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This study empirically estimates energy poverty levels across Queensland regions. It includes estimates of the number of households experiencing energy poverty in a region and the ability of households across regions to adapt to rising prices (price elasticity). We use these results to conduct a microsimulation exercise to examine how further rises in electricity prices could trigger a rise in energy poverty. It is estimated that 3.42% of all Queensland households – approximately 63,128 households – experience energy poverty, most of them being in the lowest income quintile. Energy poverty appears to be concentrated in certain regions, including Gladstone, Logan and Far North Queensland. A range of contributing factors may account for this pattern: high levels of income insecurity, weather and demographic differences. Beyond the distribution, our results also provide evidence that energy poverty is concentrated in certain groups, including large households. Policy implications are discussed.

In the extensive literature on the role of government in the economy scant attention has been paid to the influence of the relative size of government on an economy’s rate of growth. This paper canvasses perspectives on why the size of government has grown, how this affects the wider economy, and why a trade-off exists between increased government size and economic growth beyond some optimal level, as conveyed by the so-called BARS curve. The paper next examines in-depth trends in government spending in Australia which has grown to a historically high level of 37 per cent of national income post GFC before econometrically estimating the optimal size of government on Australia’s BARS curve using the ARMAX approach. The results suggest the share of government spending in Australia consistent with maximising economic growth is 31 per cent of national income, significantly below the current level.