It’s no secret to any Queenslander that the resources sector has made a big contribution to our economy in recent decades – it’s helped to drive long‑term growth and created thousands of jobs for Queenslanders. Now, new Treasury analysis tells us that the resources sector has improved our state’s economic mobility as well.

For Australia to prosper and grow through the 2020s and beyond we need to learn the right lessons and draw the right conclusions from this year’s fortieth anniversary of the election of the Hawke‑Keating Government.

As we head into 2023, we should be optimistic about the future of our economy and our country but realistic about the prospect of another global downturn and what that means for us in Australia.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has delivered a Russian‑made energy crisis the world over. But it’s also given the world a reminder in real‑time of the costs and consequences of over‑relying on a substantial supplier of a critical resource.

Housing supply and affordability is one of the biggest challenges facing our economy and our communities.

With rents through the roof and vacancies through the floor, families are struggling to find an affordable place to live.

Between now and handing down the budget in less than five weeks, I’ll have the opportunity to confer with my international counterparts in Washington on the deteriorating conditions we all face.

First published in The Australian

When most Australians think about the economy, they think about how everything is going up except their pay, and they know interest rate rises are about to be part of the pain. 

First published in the Redland City Bulletin

As I move around our community, there’s one set of worries that get raised with me most – the skyrocketing costs of living.

First published in the Beaudesert Times

On top of all the other price hikes, parents here in our community are being slugged by the second highest rise in child care costs in Queensland and the third highest rise in Australia.

First published in the Jimboomba Times

Through the deluge and the downpour, together we’ve experienced the very worst of Mother Nature and the very best of the Australian spirit.