Tag Archives: productivitycommission

Proposed COVID Royal Commission – great ABC radio interview from Scott Prasser

Posted on December 30, 2020 by Gene Tunny

Dr Scott Prasser, Senior Fellow at the CIS, gave a great ABC radio interview this morning on the proposal from former state Premiers Peter Beattie and Jeff Kennett for a Royal Commission into Australia’s COVID response. For background, check out … Continue reading →

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

Thoughts on the border decision and QPC’s productivity reform livestream

Posted on November 24, 2020 by Gene Tunny

First, better late than never I suppose, so I should be thankful the Queensland Government, on 1 December, will finally open up the state to Sydneysiders and let us travel to Sydney without having to endure hotel quarantine when we … Continue reading →

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

Qantas call for state gov’t incentives highlights the prisoners’ dilemma of interstate bidding wars

Posted on September 16, 2020 by Gene Tunny

Queensland Government agencies such as Treasury and State Development will be busy developing an incentive package, no doubt containing payroll tax concessions and possibly a grant, to attract Qantas’s HQ. As the Australian reported yesterday: Qantas is asking state governments … Continue reading →

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US infrastructure: lessons from Australia, with Darren Brady Nelson – Economics Explained EP36

Posted on May 21, 2020 by Gene Tunny

I recently spoke with Darren Brady Nelson about his new Heartland Institute Policy Brief How to fix America’s crumbling infrastructure: lessons from Australia. You can now listen to our conversation which I’ve published as Economics Explained EP36. Darren is an … Continue reading →

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

ABC radio interview on PC inquiry into GST revenue redistribution

Posted on February 5, 2018 by Gene Tunny

I had an enjoyable chat with Steve Austin on his ABC Brisbane radio Drive program this afternoon regarding the Productivity Commission’s Brisbane hearing for its inquiry into Horizontal Fiscal Equalisation (HFE), the methodology which is used to distribute the GST … Continue reading →

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

PC scathing of Qld sugar industry’s “dependency psyche” & “back to the future” re-regulation

Posted on July 31, 2017 by Gene Tunny

One of the low points for the current Queensland Government occurred in late 2015, when it failed to stop the Real Choice in Marketing legislation advanced by Katter’s Australian Party with support from the Opposition and Billy Gordon. This provided … Continue reading →

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

PC ennui?

Posted on November 8, 2016 by Gene Tunny

Based on its discussion paper for its five year productivity review, the Productivity Commission appears to be suffering from ennui or world weariness. Consider this passage, which the PC has published in bold italics (on p. 17): “The Commission is … Continue reading →

Posted in IR, Labour market, Productivity, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Qld Government needs to avoid costly inter-state bidding wars

Posted on June 14, 2016 by Gene Tunny

In the 2016-17 Queensland Budget being handed down today, among other measures, the State Government will allocate $40 million to “aggressively” attract businesses to the State, no doubt through a combination of payroll tax concessions, grants and similar financial incentives … Continue reading →

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

Container deposit scheme very likely a costly bad idea

Posted on June 6, 2016 by Gene Tunny

Regrettably, there is now a bipartisan commitment in Queensland to what is very likely a costly bad policy, with the Opposition announcing its support for a container deposit scheme, otherwise known as a “cash for cans” scheme (see the Brisbane … Continue reading →

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

Transparency essential in Building Qld cost-benefit studies of infrastructure projects

Posted on March 20, 2016 by Gene Tunny

Last Thursday morning I attended an excellent breakfast seminar on infrastructure organised by the French-Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FACCI) and hosted by Holding Redlich Lawyers in their Queen St, Brisbane CBD offices. The seminar featured highly informative and … Continue reading →

Posted in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Infrastructure, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments