Move over, 100 most dangerous professors in America

I have been officially named the Dark Lord of Queensland politcs. At least according to Shadow Treasurer, Curtis Pitt, who observes, of Queensland Treasurer, Tim Nicholls:

there is one name the Treasurer won’t dare speak—the Treasurer’s own Lord Voldemort Professor John Quiggin. He does not want to draw attention to the analysis by the Federation Fellow, because it is a truly independent analysis—one which puts a sword to the Costello audit.

Seriously, I do seem to have this effect on Treasurers. Nicholls’ predecessor, Andrew Fraser was equally unwilling to speak my name or face me in debate. And Peter Costello, admittedly an ex-Treasurer, but one who held the position for twelve years, declined to respond to my critique.[1]

A slightly longer extract:

The simple fact is that, despite hiring Peter Costello, this government has been unable to find a black hole. And you need not take my word on this. At least three professors have completely discredited the Costello audit, this budget and the LNP’s political strategy. Only on Wednesday night on Lateline a Professor Clive F Palmer[2] launched an attack on the budget and the Premier. And today Professor Palmer said that the Treasurer’s budget was ‘worse than Labor could manage in 10 years’. I have already heard the Treasurer ridicule and berate Professor Bob Walker, but he is ominously quiet about one other.

Just like Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, there is one name the Treasurer won’t dare speak—the Treasurer’s own Lord Voldemort Professor John Quiggin. He does not want to draw attention to the analysis by the Federation Fellow, because it is a truly independent analysis—one which puts a sword to the Costello audit. The Quiggin analysis largely supports what the opposition has been saying for some time. I will quote from it directly—

The Commission has not discovered any ‘black holes’ or substantial mis-statements in the budget estimates of the outgoing Labor government.

fn1. Note for non-Oz readers. Nicholls is a member of the Liberal National Party (conservatives). Fraser was Treasurer in a Queensland Labor government, which announced massive privatisations immediately after being elected on a platform of supporting public ownership. Costello was Treasurer in a conservative federal government.
fn2. Note from JQ: Pitt is having a bit of fun here. Palmer is a mining billionaire, who has recently fallen out with the LNP of which he had been the most prominent financial backer. According to Wikipedia, “In June 2002, Palmer was appointed Adjunct Professor of Business, at Deakin University’s Faculty of Business and Law, a role he held until 2006. ”