Tax changes ruled out as treasurer launches food fight

22 January

The treasurer has poured cold water on any new taxes, saying Labor is focused on targeted cost of living relief. Asked whether Labor would bring any new taxes to the upcoming federal election, Jim Chalmers said, “no, our focus is on the tax...[Read More]

Twelve days’ reproductive health leave could save $26b

15 January

Australia’s economy is deprived of $26.6 billion annually due to lost productivity from untreated reproductive health conditions, a report reveals. The findings have fuelled calls for a national entitlement of 12 days of reproductive leave. The...[Read More]

Rate cuts on horizon in mixed 2025 for the economy

1 January

Australians have endured taxing economic conditions in the past calendar year, but there is cause for cautious hope in 2025. Long-awaited interest rate cuts are broadly expected in the first half of the year, providing household budgets with...[Read More]

Short trips, cheaper grub: tight budgets change travel

1 January

Booking hotels and tickets well in advance has long defined Australian travellers but as household budgets come under stress, last-minute trips and spontaneity are becoming more popular. Amid high prices for groceries, housing and other essentials,...[Read More]

‘Surprise’ budget windfalls drying up, economists warn

27 November

Australia is waving goodbye to budget surpluses and returning abruptly to deficit, facing a $49 billion deterioration in the bottom line as per forecasts from leading economists. The $15.8 billion surplus logged in the last financial year to...[Read More]

Australian investment eyed for Peruvian mining pipeline

30 October

Peru is looking to Australian companies for hundreds of millions of dollars for critical mineral investment with 51 projects having a combined $US55 billion revenue potential in the pipeline to 2035. Peru’s Energy Minister Romulo Mucho says China...[Read More]

Stage three tax cut spending spree yet to surface

17 October

Tax cuts don’t appear to be fuelling shopping sprees, with transaction data suggesting extra take-home pay is going towards staples and paying down debt. Footy finals were the only bright spot in an otherwise glum September for spending, with...[Read More]

Australia may miss billions in green Chinese investment

2 October

Australia has the potential to tap into billions of dollars of renewable energy investments from China but only if it changes foreign investment policies and its approach to the superpower nation. Think-tank Climate Energy Finance issued the...[Read More]

Signs of slow build back with home approvals sluggish

31 July

A sharp fall in approvals for apartments and townhouses has dragged total building approval numbers lower, interrupting four months of gains. Higher interest rates and pricey materials, labour and other costs have been weighing on home building,...[Read More]

Few plan to spend tax returns as economy stalls

12 July

Just one in 20 Australians plan to splurge on big-ticket items when their tax returns come through, with most opting to squirrel them away or pay down debt. Amid acute cost of living pressures and a string of interest rate rises, surveying by...[Read More]