Tag Archives: jobkeeper

JobKeeper test revision necessary given bleak outlook

Posted on August 3, 2020 by

Given the Victorian COVID-19 response debacle, the economic outlook is no doubt even bleaker than the bleak outlook reported by CCIQ today in its June Pulse Survey report (see chart below), so it’s welcome news that the federal government is … Continue reading →

Posted in Macroeconomy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Australia’s upcoming mini-Budget

Posted on July 20, 2020 by

Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg will hand down a mini-Budget this Thursday, and it’s coming just in time, given the growing concern over the spread of COVID-19 in Victoria and NSW. I recorded a video earlier today with some thoughts on … Continue reading →

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Deloitte highlights trade tensions with China and lower commodity prices as risks to Qld recovery

Posted on July 6, 2020 by

According to today’s Courier-Mail, Deloitte’s new Business Outlook report highlights the risks to Queensland’s economic recovery from lower commodity prices and trade tensions with China affecting our commodity, tourism, and education exports. Deloitte also rightly mentions the risk to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, China, Floods, Macroeconomy, Mining, Retail trade | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Retail rebound in Australia – latest video

Posted on July 4, 2020 by

My latest video is about the retail rebound revealed by the May Retail Trade data published by the ABS yesterday (Retail turnover rises 16.9 per cent in May). You may also be interested in the Queensland Treasury Retail Trade brief … Continue reading →

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Premier’s border decision helps, but it’s still early days in any recovery from virus recession

Posted on July 1, 2020 by

The Queensland Premier’s decision to reopen the border to non-Victorian interstate travellers and to bring forward the relaxation of a range of restrictions will no doubt provide a bit of a boost to the economy (e.g. the Courier-Mail is reporting … Continue reading →

Posted in Labour market, Macroeconomy, Queensland Government, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

ABC Brisbane JobKeeper bungle interview – $60bn error hugely embarrassing but actually good news

Posted on May 26, 2020 by

On 612 ABC Brisbane yesterday morning I mentioned to host Bec Levingston my first reaction to hearing the news about the $60 billion JobKeeper forecasting bungle was sympathy for my former Treasury colleagues. It’s hugely embarrassing, but actually good news … Continue reading →

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State and regional unemployment rates in this time of COVID-19 with Pete Faulkner

Posted on May 8, 2020 by

Mission Beach-based economist Pete Faulkner from Conus Consulting has been in the news recently with his estimates of the massive adverse impacts that measures to combat coronavirus are having on Queensland’s regional economies (e.g. see the InQueensland report Jobless numbers … Continue reading →

Posted in Cairns, Gold Coast, Labour market, Macroeconomy, North Queensland, Townsville, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Catch up with CCIQ Chief Economist on dreadful business conditions & huge budget deficits

Posted on May 2, 2020 by

Yesterday afternoon I caught up with CCIQ Chief Economist Dr Marcus Smith for a phone interview on the coronavirus-induced recession/mini-depression, and you can listen to the recording here: Highlights include: 3:50 – discussion of forecasts for double-digit unemployment rates in … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Cairns, Gold Coast, Macroeconomy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Catch up on COVID-19 with CCIQ Chief Economist Dr Marcus Smith

Posted on April 6, 2020 by

I spoke yesterday afternoon with CCIQ Chief Economist Dr Marcus Smith about the latest COVID-19 news: You can use these timestamps to find the highlights: 3:00 – Marcus’s recent commentary on coronavirus impact on Qld exports (e.g. COVID-19’s billion-dollar hit … Continue reading →

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

Gov’t faces huge funding challenge as it puts economy on life support

Posted on March 31, 2020 by

The federal government’s latest rescue measure, the JobKeeper Payment, estimated to cost $130 billion, may well be justifiable, given social distancing measures have shut down large parts of the economy for an indeterminate period, and I recognise the need to … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Macroeconomy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments