Today
Jim Chalmers faces the economic haters
As the treasurer hands down his third budget, hasn’t he aroused a stupendous chorus of critics.
- 2 mins ago
- Myriam Robin and Mark Di Stefano
ASIC’s staff survey shows watchdog ‘broken’
Staff motivation, satisfaction and stress are at critical levels at the corporate watchdog, according to a confidential staff survey.
- 1 hr ago
- Ronald Mizen and Patrick Durkin
BHP’s $64b game; Chalmers slams ‘trick’ claim; Meme stock stupidity
Read everything that’s happened in the news so far today.
David Rowe cartoons for May 2024
David Rowe is a multiple Walkley award-winning cartoonist. He draws a daily political cartoon and one for the Chanticleer column.
- Updated
- David Rowe
Chalmers rejects ‘political trick’ inflation reduction claim
Former RBA board member Warwick McKibbin levelled the claim ahead of Tuesday’s budget, while economists warned bill relief would only stoke consumer demand.
- Ronald Mizen and Michael Read
Here’s what we know is in Tuesday’s federal budget
Treasurer Jim Chalmers will hand down the Labor government’s third federal budget this week. Here’s everything we know ahead of the announcement.
- Updated
- Tom McIlroy
Yesterday
Budget surplus of $9.3b and then a sea of red ink
Tuesday’s federal budget will forecast a surplus of $9.3 billion for this financial year, after which the bottom line will plunge into successive deficits.
- Phillip Coorey
Smart wallet encryption to get $23.4m budget boost
Amid a wave of identity theft, $11 million has also been pledged over four years to upgrade the Credential Protection Register.
- Tom Burton
Turbocharge business investment tax break, Labor urged
Small business says Labor’s investment tax break is not ambitious enough to boost growth in the economy.
- Tom McIlroy
- Opinion
- The AFR View
Lure global capital with internationally competitive tax reform
Rather than Jim Chalmers’ “new growth model”, the fair dinkum way to increase foreign investment would be to progress a genuine growth agenda.
- The AFR View
Calling time on international student numbers
Australia’s universities and colleges are fighting plans to reduce international student numbers. Spurred by the housing crisis, the government thinks it has no choice.
- Jennifer Hewett
‘I just need an actual job’: No relief for students in debt nightmare
The biggest contributor to student debt is a scheme called Job Ready Graduates. But it doesn’t look like there will be any reprieve in the budget.
- Julie Hare
- Opinion
- Australian economy
The one standout success metric for the budget
More investment is required to drive productivity. We won’t get this without cutting red tape and making the things more business-friendly.
- Bran Black
Lendlease doubts $112m bill; Musk’s video win; Wall St legend’s truths
Read everything that’s happened in the news so far today.
- Exclusive
- Australia's China challenge
Meet Taiwan’s ‘matchmaker’ for Australian business
As Taiwan prepares to welcome a new president and bolster economic ties with Australia, the self-ruled island’s envoy issues a warning over Chinese coercion.
- Andrew Tillett
- Exclusive
- Infrastructure
Labor warned of risk from Victoria’s $200b rail loop
Infrastructure Minister Catherine King is fighting to keep secret the details of 30 projects that her hand-picked review said should be scrapped, as well as warnings over Victoria’s controversial Suburban Rail Loop, which will cost more than $200 billion to build and operate.
- Ronald Mizen
- Exclusive
- Federal budget
Budget to extend $20,000 business tax breaks
Businesses with a turnover under $10 million a year will be able to claim a $20,000 tax deduction for the cost of assets including cars, computers or R&D, under an extension of the ‘instant asset write-off’ in Tuesday’s budget.
- Phillip Coorey
This Month
Budget tips fast inflation fall, reviving rate cut hopes
Treasurer Jim Chalmers says measures in Tuesday’s federal budget will help bring inflation down to within the Reserve Bank’s target band by Christmas.
- Phillip Coorey
- Opinion
- The AFR View
Substantial surpluses, not bigger deficits, should be running at this point
Instead, Jim Chalmers has confirmed that forecast deficits will widen as Labor’s Future Made In Australia budget centrepiece rolls out subsidies for the green energy and advanced manufacturing subsides.
- The AFR View
- Opinion
- Federal budget
Why did Labor drop a big policy change at 6pm last Friday?
While the media scrambled to get across a housing announcement late Friday, the government quietly dropped long-awaited changes to foreign student numbers.
- Phillip Coorey
