Economy
‘Significant spikes’: servos to face huge gouging fines
12 March
Service stations deliberately price gouging customers due to the Middle East war will face harsher penalties, as the federal government acknowledges panic buying has led to shortages in regional areas. Treasurer Jim Chalmers said penalties would be...[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]
Aussies tapping more credit as arrears value swells
26 February
Australians have leaned into debt ahead of the central bank’s pivot to hike interest rates, with applications for mortgages and credit cards doubling in the recent quarter. Mortgage credit demand grew 12.3 per cent, while credit card applications...[Read More]
New year brings cheaper medicines, higher energy bills
1 January
When Australians wake up to a new year, changes to government payments and policies will impact the finances of millions of households. From Thursday, the maximum cost of medicines on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme will be slashed from $31.60 to...[Read More]
Self-interest widening wealth gap between old and young
1 January
Is the wealth gap between old and young Australians becoming a gulf? Former federal Treasury secretary Ken Henry has declared young workers are being “robbed” by the tax system, while ex-Victorian treasurer Tim Pallas calls the intergenerational...[Read More]
Analysts forecast more gains for price of gold in 2026
25 December
Gold has made its biggest jump since the 1979 oil crisis in 2025 – with prices doubling in the last two years – a performance which might previously have meant forecasts of a big correction. Yet a growing investor pool and factors ranging from...[Read More]
2025: The year the world chose direction
18 December
History rarely announces itself in dramatic bursts. More often, it reveals itself through quiet turning points — moments when trends harden into realities and choices can no longer be postponed. 2025 was one of those years. It did not deliver a...[Read More]
Better budget bottom line, higher inflation on the way
18 December
Treasury has updated its economic and fiscal forecasts for the next four years in its mid-year budget update. BUDGET DEFICITS (PREVIOUS IN BRACKETS): * 2025/26 – $36.8 billion ($42.2b) * 2026/27 – $34.3b ($35.4b) * 2027/28 – $36.2b ($27.1b) *...[Read More]
Budget $5.4b better off as Chalmers tightens the belt
18 December
Treasurer Jim Chalmers will unveil a $5.4 billion improvement in the federal budget this financial year, even as the deficit sinks to its worst level in five years. With judicious use of words such as “sensible” and “restraint”, Dr Chalmers...[Read More]
Chalmers spins battery blowout into budget savings
18 December
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has used a $4.9 billion blowout in home battery subsidies to claim the government saved taxpayers $6.7 billion in the mid-year budget update. The battery subsidy program was initially set to cost taxpayers $2.3 billion but the...[Read More]
The gift of trust: How talking about us strengthens our business and community
4 December
Referrals mean more to us than words can easily express. When a happy client shares their experience and recommends us to a friend, colleague, or family member, it is one of the greatest compliments we can receive. We never take that trust for...[Read More]
Shoppers tap credit to fund record Black Friday sales
4 December
Australians are set for a record spend on the Black Friday weekend, but it appears they are banking on credit cards to cover the costs. Bargain shoppers are expected to drop $6.8 billion over the Black Friday-Cyber Monday weekend, a four per cent...[Read More]
Uni debts slashed for more than one million Australians
4 December
Half of all Australians with a student debt have had their loans slashed by 20 per cent. The Australian Taxation Office will automatically apply the one-off reduction, with a further 1.5 million people to receive the cut by the end of next week. In...[Read More]
Invest or lose: Australia’s billion-dollar AI warning
26 November
Australia could miss out on a $150 billion boost to its economy if it fails to invest in artificial intelligence, including sovereign AI models, regional hubs, training and infrastructure. But decisive investments in the technology could deliver an...[Read More]
Timeline set for easing of student debt burden
9 October
Some three million Australians with a student debt will soon see their balance owed reduced as the tax office prepares to implement a 20 per cent cut. The Australian Tax Office will apply the reprieve from mid-November and anticipates half of...[Read More]