Economists to pore over jobs data, Reserve Bank minutes

14 October

Unemployment data will give the Reserve Bank an idea of how its interest rate hikes are affecting Australia’s economy, as a readout of its last meeting informs economists of its thinking.The Reserve Bank’s decision to raise the cash rate to 4.6...[Read More]

Housing supply must be fixed ‘hard way’, not with caps

14 October

Homes are likely to keep getting cheaper for about a year, but the downturn in house prices has not been replicated in rentals.Property prices are tipped to fall between eight and 11 per cent from their March peak and will only start to recover by...[Read More]

‘Dog’s breakfast’: online safety laws face last hurdle

14 October

Watered-down online safeguards still face hurdles to become law after the opposition labelled them “fatally flawed” while would-be supporters called for further measures to rein in big tech.Proposed digital duty of care laws are among a number...[Read More]

Card surcharge ban will take time to work through: bank

7 October

Australian businesses will need time to adjust to the new ban on card surcharges as the major banks prepare for a potential merchant fees war.The change, driven by the central bank to give consumers transparency at the till, only came into effect on...[Read More]

Small business delivers e-safety wishlist as risks grow

7 October

Small business owners need help – not regulation – to battle growing cyber threats, industry groups say.Business representatives addressed a cybersecurity inquiry at small and medium-sized enterprises in Canberra on Tuesday, as threats from...[Read More]

Home buyers are waiting to see where market lands: bank

7 October

Home buyers are holding off to see where the falling Australian housing market lands as high interest rates, stubborn living costs and federal tax changes weigh on valuations.After a strong financial year of loan growth at People First Bank –...[Read More]

Housing update to show target slipping further away

7 October

Australia is set to fall further behind on its bid to build 1.2 million new homes in five years.Less than two years in, the nation is already more than 100,000 homes short of schedule.The deficit is unlikely to be narrowed when the Australian Bureau...[Read More]

Aussies forgoing lifestyle for homes in record numbers

30 September

Australians are willing to cut back their spending in record numbers to afford a property, affirming the ongoing value of home ownership, new data shows.More than 75 per cent of residents were willing to cut their spending back to afford a home, a...[Read More]

AI race sets up showdown for middle and global powers

30 September

Anthony Albanese’s face-to-face meeting with Donald Trump in New York during the UN General Assembly was fleeting.The prime minister was at the UN headquarters when the US president gave an almost 40-minute speech in which he threatened to...[Read More]

Debt concerns: treasurer’s era of cheap-money ending

30 September

Because everyone wants your money, you can charge them more for it.That’s the issue facing governments forced to pay investors more for borrowing cash in the form of bonds.The eye-watering sums being raised by artificial intelligence...[Read More]

Labour pains: jobs market too hot for inflation fight

23 September

Australia’s unemployment rate probably needs to edge a little higher to help get inflation back under control, Reserve Bank governor Michele Bullock says.Prefacing her remarks by saying the RBA does not want to see high unemployment, Ms Bullock...[Read More]

Albanese to advocate AI slowdown calls to Trump at UN

23 September

Anthony Albanese will make the case to Donald Trump for more guardrails to be placed on AI, ahead of a potential meeting with the US president on the sidelines of the United Nations.The prime minister will be in New York for the UN General Assembly,...[Read More]

Soft landing botched: IMF backs more rate rises

23 September

A global financial body has given the Reserve Bank the green light to hike interest rates and urged Treasurer Jim Chalmers to be bolder on tax reform.With a break-out in price growth hitting Australians’ living standards, returning inflation to...[Read More]

Iran and iPhones add to Reserve Bank’s inflation pickle

16 September

The rising cost of oil and iPhones is concerning the Reserve Bank of Australia as it approaches a crucial interest rate decision, the central bank’s chief economist says. With rising inflation pressures from the Middle East and more broadly around...[Read More]

‘Doing what we want’: Labor stands by housing tax moves

16 September

Changes to property tax breaks in the federal budget are working, the housing minister says, as data shows most home vendors are still making massive profits despite a downturn. Clare O’Neil brushed off figures from the Housing Industry...[Read More]