John Quiggin

@johnquiggin.bsky.social

4.4K followers 130 following 4.6K posts

Economist & blogger @ http://johnquiggin.com, http://crookedtimber.org. http://johnquiggin.substack.com/?utm http://mstdn.social/@johnquiggin
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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 65%

Business 9%

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John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 1d

"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 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

John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 1d

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...?

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

John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 1d

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

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

John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 1d

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?

John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 1d

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.

John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 1d

Latest Newspoll (no link) is stunning. A 58-42 2PP would imply an overwhelming HoR majority for #Labor. But primary vote near historic lows, and #Albanese with zero net favorable ratings #auspol

John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 1d

Indeed that thought occurred to me 😃

John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 2d

Eleni Paneras claims that she grew up before screens, spending her saturday mornings watching cartoons. Say what? Did she use a slide projector?

‘Your teenager will thank you later for this’

I grew up in a world that doesn’t exist anymore.

www.couriermail.com.au

John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 2d

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...

John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 2d

The Go8 has always been appalling and divisive. Now it is actively working against the interests of its own members.

John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 2d

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...

John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 2d

The alliance is dominated by the Business Council of Australia and pushes their line. Here they are pushing for " red-tape tape reduction, planning and major project approvals reform, an innovation agenda, and a process for productive tax reform" to lift business investment

Statement from the Alliance of Industry Associations on the Economic Reform Roundtable

An alliance of nearly 30 groups representing Australia’s small, medium and large businesses, universities, farmers, retailers, pharmacies and the investment community is calling for red-tape tape reduction, planning and major project approvals reform, an innovation agenda, and a process for produ

go8.edu.au

John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 2d

Suppose you wanted to persuade politicians that universities were just a bunch of money-hungry lobbyists, concerned more about profits than educating our young people. What would you do? The Group of 8 (lobby for "sandstone" unis) decided to join "an alliance of industry groups". #universities

John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 2d

Why humanoid robots are a really dumb idea johnquigginblog.substack.com/p/elons-last...

Elon's last grift

Optimus sub-prime

johnquigginblog.substack.com

Reposted by John Quiggin

dee_le_brun @deelebrun.bsky.social · 3d

The extension of that thinking is university educated=elitist.

So a nurse or a teacher is an evil elitist while a tradie making a quarter of a million a year is a salt of the earth Aussie.

#auspol

John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 3d

a long list of examples here www.dropbox.com/scl/...

John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 3d

This from Cory Doctorow @pluralistic.fr is about hospices in the US in the private equity era. But it's true of for-profit provision of all human services, always and everywhere

pluralistic.net/2025...

John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 3d

"A lot of people will find it frustrating that we’re excluding teens, rather than forcing platforms to be built safer and better for everyone. If you feel that way, too, you’re not alone."

John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 3d

Lots of useful advice here, mitigating the disruption to young people;s lives that will be caused by this poorly thought-out measure.

Australia is about to ban under-16s from social media. Here’s what kids can do right now to prepare

Download your data, make plans to stay connected to friends, and decide where you’re going next.

theconversation.com

John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 4d

In a radical shift, the NSW Liberals are now in favour of families (except foreigners) and housing (except where NIMBYs don't like it). That should put Labor on the spot #nswpol

NSW Liberal leadership LIVE updates: Kellie Sloane to lead party after Mark Speakman steps down

Liberal MPs have unanimously elected Kellie Sloane as leader. Follow live.

www.smh.com.au

John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 4d

In a radical shift, the NSW Liberals are now in favour of families (except foreigners) and housing (except where NIMBYs don't like it). That should put Labor on the spot #nswpol

NSW Liberal leadership LIVE updates: Kellie Sloane to lead party after Mark Speakman steps down

Liberal MPs have unanimously elected Kellie Sloane as leader. Follow live.

www.smh.com.au

John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 4d

University (and TAFE) education should be open to everyone who can benefit from it, not rationed as this government is doing #auspol

‘Cut admissions in 2026’: The new rules shaking up university entry

The government says university places will grow in coming years, but analysts say that’s unlikely due to major changes in funding.

www.smh.com.au

John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 5d

I honestly don't understand why this matters. Regardless of who hosts #COP31, the government could actually be doing something to reduce emissions and aid our neighbours. Equally, it could have won the bid and continued to do as little as possible. #auspol

www.thenewdaily.com....

John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 5d

Poetic justice of course, since Boomers invented the Generation Gap, or at least had it invented for them by the cultural leaders of the day. Bob Dylan (born 1941) epitomized it in "The Times they are A'Changing".

John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 5d

And other slip further down, citing a Fairfax BusinessDay article, ‘Gen X perceptions a workplace challenge for Gen Y’. implicitly conceding that Gen X purveyors of generational cliches punched down at Millennials (for being young) just as hard as they punched up at the Boomers (for being old).

John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 5d

Reading more closely, this article is from 2015, using "Gen Y" where we would now say "Millennial". Even more oddly, with the tagline "the dominance of baby boomers is becoming total", it begins with a reference to NSW Premier Mike Baird (born 1968).

The boomer supremacy

The dominance of baby boomers is becoming total

www.themonthly.com.au

John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 5d

Annoying US equation of "not university educated" with "working class" now appearing in Crikey. On that basis, both Kerry Packer and Gina Rinehart count as working class #auspol