The critical issue in the May 2025 election is likely to be about the rising costs of living, with competing views about whether the Labor Party is responsible for them and which of the major parties is most likely to address them. There is a rational basis for the widespread feeling that standards of living Continue reading »
Economy
Why does a government release a highly critical report on the conduct of Woolworths and Coles on the Friday before a budget that will lead straight into an election campaign? Short answer: not for any worthy reason. One worthy reason could have been to show Anthony Albanese and Treasurer Jim Chalmers really wanted to do Continue reading »
The Rockliff Government’s financial mess in Tasmania has been well explained by economist Saul Eslake, independent MLC Ruth Forrest, and others paying attention. It is now canvassing the sale of government assets in a desperate attempt to copy the errors of other governments rather than address causes. State governments have an obvious financial constraint governed Continue reading »
Unless the Labour party reconnects with its founding economic mission, they will merely lay the ground for a Nigel Farage Government, argues Neal Lawson
A series of significant changes on workplace rights and the right to strike have been slipped out by ministers
The passing of the Early Childhood Education and Care (Three-Day Guarantee) Bill 2025 marks a major shift in Australia’s early childhood education and care system. For the first time, tens of thousands of children who were previously excluded from early learning will have access to at least three days of subsidised care each week (72 Continue reading »
Australia’s shift to wind, solar and battery storage has shielded households and businesses from much higher power bills than they would otherwise be paying, a new report has found, debunking Peter Dutton’s constantly repeated claim that renewables are to blame for rising electricity prices. The report, released by the Clean Energy Investor Group on Wednesday, Continue reading »
A giant eight-hour battery project in New South Wales has changed hands in a deal that also confirms that battery storage costs — a critical part of the green energy transition — are still falling significantly. The California-based Energy Vault announced on 18 March that it had agreed to buy the 125 MW, 1000 MWh Continue reading »
The big news on house insurance this week was the response of the insurance industry’s peak body to a parliamentary committee’s extensive criticisms of its treatment of people claiming on their policies after the massive floods of 2022. The Insurance Council of Australia accepted some of the committee’s recommendations, announced an “industry action plan” and Continue reading »
March hasn’t been one of the better months for Kim Beazley, the former Hawke and Keating Government minister, leader of the federal ALP and governor of Western Australia and now chairman of the Council of the Australian War Memorial. In the ABC’s recent 4 Corners program, he was cornered on the AWM’s acceptance of funding Continue reading »