http://www.thepunch.com.au/author-bios/craig-emerson/ Craig Emerson has been the Member for Rankin since 1998. After the 2007 federal election he was appointed the Minister for Small Business, Independent Contractors and the Service Economy and Minister Assisting the Finance Minister on Deregulation in the Rudd Government. Adding to his responsibilities Prime Minister Kevin Rudd appointed Craig as Minister for Competition and Consumer Affairs in June 2009. Craig holds a Bachelor of Economics (Honours) Degree from the University of Sydney, a Master of Economics Degree from the University of Sydney and a PhD in Economics from The Australian National University. He has been a Post-Doctoral Fellow at The Australian National University and has 17 publications to his name, including a book setting out a vision and plan for Australia’s future.  Since becoming a parliamentarian Craig has had more than 70 opinion pieces published in national newspapers. Professionally, he has been Secretary of a Queensland Government Department, CEO of a Queensland Statutory Authority, Assistant Secretary in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and Economic Analyst at the United Nations.  Craig was a senior policy adviser to former Prime Minister Bob Hawke, former Premier Wayne Goss and earlier to Finance Minister Peter Walsh. Apart from almost a lifetime of public service he has successfully run his own small business in a partnership. Craig’s other interests include Rugby Union and Rugby League and he still plays a few games for the Parliamentary Rugby Union Team. en Copyright 2012 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Politics, opinion, world news, sports news, latest news, views, Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Nathan Rees, Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Garrett, Barnaby Joyce, Australian, federal politics, opinion polls, election, The Punch, thepunch, punch ExpressionEngine 1.6.7 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 15 http://www.thepunch.com.au/images/punch-logo-rss.png http://www.thepunch.com.au/ 144 70 Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. Search The Punch keywords http://www.thepunch.com.au/search/ http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/going-boom-the-economic-case-for-the-mining-tax/ So what is the Resource Super Profits Tax all about?  And what is a resource rent tax anyway?  As it happens, I did a PhD in economics on these very questions, under the supervision of Professor Ross Garnaut.  And as an economic adviser to Resources and Energy Minister, Senator Peter Walsh in the Hawke Government, I had the opportunity to implement my PhD findings by helping design the Petroleum Resource Rent Tax in 1984. Let’s start with resource rent.  Minerals like iron ore, coal, oil and gas possess two special features – they are non-renewable and deposits of them vary in quality and closeness to markets.  These features give rise to resource rent. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Craig Emerson) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/going-boom-the-economic-case-for-the-mining-tax/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/going-boom-the-economic-case-for-the-mining-tax/#item3337 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 03:15:56 +0000 Craig Emerson | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/craig-emerson-tony-abbott-small-business/ Since the release of the Government’s response to the Henry review on Sunday, Tony Abbott and other reform opponents have repeatedly and falsely claimed that only small businesses that are companies would benefit from the proposals. Mr Abbott said it again yesterday, and it’s an out-and-out lie. Here’s the truth – every one of Australia’s 2.4 million small businesses will get a tax break under the Rudd Government. Sole traders, partnerships and incorporated small businesses will all be able to deduct instantly the cost of assets valued at up to $5000.  And these 2.4 million small businesses will be able to pool assets costing more than $5000 (other than long-lived assets) and write them off at a single rate of 30 per cent a year. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Craig Emerson) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/craig-emerson-tony-abbott-small-business/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/craig-emerson-tony-abbott-small-business/#item3015 Thu, 06 May 2010 19:50:34 +0000 Craig Emerson | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/1970-was-the-year-I-was-never-out-of-my-tree/ When the shower on the bottom floor landing began sprinkling water on my face I knew our project was complete.  We had built a three-storey tree house, decked out with a cooking area, carpeted living room and water supply system. Parents from Baradine came to admire it, the Australasian Post came to photograph and the four of us – Bimbo Kelly, Rusty Patterson, Oscar Purdy and Emu Emerson (that’s me) – came to make it our “adventure home”. Oscar and I built on the design work of Bimbo and Rusty who, in 1968, spent days walking along the gullies of Baradine Creek in search of a gum tree big enough to cradle a tree house.  Obligingly, there it was - a magnificent soaring red gum, its roots plunging deep into the wide shoulder of the sandy creek bed.  At its back, over a fence, was a stand of native cypress pine trees – a perfect source of timber. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Craig Emerson) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/1970-was-the-year-I-was-never-out-of-my-tree/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/1970-was-the-year-I-was-never-out-of-my-tree/#item2908 Thu, 22 Apr 2010 19:50:07 +0000 Craig Emerson | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/population-liberals-ready-to-blow-their-trusty-dog-whistle/ When Tony Abbott was asked by Derryn Hinch the day before Australia Day what was wrong with a population of 35 million, he replied: “I don’t see what’s wrong with it either, Derryn, as long as we plan for the infrastructure we need to make it all work”. But as with so many other national policy issues, Mr Abbott has had a change of heart.  This week he has called for a cut in Australia’s immigration intake because he now regards a population of 35 million people by 2050 as being too big. Let’s be clear about this – the Coalition’s policy reversal is purely poll driven.  Mr Abbott wants to link in the minds of former Howard battlers the asylum seeker issue with a growing population, tapping into community anxiety about urban congestion and water scarcity. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Craig Emerson) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/population-liberals-ready-to-blow-their-trusty-dog-whistle/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/population-liberals-ready-to-blow-their-trusty-dog-whistle/#item2803 Thu, 08 Apr 2010 20:05:26 +0000 Craig Emerson | Author bios | The Punch