Former Australian Treasury Official: Gene Tunny

Gene Tunny is a former official at the Australian Treasury. As an economist and director of Adept Economics, Gene is frequently sought for his views on economics and policy. In this interview Gene canvases a number of economic and tax issues ultimately settling on recommendations for a return to a cabinet-led, consensus approach to sound policy that is built on a multitude of counsel.

--------------------------------------

Watch this episode on Youtube: https://youtu.be/vZjkWOLiDbc

Listen to this episode:

Follow Gene: linkedin.com/in/genetunny

Gene’s book ‘Beautiful One Day, Broke The Next’: https://www.connorcourtpublishing.com.au/BEAUTIFUL-ONE-DAY-BROKE-THE-NEXT-Queensland%E2%80%99s-Public-Finances-since-Sir-Joh-and-Sir-Leo--Gene-Tunny_p_233.html

--------------------------------------

3:44 Ken Henry Tax Review: fundamental reform

4:44 Concept of buying reform

6:07 Resource rent tax vs royalties

8:36 Triumph and Demise: The broken promise of a Labor Generation

10:16 The difficulty of tax reform: States vs Federal

11:14 Stamp duty on properties

13:07 How do you get political reform through?

18:09 Marketing would help sell reforms

19:59 Are people interested in economics?

22:26 No limit to debt levels

23:40 Where is Aus going with its economic policy?

25:56 Inflation not spilling over into consumer prices

30:10 The difficulty to predict  inflationary consequences

31:23 Can you create money for needs that arise? Modern Monetary theory is voodoo economics.

37:26 US health system vs Aus Medicare

39:31 What are views inside Treasury

43:39 Jobkeeper and the pitfalls of designing and implementing things quickly

45:07 Vaccine needed to reopen Australia

47:58 Fear helped Anna P win the elections

50:00 The cost of a QLD lockdown vs order closures

51:50 Justifications and evidence haven’t been published for lockdowns and border closures

53:43 Anna Palaszczuk’s 1st term and economic handling

1:00:24 Palasczuk just dominating MSM re: covid and her keeping Qld safe

1:03:37 Stockholm Syndrome supporting Dan Andrews and Palasczuk

1:06:53 ‘Beautiful one day, broke the next’ Book about Qld debt

1:17:01 How would an economist run the states or Australia?

1:21:43 Predictions for the future