freshman member of the House from New York, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC). She is one of the main players is what The Economist … Continue reading →

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Professionals’ share of employment much lower in Qld than in southern states

Posted on October 25, 2018 by

Regular reader Mike Willis made an excellent comment regarding my previous post breaking down the difference between Queensland’s unemployment rate and the rate for the rest of Australia, with Mike observing: Am I correct in guessing that the relative deficit … Continue reading →

Posted in Industry policy, Labour market, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Fact check on PM’s comparison of GC film industry to tourism in economic contribution terms

Posted on October 10, 2018 by

On Monday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison made a bold claim regarding the film industry on the Gold Coast in a radio interview on Gold FM regarding the tax breaks used to lure the Godzilla vs Kong film and Disney Reef … Continue reading →

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On Qld’s relative lack of big private sector employers

Posted on March 1, 2018 by

Business registrations data published by the ABS reveal Queensland has disproportionately fewer major private sector employers (with 200+ employees) than southern states. And the gap is particularly disproportionate in several sectors, including information media & telecommunications, professional, scientific & technical … Continue reading →

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Subsidised blockbusters like Aquaman crowding out local film productions

Posted on May 16, 2017 by

There is new anecdotal evidence from film industry insiders that subsidised blockbusters such as Aquaman, currently filming on the Gold Coast, are not delivering the economic benefits they allegedly deliver. International film productions on the GC have benefited from federal … Continue reading →

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Ragnarok in Brissywood

Posted on August 20, 2016 by

Next week, the Brisbane CBD road closures for the filming of scenes for Thor: Ragnarok will obviously, through the disruption to traffic and local businesses, add to the already large multi-million dollar cost to the Queensland community of hosting the … Continue reading →

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International film productions such as Thor: Ragnarok unworthy of Qld taxpayer support

Posted on August 9, 2016 by

Thor: Ragnarok, now filming on the Gold Coast, and which is supposedly receiving Queensland taxpayer support of $3 million (see my post from October last year), is delivering much lower benefits to locals than may have been expected, as reported … Continue reading →

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Transparency needed around luring film productions such as Thor: Ragnarok to Qld

Posted on October 25, 2015 by

In its final report on government industry assistance (i.e. corporate welfare) released in August, the Queensland Competition Authority recommended an end to the lack of transparency that still, alas, characterises Queensland Government industry attraction measures. This lack of transparency was … Continue reading →

Posted in Industry policy | Tagged , , , , , | 13 Comments