Poppy Johnston and Andrew Brown
More cost of living relief on cards in federal budget
Cost of living help in addition to well-signposted tax relief remains on the cards if the federal government can find room for...
‘Hit and miss’ merger rules reworked in major shake-up
The biggest shake-up of merger rules in years is intended to stop harmful business combinations that squash competition and lead to higher...
Slowing economy can’t be ignored in budget: Chalmers
Fighting inflation won’t be the sole focus of the upcoming federal budget, the treasurer has declared, warning the slowing national economy can’t...
Chalmers hints at ‘warning sign’ ahead of GDP figures
The treasurer has foreshadowed a weak end to the year for the national economy, saying warning signs were present in the retail...
Plan to boost employment labelled ‘missed opportunity’
A government plan to boost employment and remove barriers for job seekers has been labelled “a missed opportunity” by the opposition. The...
Job figures ‘good surprise’ despite interest rate fears
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has described the latest jobs figures as a “good surprise” despite fears low unemployment could fuel further interest rate...
Labor rejects claim wage rise to blame for rates hike
The federal government has rejected claims the latest hike in interest rates was partially driven by its decision to back wage rises...
No signs of recovery among despondent consumers
Consumers remain down in the dumps ahead of another close interest rate decision that could pile even more pressure on households. Confidence...
Consumer confidence plunges to COVID lockdown lows
Consumer confidence has plunged to the lowest level since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic as a series of rapid-fire interest...
Treasurer taking gas price cap ‘seriously’
Growing calls for a price cap on gas are being taken seriously by the federal treasurer ahead of a predicted rise in...