Tag Archives: queensland

Role of Qld Parliament in public finance – upcoming ASPG event on 14 June 21

Thanks to the Queensland chapter of the Australasian Study of Parliament Group (ASPG) for inviting me to be a panel member at its upcoming event The role of Parliament in public finance on 14 June at Parliament House, Brisbane. My … Continue reading

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Decarbonising the Economy – my latest podcast episode

The latest episode of my Economics Explored podcast is on the topic of decarbonising the economy. My monologue is based on a talk I gave last Tuesday to the First Tuesday Club forum hosted by the Brisbane Dialogues group at … Continue reading

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

People fleeing Victoria, staying put in Qld

Back in the middle of last decade I often commented on how Queensland was experiencing a brain drain of talented people to Victoria, with vibrant and cosmopolitan Melbourne attracting our best and brightest. That is no longer the case, and … Continue reading

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Solving school enrolment and on-street parking problems with economics

As an economist, it’s frustrating to see the same issues recur because our decision makers fail to recognise and adopt the straightforward solutions suggested by economics, solutions which take advantage of the so-called price mechanism or market forces.  First, consider … Continue reading

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Qld Audit Office should have recommended council amalgamations

The Queensland Audit Office’s Local government 2020 Audit Report has identified that 25 Queensland local governments, around one-third of the total, “are at a high risk of not being financially sustainable.” As the QAO hints on pages 21 to 22, … Continue reading

Posted in Queensland Government | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

The indicators look great, but the recovery is very uneven across the economy

In the vicinity of my office at the Johnson Hotel on Boundary St, Spring Hill, I see the ongoing impacts of the pandemic on the economy. The hotel restaurant-cafe Tumbling Stone hasn’t reopened since it shut in March last year, … Continue reading

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Travel bubble great news for Qld’s 200,000 NZ-born

As Queensland Premier Palaszczuk pointed out yesterday on social media following the announcement of the travel bubble with New Zealand, Queensland has the largest number of NZ-born people in Australia. Indeed, according to the 2016 Census, Queensland had 201,200 NZ-born … Continue reading

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Unpacking the retail goods spending spree in 2020

Today’s Sunday Mail includes a good article by Jane Armitstead on The best-selling lockdown products we had to have: When the global pandemic hit, Queenslanders turned their focus to their homes and gardens with a boom in DIY projects. Homewares … Continue reading

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Big test ahead for economy & will we regret all the lockdowns?

The latest retail trade figures from the ABS illustrate the challenge the Australian economy faces over the next few months with JobKeeper and the JobSeeker Coronavirus Supplement ending soon. Household disposable incomes have been boosted by all the generous assistance … Continue reading

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Cairns economy post-JobKeeper – conversation with Pete Faulkner of Conus

Queenslanders are waiting anxiously for the state government’s COVID media conference this morning, to learn what’s happening with the infection of the doctor at the PA Hospital. Let’s hope our authorities take into account the fact the vaccine is being … Continue reading

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