Yes, that’s how Australian Grand Prix Corporation CEO Andrew Westacott recently described Economists at Large.  He was responding to our report for Save Albert Park, Blowout! A cost benefit analysis of the Australian Grand Prix.  The report found that the Grand Prix caused an economic loss to Victoria of around $60m in 2012.

OK, so the full quote was:

Successive governments, whether Labour or Coalition have commissioned probably five or six economic studies and branding studies about what major events does [sic] to the state and what the Grand Prix contributes. Now we’re hearing that Save Albert Park commissioned their own little report and this is God’s gift to economic reports and analysis of the Grand Prix.

But we’re still taking that as high praise.  He hadn’t actually read it at the time, saying:

I’d love to have a really good look at it after the event, but for the time being I’ll focus on doing what we’re charged with doing, which is actually delivering a sensational event for all Australians.

So Andrew, a couple of months have gone by.  Had a chance to have a look yet?  We’ll certainly publish your comments below.  You might initially feel the same way as Crikey blogger Alan Davies, who approached the report “with low expectations”.  Happily, he came away declaring the report was “an impressive piece of work” and that:

If EAL have done their sums right, there appears to be no rational case for funding the Grand Prix beyond the end of the current contract (which expires in 2015). To do so would be plain stupid.