Yesterday
Big government spending to widen budget deficits
Next week’s federal budget will be expansionary, not contractionary as some economists have called for, and will do less to contain inflation and interest rate pressures than Jim Chalmers’ previous surplus budgets.
- John Kehoe
Labor to give teaching, nursing students $320 per week payment
Teaching, nursing, midwifery and social work students will receive a weekly payment to help offset the costs of mandatory placements.
- Julie Hare
- Opinion
- Opinion
Governor and treasurer share blame for sticky inflation
Michele Bullock and Jim Chalmers had fair warning about the need for decisive action.
- Steven Hamilton
Labor to wipe $3b from students’ HECS debt
The government will cut the student debt of around 3 million students as cost-of-living pressures continue to create pain.
- Julie Hare
This Month
Cash splash as Boomers hit the jackpot
After decades of saving, older Australians are spending up. But the wave of cash is causing headaches for the inflation-fighting treasurer and RBA. Can the good times last?
- Jacob Greber
High inflation may last another two years unless rates rise again
If Jim Chalmers does not use the budget to cool the economy, the RBA will have little chance of achieving its target without raising interest rates, say economists.
- Michael Read
Boosting investment needs more than taxpayer cash: Wesfarmers boss
Rob Scott said he was making major investments in value-added processing for lithium, but faced serious barriers from approvals processes.
- Carrie LaFrenz and Ronald Mizen
PM, Chalmers mull go-it-alone power price discounts
The Albanese government is considering a second round of power bill discounts, on top of $1000-per-household credits promised by the Queensland government.
- Phillip Coorey
Chinese investment critical to reach net-zero goals
Clean energy experts warn moves that limit Chinese investment in Australia could undermine the Albanese government’s green energy goals.
- Ronald Mizen, Elouise Fowler, Simon Evans and Ben Potter
How three economists would fix the housing crisis
An economic adviser to the government has suggested a “quick win” to encourage older Australians to downsize and free up housing for younger families.
- John Kehoe
Chalmers flags budget tax breaks
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has kept open the prospect of tax incentives in the budget as business warned that changes to foreign investment rules were not enough to attract needed capital.
- Phillip Coorey
- Opinion
- Jim Chalmers
Chalmers came to Sydney, left his humility in Canberra
The treasurer promotes the national security benefits of protectionism, but can’t explain how his government can find better investments than the private sector.
- Aaron Patrick
Chalmers: ‘Our job is to strike a series of fine balances’
Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers on Wednesday took part in a Q&A at the Lowy Institute where he talked about economic security and Australia’s opportunities.
April
Labor’s plan to unlock the right foreign investment
While some investors will get a fast track, extra safeguards will be set up for high-risk proposals, like China entities investing in critical infrastructure.
- Phillip Coorey
- Opinion
- Foreign investment
Chalmers takes aim at his ‘nostalgic’ critics
A risk of drip-feeding the policy is that everyone and their aunty piles on before it is detailed and contextualised.
- Phillip Coorey
Budget surplus of $13b tipped, but Labor needs a ‘credible’ plan
It could be the second consecutive surplus for Labor and the first time that has happened in almost 20 years. But the longer-term outlook is increasingly bleak.
- Ronald Mizen
- Opinion
- Opinion
Labor’s reforms will de-risk foreign investment
The overhaul in the budget will strengthen the review framework where we need to, streamline it where we can, and make it more transparent, writes Jim Chalmers.
- Jim Chalmers
White-collar crime goes unpoliced due to lack of funds: ASIC boss
“We would welcome additional funding and … there are matters we would like to run now we don’t,” ASIC chairman Joe Longo told a Senate committee.
- Ronald Mizen
Rein in states’ spending to help RBA, Chalmers told
Governments are on track to loosen their budgets by $50 billion in the middle of an inflation crisis and rising interest rates.
- John Kehoe
Government baulks at hard caps on foreign student numbers
The Albanese government is shying away from a Canadian-style hard cap on foreign student numbers and will opt for more nuanced measures to control migration.
- Phillip Coorey and Julie Hare
