John Quiggin
@johnquiggin.bsky.social
Economist & blogger @ http://johnquiggin.com, http://crookedtimber.org. http://johnquiggin.substack.com/?utm http://mstdn.social/@johnquiggin
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Economist & blogger @ http://johnquiggin.com, http://crookedtimber.org. http://johnquiggin.substack.com/?utm http://mstdn.social/@johnquiggin
I repost my content, using the #repost hashtag. You can go to settings/filters to avoid seeing the same post.
John Quiggin is an Australian economist, a professor at the University of Queensland. He was formerly an Australian Research Council Laureate Fellow and Federation Fellow and a member of the board of the Climate Change Authority of the Australian Government. .. more
Economics
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As Russia closes in on Pokrovsk, battle for key city enters its final act
Editor’s Note: In accordance with the security protocols of the Ukrainian military, soldiers featured in this story are identified by first names and callsigns only.
POKROVSK, Donetsk Oblast – Light rain and the dying light of a cool summer evening accompany the Ukrainian drone team’s preparation to begin their shift.
The men are silent as the military pick-up truck, full of drones and other supplies, turns off the village track onto the main road south into Pokrovsk.
Every trip in and out of
kyivindependent.com
"As Russia closes in on Pokrovsk, battle for key city enters its final act"
Clicked on this link, which turned out to be from July. At least it was July 2025, the same story was running in 2024. As with rain dances, it has to work sooner or later
Clicked on this link, which turned out to be from July. At least it was July 2025, the same story was running in 2024. As with rain dances, it has to work sooner or later
Coming soon: how the EPBC deal with the Greens (and the failure of the LNP to make a deal) is both an outcome of this process and a possible path to breakdown
The Liberal crisis runs deep — Labor’s embrace of small-c conservativism partly explains why
To talk of 'the centre' seems less meaningful than recognising that Labor has embraced the conservative pragmatism that was once seen as the special property of the Liberal Party.
www.crikey.com.au
Emerging consensus on Labor as the new party of restistance, as well as the natural party of government #auspol
Russia pushes on key Ukraine city of Pokrovsk while Kyiv's Kursk incursion slows
Russia is poised to assault Pokrovsk, a crucial supply and reinforcement hub for Ukraine's frontline troops.
www.bbc.com
For anyone impressed by reports of Russia's rapid progress in #Pokrovsk, here's a report of "sweeping advances" in 2024. Sweeping in the manner of someone trying to sweep up the Sahara with a dustpan and brrom
This one came up quickly and I doubt that many students are aware of it. But in general, student representation is limited, and (particularly undergrad) students aren't very active. I spent a long time with some postgrads working on divestment policy a couple of years back, but not a big group.
Albanese strikes deal with the Greens to pass environment protection bill
The Albanese government has secured a historic deal with the Greens to pass major reforms to national environment laws.
www.smh.com.au
A welcome outcome for the EPBC debate, if nowhere near as good as we should have.
The elit(ist) university lobby Go8 finds itself, not just on the wrong side of the debate, but opposing the polices of the government that provides its funding.
The elit(ist) university lobby Go8 finds itself, not just on the wrong side of the debate, but opposing the polices of the government that provides its funding.
But it can only happen if Putin starts to fear that he will lose ground
The "quickening pace" is an advance of perhaps 10km in a year. Quite literally, slower than a snail's pace. And that's on the part of the front Russia has given top priority. Elsewhere lines have been almost completely static. A ceasefire on existing lines is the only plausible path to peace
The Question Hanging Over Peace Talks: What Will Putin Accept?
A U.S. proposal may cross a number of red lines for the Russian leader, who sees little to lose and much potentially to gain from continuing to fight.
www.nytimes.com
Consistently pro-Russian NY Times correspondent Paul Sonne, asserts "Ukraine is relinquishing territory at a quickening pace. " Say what? He links to a piece from two weeks ago about the impending fall of Pokrovsk. That's been "impending" since the middle of 2024
Good question. Not present in the minds of these guys.
Universities Australia signed previous BCA letter demanding a range of pro-business measures, but did not join EPBC letter. Still a major breach of university neutrality www.bca.com.au/our-i...
Australia's top universities seek changes to key environmental reform
Australia's top universities have aligned themselves with oil and gas producers, miners and developers on a a key piece of environment legislation, drawing the ire of dozens of academics.
www.abc.net.au
Go8 defence "we want to make university construction projects simpler" is pathetic - EPBC has nothing to do with this. But exactly what you would expect from Mark Scott, business executive parachuted into running University of Sydney and Go8 Chair
It seems as if this terrible move was undertaken by the management of the Go8 without bothering to inform (at least some of) the VCs who supposedly make up its board. That suggests an organisation that needs a radical overhaul, or preferably dissolution.
More a capitulation/collaboration
Tell Disney+: Stop showing gambling ads to kids
An independent movement to build a progressive Australia and bring participation back into our democracy.
www.getup.org.au
My email I was just reading an account of Walt Disney's devotion to making a happier world for children when I read that the company he founded is now pitching gambling ads at them. It's a horrible contrast.
www.getup.org.au/cam...?
www.getup.org.au/cam...?
Reposted by John Quiggin
reneweconomy.com.au
Battery storage takes unprecedented 40 pct share of evening demand in South Australia, a world-record for the country’s most advanced renewable grid.
The rest are career managers. The same is true of the Chair of the Go8, Mark Scott, parachuted in as VC of Sydney Uni. These are people who see themselves as (actual or potential CEOs) and see the leaders of groups like the BCA as their natural community
The Group of 8 Universities has signed up as part of the BCA-led Alliance of Industry Organisations and is supporting their push against environment protection. I took a look at their management "team", and AFAICT, only one of them has ever held a teaching or research job.
go8.edu.au/about/team
go8.edu.au/about/team
An ocean of opportunity lies in the vacuum between the Liberals and Teals
Elections are won in the centre, and if the Liberals abandon that space, others will fill it.
www.crikey.com.au
"There’s a vacuum emerging between the Teals and Liberals that is the strategic opportunity. "
An odd claim. The space between teals and Libs was occupied by "moderate" urban Libs. With the regrettable exception of Tim Wilson, they've all lost their seats #auspol
An odd claim. The space between teals and Libs was occupied by "moderate" urban Libs. With the regrettable exception of Tim Wilson, they've all lost their seats #auspol
The courage to learn
How randomised trials, typically employed in science and medicine, could help governments make better policy and rebuild public trust
www.themonthly.com.au
Andrew Leigh on the case for randomised trials. Unfortunately, he is one of the few in this government with the courage to think about any kind of change www.themonthly.com.a...?
Data Science in the News: Trade in a Trumpian World - QUT Centre for Data Science
Trade in a Trumpian WorldDonald Trump’s recent removal of tariffs on imports of food products is unlikely to be the last gyration in US trade policy. US...
research.qut.edu.au
I'll be speaking at seminar on Friday for the Queensland Academy of Arts and Sciences and QUT Centre for Data Science on Trade in a Trumpian World
As an aside, has anyone followed up with the signatories to see if they still think "cancel culture" is the big threat to free speech?
I was a bit surprised to see #Chomsky's name on the Harper's "impunity for elites" letter a few years ago. Now, not so much.
Indeed that thought occurred to me 😃
‘Your teenager will thank you later for this’
I grew up in a world that doesn’t exist anymore.
www.couriermail.com.au
Eleni Paneras claims that she grew up before screens, spending her saturday mornings watching cartoons. Say what? Did she use a slide projector?
Trump regularly reminds putative allies they need to cut ties with US intelligence networks. Least bad case: US will misuse intel (as with UK in Caribbean), bad case: cut off with little or no warning (Ukraine Kursk operation & again) worst case: used to support US attack
www.politico.com/new...
www.politico.com/new...
The Go8 has always been appalling and divisive. Now it is actively working against the interests of its own members.
And here supporting the BCA attacks on ", lengthy and uncertain environmental approval processes", calling for a watering down of the already appalling EPBC bill
www.bca.com.au/our-i...
www.bca.com.au/our-i...