High-end car sales sink in China as its economy slows
Chinese demand for foreign luxury cars is waning as customers opt for more affordable Chinese brand models, often sold at big discounts, catering to their taste for fancy electronics and…
Budget update to reveal Australia’s fiscal fortunes
Extra spending is taking its toll on the federal budget’s bottom line but a stronger-than-expected tax take should soften the blow when the treasurer releases his mid-year budget update. Jim…
Politicians’ Expenses, Trumps Gold Card & the Tim Tam government bailout | Scam of the Week
Flying cans of worms in Canberra, again. This week on Scam of the Week, we look at the expenses pile on, why Anika Wells became the headline, and the part…
Australia’s security abandoned to the folly of declining US empire
The earth has moved under our feet, and our massive security gamble is crumbling, but the government pretends nothing has happened, writes Michael Pascoe. Tits on a bull, the Joint…
Supermarkets to cop fines for gouging shoppers on price
Consumers will be given added protection from price-gouging at the checkout, but Australia’s major supermarkets have a six-month reprieve before the laws kick in. The federal government has introduced rules…
Home battery subsidies wound back, scheme cost tripled
Discounts for larger systems will be wound back under a popular home battery scheme as the program’s budget is tripled. The federal subsidy, which has been in place for five…
Urban sprawl fuels deadly fire risks on city outskirts
Over time, bushfire-prone Australia has got better at building homes capable of surviving a fiery blaze. But mistakes are still being made at planning levels that place properties on urban…
Forget “the rules”, pollies should get their snouts out of the travel trough
The media maelstrom over travel expenses proves again how politicians hide behind “independently determined rules” while rorting the system. Former senator Rex Patrick explains. In my 4.5 years as a…
‘Holding the tide back’: doctor’s plea for health deal
Health ministers are being urged to jointly shoulder the burden for funding public hospitals as a leading emergency doctor warns of ambulance queues and overflowing waiting rooms. State and territory…
UK economy contracts unexpectedly
Britain’s economy has shrunk unexpectedly during the three months to October, according to official figures that are likely to boost expectations for Bank of England interest rate cuts. The Office…