It is a challenging time to be delivering a budget. Economic growth around the globe is slowing, while inflation, commodity prices and the consumer price index are on the rise. The headline unemployment figure might be low, but real wages are in decline. That is the wider economic environment that will inform Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick as he hands down the 2022 State budget. There is also an energy crisis, the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, and devastation wrought by climate change induced weather events. So, what can we expect from the Budget and what will those decisions mean for the state and its communities? UQ has the expertise to answer all those questions and more.
Professor John Quiggin, School of Economics, Faculty of Business, Economics and Law
Expertise: Professor Quiggin has been a commentator on a wide range of state budget policy issues since the 1990s.
Contact: j.quiggin@uq.edu.au, +61 (0)7 3346 9646, +61 (0)400 747165.
Professor Shaun Bond, UQ Business School, Faculty of Business, Economics and Law
Expertise: Professor Bond can discuss the economics of housing, the real estate market, as well as volatility in financial markets, which may be applicable in the wake of the budget. He’s currently researching Resilient Regions: Commercial Real Estate Markets and Natural Disasters.
Contact: s.bond@business.uq.edu.au, +61 (0)7 3343 1240, +61 (0)422 072 895.
Professor Kristen Lyons, School of Social Science, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Expertise: Professor Lyons can talk about development and environmental issues, including climate change, sustainability, resource development and the Great Barrier Reef, as well as carbon markets and human rights.
Contact: k.lyons@uq.edu.au, +61 (0)7 3365 2020, +61 (0)437 332 732.
Emeritus Professor Phil Bodman, Faculty of Business, Economics and Law
Expertise: Emeritus Professor Bodman can discuss the housing market and the cost of housing, mortgage crisis, inflation, fiscal policy, economic forecasting, business and labour economics, as well as macroeconomics and monetary policy.
Contact: p.bodman@uq.edu.au, +61 (0)427 000 173.
Professor Paul Henman, School of Social Science, Faculty of Humanities and Social Science
Expertise: Professor Henman can talk about policy areas related to welfare, unemployment and the cost of raising children. He also has expertise in income tax, as it relates to wellbeing and inequality, as well as the government use of digital technology in automated decision making or artificial intelligence.
Contact: p.henman@uq.edu.au, +61 (0)7 3365 2383, +61 (0)402 734 218.
Dr Andrea La Nauze, School of Economics, Faculty of Business, Economics and Law
Expertise: Dr La Nauze is an expert in environmental economics and can comment on issues such as carbon pricing, power prices and household behaviour, as well as subsidies for ‘green’ energy, like solar panels and electric vehicles.
Contact: a.lanauze@uq.edu.au
Professor Hurriyet Babacan, Australian Institute of Business and Economics, Faculty of Business, Economics and Law.
Expertise: Regional economic development, housing, workforce, (employment) education and training, environment/sustainability, agriculture, water, innovation, energy and health.
Contact: h.babacan@uq.edu.au, +61 (7) 336 54211, +61 (0) 413 819 884
Mark Tanner, UQ Business School, Faculty of Business, Economics and Law
Expertise: Financial planning, corporate finance, financial services, investment analysis, executive financial management. Mark can help decipher what the budget means for individual Queenslanders and their financial planning.
Contact: m.tanner@business.uq.edu.au, +61 (0)7 3346 8186.
Professor Martie-Louise Verreynne, UQ Business School, Faculty of Business, Economics and Law
Expertise: Professor Verreynne is an expert in small business management and policy, as well as innovation policy and research translation.
Contact: m.vereyenne@business.uq.edu.au, +61 (0)7 3345 3320, +61 (0) 439 531 199.
Emeritus Professor John Mangan, UQ Business School, Faculty of Business, Economics and Law
Expertise: Professor Mangan is an expert in labour markets, economic modelling and sports economics, as well as taxation policy, the economics of climate change, water and economics and economic growth.
Contact: jmangan@bel.uq.edu.au, +61 (0)434 367 480.
Associate Professor Rebecca Olson School of Social Science, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Expertise: Dr Olson can discuss the social aspects of public health, as an advocate of social justice in healthcare and welfare.
Contact: r.olson@uq.edu.au, +61 (0)7 3365 3493, +61 (0)400 852 336.
Associate Professor Gabby Walters, School of Business, Faculty of Business, Economics and Law
Expertise: Dr Walters can speak to the implications of budgetary decisions for the tourism industry and in particular the need for economic assistance to booster pandemic recovery efforts and sustain regional tourism development.
Contact: g.walters@uq.edu.au, +61 (0) 402 085 497.
Media: UQ communications, communications@uq.edu.au, +61 (0) 429 056 139
