Low-paid workers optimistic as wages bill introduced
About one in seven Australian workers will have their penalty rates increased and their employers will not be able to reduce them, under changes proposed by the Albanese government. One…
Aboriginal women’s service tackling financial abuse
A longstanding inner-city support hub for Aboriginal women will get a big cash injection to protect them from financial abuse. The Mudgin-gal centre in Sydney’s Redfern has operated for more…
Axing of US beef ban sparks call for independent review
The speed of Australia’s decision to lift restrictions on US beef has raised eyebrows in the cattle industry, breeding calls for an independent, scientific review. The federal government has revealed…
Copper smelter rescue talks approach melting point
Closing a copper smelter that employs hundreds of people would be a “national disgrace”, a state government claims. Queensland Treasurer David Janetzki has told miner Glencore and the federal government…
Jobless rise ‘no surprise’ for watchful Reserve Bank
A recent jump in the unemployment rate took most economists by surprise but not the Reserve Bank, its governor says. Tightness in the labour market was a key concern of…
Activists protest bank’s fossil fuel investments at AGM
Activists are urging shareholders in Australia’s largest investment bank to vote in favour of a resolution calling on the firm to disclose the full extent of its stakes in coal,…
Trump to make his presence felt at the Federal Reserve
US President Donald Trump, a strong critic of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, is planning an imminent visit to the central bank. Trump has lambasted Powell repeatedly for not cutting…
Women greenlit to sue Qatar Airways over strip searches
Several Australian women allegedly forced to submit to invasive strip searches at Doha’s Hamad airport have been given the go ahead to sue Qatar Airways after a “long and stressful…
Australia could be sued as ruling propels climate push
A historic international court ruling could open the door to Australia being sued by its Pacific neighbours over inaction on climate change. The International Court of Justice at The Hague…
First week Parliament. Labor calm, but expect upheaval soon
The 48th Parliament’s first week has featured an extraordinary display of political upheaval everywhere except in the Labor Party. Michael Pascoe reckons that won’t last. When Liberal shadow minister Dan…