Economists say permanently slashing public transport fares to 50¢ in Queensland is yet another example of wasteful government spending that will add to government debt and inflation pressures.
A state election pledge by the Labor government for indefinite 50¢ public transport fares was matched by the Liberal-National party over the weekend, even as polls suggest the opposition looks set to win the October 26 election comfortably.
John Kehoe is economics editor at Parliament House, Canberra. He writes on economics, politics and business. John was Washington correspondent covering Donald Trump’s first election. He joined the Financial Review in 2008 from Treasury. Connect with John on Twitter. Email John at jkehoe@afr.com
