Yesterday
Unprecedented warning: Taxpayers may need to bail out broke states
The International Monetary Fund issued a rare warning as it called on Treasurer Jim Chalmers to press the states to rein in spending and overhaul property taxes.
ASX eyes record high as 80 companies prepare to report
The Australian sharemarket is set to open higher ahead of a busy earnings week. JB Hi-Fi, BlueScope, Treasury Wines Estates and Stockland will report on Monday.
This Month
‘The new mining boom’: Government spending is reshaping the economy
Federal and state governments are now responsible for generating a record 35 per cent of the final goods and services produced in the economy.
‘Retiree tax’ crusader is contender to be shadow treasurer
Tim Wilson, the Liberal MP who campaigned relentlessly to help kill Labor’s superannuation tax, has emerged as a frontrunner for the high-profile role.
No room for double standards in empathy
Readers’ letters on the recent protests in Sydney, the age of non-enlightenment, lessons from history and the NDIS provider scam.
RBA board appointee argued for higher interest rates
Bruce Preston, one of the nation’s top academic monetary policy economists, has been added by Jim Chalmers to the central bank’s cash rate-setting panel.
$A to hit the ‘mid-70s’ in US cents as RBA raises interest rates
The sudden surge has pushed the Australian dollar above US71¢ and that is tipped to carry on for the next few months, but the rally could rapidly unwind.
RBA concedes low unemployment fuelled inflation
High labour costs are contributing to inflation pressures that forced the RBA to U-turn and raise interest rates for the first time in two years last week.
Not all capital gains are equal. So tax housing windfalls harder
When one asset class systematically generates passive, location-driven profits, taxing it more heavily than productive capital is economically defensible.
Treasury contradicts Chalmers on spending blowout
A senior treasury official has contradicted a claim from Jim Chalmers about the contribution of government spending to a $54 billion blowout in the budget.
Want lower income taxes? Start with the GST
The last comprehensive review of tax in Australia, the Henry Review, was specifically excluded from considering the GST.
Chalmers’ inflation claims questioned over excluded spending figures
Federal government spending has injected more than $70 billion extra into the economy over the past two years, exacerbating the budget deficit.
The hidden ASX winners of the AI data centre boom
While the push to house the technology behind ChatGPT and Gemini is creating a “digital gold rush”, investors are getting creative on how best to profit.
Turn up the mic: Why RBA tiptoes around one reason for rate increases
Every six weeks, the nation hangs on the central bank governor’s every word. But Michele Bullock is determined not to drag it into political fights.
Chalmers’ capital gains tax plan worthy of consideration
The federal government’s plan to scale back capital gains tax breaks for investors is a symbolic move to address the legitimate grievances of younger renters.
Bullock’s silence let Chalmers off the hook on spending
Nobody is suggesting it is RBA governor Michele Bullock’s fault that politicians act expediently. But there is room for sensible, non-partisan observations.
Real wages won’t grow until 2027
The Reserve Bank forecast deals a blow to household budgets and the Albanese government’s claim of delivering above-inflation pay gains for workers.
The RBA can’t mask Labor’s economic errors
Unless there is a sharp change of direction under the Albanese government, the economic realities will catch up with the politics.
Bullock’s interest rate story needs tougher talk
With the private sector rebounding, the government should be pulling back to make room for more productive enterprise activity.
RBA chief tempers rate rise bets as yields, $A jump
Bond traders imply a strong chance of a follow-up rate rise by May after the RBA increased its inflation forecasts. Investors say there is “no way” the hikes are over.
