Tag Archives: queensland

Comment in Courier-Mail on volatile Qld jobs data

With the huge volatility in State unemployment rate estimates, demonstrated by the ABS seasonally adjusted estimate of Queensland’s unemployment rate falling from 6.4% in January to 5.6% in February, and the SA rate increasing from 6.8% to 7.7%, the ABS … Continue reading

Posted in Labour market, Macroeconomy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Qld private independent schools saving taxpayers $1 billion per annum

Independent Schools Queensland yesterday released a report it commissioned from AEC Group on the economic contribution of its 190 member schools (i.e. non-Catholic private schools) to Queensland, revealing a direct contribution of over 14,000 jobs and $1.8 billion in gross … Continue reading

Posted in Education, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Regional rescue packages have a poor record

The Sunday Mail reported this morning that Queensland Federal Government MPs are “at odds over federal relief funding for Queensland” in response to the economic downturn in much of the State outside SEQ (e.g. note the large job losses in … Continue reading

Posted in Labour market, Mackay, Macroeconomy, Queensland Government, Townsville, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

International visitors take advantage of lower Aussie dollar

Expenditure by international visitors to Queensland increased to over $4.9 billion in 2015 from $4.2 billion in 2014, a 19% increase, according to new International Visitor Survey data released by Tourism Research Australia (see chart below). This was less than … Continue reading

Posted in Macroeconomy, Tourism, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Qld economy supported by State & local Gov’t CAPEX in December quarter

The latest National Accounts released by the ABS were better than expected, with the national economy growing at 0.6% in December quarter 2015 and 3% through-the-year. Regarding Queensland, state final demand barely moved with a 0.1% increase, but that does … Continue reading

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

Qld economy patchy – SEQ appears fine, but much of rest of Qld struggling

I had a nice chat with Ben Davis on his 4BC Live program yesterday afternoon about the state of Queensland’s economy, a discussion which was inspired by the flurry of press releases that came from the State Government in the … Continue reading

Posted in Labour market, Macroeconomy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Recent quotes from QEW in Qld Parliament and the Courier-Mail

I was very pleased to see that Rod Bogaards’s guest post last week on the lockout laws was quoted in the parliamentary debate on the laws (see p. 216 of Hansard for Wednesday, 17 February): Mr MANDER: No, it is … Continue reading

Posted in Infrastructure, Social policy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Trend is the Treasurer’s friend

The Queensland Treasurer Curtis Pitt issued an upbeat media release on the Queensland economy yesterday, but I am unsure the Queensland Treasury gross state product (GSP) data he quotes should be interpreted as optimistically as he interprets them. The media … Continue reading

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Update on lockout law debate

Rod Bogaards’ recent guest post on the proposed lockout law was quoted by Paul Syvret in the Courier-Mail yesterday in his opinion piece Lockout laws’ knock-on effects need to be weighed. Regarding the proposed law, Syvret noted: The problem is … Continue reading

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Will the lockouts and last drinks regulation work?

Guest post by Rod Bogaards The Queensland Parliament is soon to debate lockout and last drinks legislation. To achieve the objective of reducing alcohol-fueled violence the proposed Queensland legislation needs to pass two tests: Will it be effective in addressing … Continue reading

Posted in Social policy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments