Tag Archives: queensland

Upcoming event on Steel on Steel – inside story of privatisation of QR’s freight arm

Posted on March 3, 2015 by Gene Tunny

In a post earlier this year, I discussed Stephen Baines’s excellent insider’s account of the privatisation of Queensland Rail’s freight arm, Steel on Steel. Not coincidentally, the Economic Society of Australia’s Queensland branch, of which I’m Deputy Secretary, has arranged … Continue reading →

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New Qld Government should allow plenty of time for thorough review of spending

Posted on February 27, 2015 by Gene Tunny

I noticed that former Olympian Kieren Perkins has cast doubt on Queensland’s ability to host an Olympic Games and has pointed to the Queensland Government’s lack of a clear strategy to pay down debt (see today’s Courier-Mail). While the Queensland … Continue reading →

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

Qld receiving huge economic shock from resources sector capital spending decline

Posted on February 25, 2015 by Gene Tunny

The scale of the negative economic shock Queensland is currently experiencing from the decline in resources sector investment is extraordinary, as revealed by new ABS data on construction work done released today (see chart above, noting “Engineering” covers the heavy … Continue reading →

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

One-in-four part-time workers underemployed

Posted on February 24, 2015 by Gene Tunny

Queensland’s relatively weak labour market is reflected not only in the unemployment rate of 6.5%, but in a relatively high rate of underemployment, with around one-in-four part-time workers in Queensland underemployed (i.e. preferring to work more hours than they actually … Continue reading →

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Unemployment much higher in North Qld, Wide Bay, Ipswich and outer Brisbane metro area

Posted on February 20, 2015 by Gene Tunny

The regional dimension to Queensland unemployment is readily apparent from the following unemployment rate maps I’ve produced based on Queensland Treasury’s handy information brief on regional unemployment. Here’s the map for the whole State: My old home town of Townsville … Continue reading →

Posted in Labour market | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Queensland’s top five customers – China has taken top spot from Japan in recent years

Posted on February 16, 2015 by Gene Tunny

Earlier this month, the Queensland Government Statistician’s Office released a useful set of trade reports on Queensland’s trade with international economies. In our merchandise exports data (see chart below), it’s not surprising to see the importance of China, which has … Continue reading →

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Don’t panic about unemployment just yet – still below long-run average

Posted on February 13, 2015 by Gene Tunny

I’ve noticed the Courier-Mail is reporting the incoming Government has “been handed a massive headache with new figures showing unemployment rising and Queenslanders dropping out of the job market.” However, yesterday’s figures simply confirmed the labour market has been lacklustre … Continue reading →

Posted in Labour market | Tagged , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Low employment growth over the term of the outgoing Qld Government

Posted on February 12, 2015 by Gene Tunny

As an economist, I’m naturally a big believer in the importance of economic factors in society. And I thought one (though not the only) reason for the big swing against the Newman Government was Queensland’s lacklustre economy, which was largely … Continue reading →

Posted in Labour market | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

No tears for BaT tunnel – it most likely didn’t stack up

Posted on February 10, 2015 by Gene Tunny

Whichever party forms government in Queensland, the Bus and Train (BaT) tunnel project is no more, as reported by the Brisbane Times (BaT tunnel plans scrapped). I was always skeptical about the economic case for the project, and was very … Continue reading →

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Has Queensland kicked the can down the road? – guest post from Keiran Travers

Posted on February 10, 2015 by Gene Tunny

The still undecided Queensland election has given many of us reason to think about the future of our State, and I’m delighted to publish a guest post from Keiran Travers, a Brisbane-based infrastructure expert, who wonders whether Queensland has kicked … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments