TJRyan Research Associate, Dr Jon Stanford, writes:
‘Discussion of the Queensland government finances over the last three years has been dominated by propositions which stem from the doctrinaire views of the US Tea Party and which are at complete variance with progressive ideas in Australia.
At the heart of these antediluvian views is ‘debt phobia’ that governments should not incur deficits and should not owe debt and, if they do have outstanding debt, it should be repaid quickly without regard to what effects this may have on the economy. In a modern world such ideas are silly: they have no analytical justification, only a highly specific political dogma to support it, and they fly in the face of global experience.’