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Robert MacDonald

About Robert -

Robert MacDonald has reported on and worked with Queensland and Australian businesses for more than 40 years as a senior journalist with the Australian Financial Review, BRW, The Courier-Mail and publications in North America. He is a former editor and publisher of Business Queensland. Bob left journalism for a time to be an Austrade Trade Commissioner with postings to Mexico and Chile and more recently spent three years as Trade and Investment Queensland’s communications manager. He also served as a business policy advisor to Queensland Premier Wayne Goss.

Articles by Robert

BOM's rebranding: a storm in a teacup or something to take seriously?

The Bureau of Meteorology suddenly demanded last week we stop calling it the BOM. What was that all about? asks Robert MacDonald.

APRA hands out a black eye, then says RACQ should have seen the danger coming

Financial regulator APRA declared last week RACQ had “an immature risk culture” and demanded it fix things up. Robert MacDonald looks at the background.

University of Queensland chancellor Peter Varghese. (Image: UQ).

A funny thing happened while Labor was sharpening its nuclear power punchlines

Energy Minister Chris Bowen recently played Opposition attempts to get nuclear power back on agenda for laughs. But a leading Queensland academic argues we should be exploring all the options, writes Robert MacDonald.

QTC's $1.8 billion lifeline to power companies just to keep the lights on

Queensland Treasury Corporation had to pump more than $1.8 billion into Queensland’s power companies – Stanwell, CS Energy and CleanCo – to keep the lights on last financial year.

Grand schemes, damning reports and failed tax plan: Are we watching a government in decline?

The past week saw grand hydro power plans, hospital and DNA failings, delivery of a damning report into Star Entertainment and a failed land tax plan. What the State Government does next could settle its fate at the next election, writes Robert MacDonald.

Time we had a competition for lame excuses - there are just so many of them

A new golden age of lame excuses seems to be dawning, with companies and government alike hiding behind hyperbole to avoid their responsibilities, writes Robert MacDonald.