Tag Archives: grattan

Unfreezing discount rates with Marion Terrill from Grattan – latest podcast episode

Posted on July 2, 2020 by Gene Tunny

Building Queensland and Infrastructure Australia require the use of a 7% discount rate in cost-benefit analyses of public infrastructure projects, but is a 7% discount rate applied to the future benefits of public infrastructure projects too high? Marion Terrill of … Continue reading →

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

New COVID-19 chat with Joe Branigan of Tulipwood Economics

Posted on March 22, 2020 by Gene Tunny

I’ve recorded another interview on the latest COVID-19 rescue package from the federal government, this time with my good friend and former Treasury colleague Joe Branigan, Director of Tulipwood Economics. Joe provides important context for the massive rescue package. He … Continue reading →

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

Coronavirus update – next two weeks will be critical in determining impacts

Posted on March 14, 2020 by Gene Tunny

It looks like political leaders are finally recognising the urgency of responding to coronavirus, with President Trump declaring a national emergency in the US and Australia cancelling mass gatherings. It’s about time. This is a huge public health threat with … Continue reading →

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

Grattan 2019 Budget panel discussion I’m participating in at Qld State Library

Posted on March 8, 2019 by Gene Tunny

I’m really pleased to have been invited to be one of the panelists in the Grattan Institute’s upcoming panel discussion on the 2019 federal budget on the evening of Tuesday 9 April, one week after the budget, at the Queensland … Continue reading →

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

On Cross River Rail, Government appears confused over meaning of “business case”

Posted on April 7, 2016 by Gene Tunny

In today’s media release on the Brisbane Cross River Rail project, The Queensland Government appears confused about the meaning of the term “business case.” It risks committing the same error that governments (present and past) across Australia have committed when … Continue reading →

Posted in Transport, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Grattan book City Limits highlights problems with current planning and transport policies

Posted on March 31, 2015 by Gene Tunny

Jane Frances-Kelly and Paul Donegan, formerly and currently of the Grattan Institute respectively, had an excellent book published earlier this month called City Limits, which argues strongly for cutting red tape from town planning processes, introducing congestion charging for roads, … Continue reading →

Posted in Housing, Tax, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

If you want to understand the East Coast gas market, come to this presentation

Posted on September 14, 2014 by Gene Tunny

With the first LNG exports from Curtis Island off Gladstone expected later this year, it is timely to consider what the linkage of our domestic gas market to the international market will mean for gas prices in Australia. A Grattan … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy, Gladstone, Mining | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Weekend reading – 15-16 March

Posted on March 15, 2014 by Gene Tunny

The Productivity Commission’s monster of a report on Public Infrastructure, which (rightly) recommends congestion pricing on roads, is worth reading, particularly because of the excellent Chapter 14 in Volume 2 on Social and Economic Regulation. On the costs to business … Continue reading →

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Queensland has too many low-performing schools

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Gene Tunny

One major challenge the current Queensland Government faces is the need to reform a school system that historically has had a disproportionate number of low-performing schools. The extent of poor performance among our secondary schools is pretty clear in data … Continue reading →

Posted in Education | Tagged , , , , , | 13 Comments

Grattan joins fight against stamp duty

Posted on October 21, 2013 by Gene Tunny

Leading Australian think tank the Grattan Institute has joined the fight against stamp duty on property transactions (see Renovating housing policy and Jessica Irvine’s article). Grattan notes (on p.32): Stamp duty and pension asset tests create large disincentives to households … Continue reading →

Posted in Housing, Labour market, Tax | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments