Oliver’s Insights – Nine key longer term consequences of the US/Israeli war with Iran
16 April
Key pointsUncertainty remains high over the US/Iran War with a ceasefire declared but no agreement in talks so far. Tensions continue to remain high and oil flows remain restricted, with Trump announcing his own blockade on the Strait of...[Read More]
Spoils of Iran war to deliver Chalmers a budget boost
16 April
The Iran war is set to deliver a $36 billion windfall for Treasurer Jim Chalmers, but increased spending on cost-of-living measures could derail efforts to get the budget back in black.
Even with a fragile ceasefire holding in the Middle East, the...[Read More]
China moves to regulate digital humans amid AI boom
8 April
China’s cyberspace regulator has issued draft regulations to oversee the development online of digital humans, requiring clear labelling and banning services that could mislead children or fuel addiction.
The Cyberspace Administration of...[Read More]
Spike in jobless rate unlikely to end RBA hiking cycle
26 March
Noisy jobs data has revealed a tight labour market, giving the Reserve Bank the green light to further hike interest rates despite a spike in unemployment.
The jobless rate jumped to 4.3 per cent in February, despite almost 50,000 more people...[Read More]
Treasurer softens up voters for ‘hard decisions’ on tax
26 March
Treasurer Jim Chalmers is willing to anger older Australians to make the tax system fairer for younger generations.
But he admitted productivity growth would take longer to recover than previously thought during a major pre-budget address to a...[Read More]
Cut price cheese and cars: What’s in the EU agreement
25 March
Australia and the European Union have signed a free trade agreement and defence and security partnership as both sides seek closer ties amid global instability.
TRADE
*More than 99 per cent of tariffs on EU goods coming into Australia will be...[Read More]
Unions urge five per cent pay rise as inflation bites
25 March
Nearly three million low-paid workers would receive thousands more in annual wages under a union push for a five per cent pay rise.
The ACTU will ask industrial umpire the Fair Work Commission to increase the minimum wage to $26.19 per hour, up from...[Read More]
Insolvencies at record highs, set to rise on Iran war
25 March
Australian businesses are failing at record rates and soaring energy prices are set to make matters worse, putting the national economy at risk of recession.
Business insolvencies and payment defaults were already at or near their highest-ever...[Read More]
How much each state will get from the GST carve-up
19 March
CHANGES IN STATE AND TERRITORY GST PAYMENTS
NSW
* GST payment increased from $28.1 billion to $28.2 billion
* Relative share of GST compared to per capita allocation fell from 86c in the dollar to 82c
* Share of GST fell from 26.7 per cent to 25.5...[Read More]
Oil shock further reason for tax reform, spending cuts
18 March
Politicians must resist the temptation to use a budget boon from the Iran war to pump the economy up with cost-of-living measures such as fuel excise cuts or energy rebates, economists say.
Repeating the approach of the post-COVID-19 pandemic...[Read More]
No ill winds blowing for renewables spending in budget
11 March
The federal climate minister has hit back at speculation there will be budget cuts to clean energy policies, comparing it to stripping funds from health or education.
Chris Bowen dismissed reports of cuts to new clean energy funding in the federal...[Read More]
CBA boss calls for spending cuts, bold reform in budget
5 March
The bosses of Australia’s largest companies have urged Treasurer Jim Chalmers to take a bold agenda to the May budget to salvage the country’s faltering international competitiveness.
Speaking at the Australian Financial Review Business Summit,...[Read More]
Pressure to fix gas tax raising less revenue than beer
4 March
Labor faces a push for a parliament inquiry into Australia’s underperforming gas tax amid growing calls to make fossil fuel multinationals pay a larger share.
As Treasurer Jim Chalmers mulls tax reform to make the economy more productive and...[Read More]
‘Dumbest option’: top economist slams housing tax break
26 February
A major rewrite of Australia’s tax rules is needed to make them fairer and more efficient, one of the nation’s top economists has warned.
Former Treasury secretary Ken Henry, who led a 2010 review of taxes, said the current system could be...[Read More]
Reserve Bank boss calls on businesses to invest smarter
12 February
The Reserve Bank governor has called on businesses to help lift Australia’s sluggish productivity growth as she tries to bring inflation under control.
Facing a string of questions about the government’s role in driving up inflation at a...[Read More]
