economy
Treasurer hoses down talk of big budget handouts
6 May
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has downplayed the Reserve Bank governor’s warnings about public spending adding to inflation, insisting large stimulus packages won’t be a feature of the federal budget. After lifting interest rates for the third...[Read More]
What’s known so far about the federal budget
6 May
Jim Chalmers is putting the finishing touches on his fifth federal budget, with some of the measures starting to be revealed. WHAT’S ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THE BUDGET * The government has already flagged large cuts to the NDIS, with savings of $15...[Read More]
Inflation, growth, rates all hinge on end to conflict
6 May
The crisis in the Middle East fanned the flames of already buoyant inflation in Australia and could lead to more interest rate pain if it isn’t resolved, the central bank has warned. The Reserve Bank of Australia released fresh quarterly economic...[Read More]
Consumers hang tough despite echoes of COVID headwinds
6 May
Australian consumers are showing resilience in the face of rising interest rates, fuel prices and other costs, according to credit agency data. Despite the headwinds, strong momentum in consumer activity in the first quarter of 2026 had provided a...[Read More]
What Australia’s new $10b fuel security plan means
6 May
WHAT HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED * The federal government has included a $10 billion fuel security and resilience package in the upcoming budget * This is in response to the fuel crisis caused by the conflict in the Middle East, which has effectively closed...[Read More]
Oil crisis not over: warnings of diesel over $4 a litre
6 May
Diesel prices could surge above $4 a litre in coming months under a scenario modelled by economists at National Australia Bank, potentially spelling a much more severe economic fallout than forecast by the Reserve Bank. Fears of service stations...[Read More]
PM rubbishes budget tax speculation as home prices slow
6 May
Tax changes in the upcoming budget are designed to help young people own a home, the prime minister says, as a downturn in Australia’s largest property markets gathers steam. Asked about reported changes to negative gearing and the capital gains...[Read More]
Agreements shore up ties between Australia and Japan
6 May
REASON FOR THE VISIT * Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is visiting Australia for the first time as leader since she won a landslide election in 2025 * Anthony Albanese welcomed her to Parliament House in Canberra * This year marks the 50th...[Read More]
Aussie travellers on the go as Asian airport hubs shine
29 April
Airlines in Australia and around the world have trimmed flight numbers and increased airfares on the back of the Middle East crisis, but that hasn’t stopped Aussies from heading overseas. The nation’s biggest airport has revealed the March...[Read More]
‘We won’t be spared’: inflation warning to Australia
15 April
The treasurer is jetting to the United States for talks as the International Monetary Fund warns Australia is is projected to have one of the highest inflation rates as the Middle East conflict threatens a global recession. Jim Chalmers will head to...[Read More]
Spoils of Iran war to deliver Chalmers a budget boost
15 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]
RBA’s stagflation nightmare: prices up, confidence down
15 April
The Reserve Bank board will have to earn its money to navigate Australia through a “nightmare” stagflation shock, a top central bank official says as confidence tanks and prices soar. The RBA was still “feeling its way” through the energy...[Read More]
All options on table in drive to shore up fuel supply
15 April
Australia has avoided disruption to its international fuel supplies but that won’t stop the government considering all options to shore up provisions, including extracting more oil and gas. Fifty-seven ships laden with crude oil, jet fuel, diesel...[Read More]
US court challenges Trump’s basis for global tariffs
15 April
A panel of trade court judges has challenged the legality of US President Donald Trump’s 10 per cent tax on most imports,suggesting a large trade deficit might not be a sufficient reason to impose broad-based tariffs. The US Court of...[Read More]
Australia faces ‘sharp recession’ if US escalates war
8 April
US President Donald Trump’s threat to send Iran “back to the Stone Ages” has rattled equity markets. If he follows through, Australia is at risk of entering a recession. In a prolonged war scenario, modelled by Oxford Economics Australia, the...[Read More]