John Quiggin
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johnquiggin.bsky.social
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
I repost my content, using the #repost hashtag. You can go to settings/filters to avoid seeing the same post. .. more

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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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johnquiggin.bsky.social
John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 3h
But it can only happen if Putin starts to fear that he will lose ground

johnquiggin.bsky.social
John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 3h
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

johnquiggin.bsky.social
John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 3h
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
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

johnquiggin.bsky.social
John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 3h
Good question. Not present in the minds of these guys.

johnquiggin.bsky.social
John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 13h
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...

johnquiggin.bsky.social
John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 13h
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
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

johnquiggin.bsky.social
John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 15h
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.

johnquiggin.bsky.social
John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 17h
More a capitulation/collaboration

johnquiggin.bsky.social
John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 17h
Mike Brock contrasts Walt and Elon www.notesfromthecirc...?
Two Boys Who Never Grew Up
The Boy Who Built Magic for Children—and the Boy Who Fed Them to the Machine
www.notesfromthecircus.com

johnquiggin.bsky.social
John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 17h
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...?
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

johnquiggin.bsky.social
John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 18h
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

johnquiggin.bsky.social
John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 18h
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

johnquiggin.bsky.social
John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 2d
"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

johnquiggin.bsky.social
John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 2d
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

johnquiggin.bsky.social
John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 2d
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

johnquiggin.bsky.social
John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 2d
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?

johnquiggin.bsky.social
John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 2d
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.

johnquiggin.bsky.social
John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 2d
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

johnquiggin.bsky.social
John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 3d
Indeed that thought occurred to me 😃

johnquiggin.bsky.social
John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 3d
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

johnquiggin.bsky.social
John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 3d
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...

johnquiggin.bsky.social
John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 3d
The Go8 has always been appalling and divisive. Now it is actively working against the interests of its own members.

johnquiggin.bsky.social
John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 3d
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...

johnquiggin.bsky.social
John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 3d
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

johnquiggin.bsky.social
John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 3d
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

johnquiggin.bsky.social
John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 3d
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

deelebrun.bsky.social
dee_le_brun @deelebrun.bsky.social · 4d
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

johnquiggin.bsky.social
John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 4d
a long list of examples here www.dropbox.com/scl/...

johnquiggin.bsky.social
John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 4d
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...

johnquiggin.bsky.social
John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 4d
"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."