Today
Deeming rates on hold in budget to woo pensioners ahead of poll
When the rates are increased, it is equivalent to saying the pensioner is earning more on their private assets and therefore needs less welfare support.
This Month
Clive Palmer spends $500k on YouTube ads in 10 days
The colourful billionaire owner of Queensland-based Mineralogy’s pitch is to bring Donald Trump style policies to Australia.
Cyclone Alfred hands Chalmers $1.2b clean-up bill plus hit to GDP
The Treasurer will on Tuesday tell the Queensland Media Club there will also be a $1.2 billion hit to gross domestic product in the March quarter, thanks to the wild weather.
Coalition targets Climate 200 candidates over Greens affiliations
Polls show neither major party will win enough seats to form a majority government, so focus is on independents who could hold the balance of power.
Australia turns to McDonald’s diplomacy in Trump trade war
The industry and federal government are alarmed that beef and lamb exports and pharmaceuticals could be next in Trump’s firing line as early as April 2.
Inside the budget Chalmers never really wanted to deliver
The real challenge for Jim Chalmers and Anthony Albanese is how they craft a message about a budget they were hoping to avoid.
Pubs and clubs fund major parties to limit hostile crossbench
The Australian Hotels Association will back Labor and Coalition candidates facing independent challengers, in a bid to minimise the uncertainty of a hostile crossbench.
Forget Albanese and Dutton, these 30 people really run elections
As the nation counts down to the federal poll, the major parties’ main personnel are primed for the starter’s gun.
Labor working to shield local manufacturers from Trump’s trade war
Moves to strengthen anti-dumping protections come as the government’s hopes fade Donald Trump will exempt Australia from tariffs on steel and aluminium imports.
Why the election campaign is going to feel so long
Political staffers and operatives from both major parties flooded into Sydney last week anticipating the federal election. Many have been told not to leave.
Alfred costing the economy $1b a day as Brisbane pummelled
Power remains cut to hundreds of thousands of residents as torrential rain causes flooding across Queensland’s capital.
Pacific nations should lobby China on climate change: Littleproud
The Nationals leader said Australia pursuing an aggressive 2035 emissions reduction target would not shift the dial on global emissions.
Trump doubles down on tariff war as Chalmers, RBA warn of local hit
Treasurer Jim Chalmers says Australia will continue to lobby for an exemption from US tariffs for steel and aluminium.
‘Not for sale’: Landbridge disputes Labor’s Darwin Port claim
Luke Gosling, the Labor MP for Solomon, which covers greater Darwin, this week claimed discussions were under way between the Northern Territory and Albanese governments to buy back the port.
Wall Street says Trump’s America a big opportunity, in the long run
The chief executives of Blackstone and Goldman Sachs were optimistic about the US economy despite the new administration’s seismic economic changes.
NBN Co set to choose Amazon over Musk’s Starlink for satellite service
Amazon last year said Australia would be one of the first countries offered access to its Kuiper low earth orbit network of 3236 satellites, known as a LEOSat network.
Trump tariff hawk slams Australia, putting deal at risk
Peter Navarro has accused Australia of dumping subsidised, below-cost aluminium into the US and drawn links with the behaviour of Russia and China.
Coalition’s fighter jet plan would cost ‘triple’ $3b pledge
“The opposition have massively underestimated the cost of their thought bubble,” said Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy.
The race to define Peter Dutton gets dirty
Despite nearly 23 years in federal parliament, Peter Dutton is “not well-defined” in voters’ minds, research shows. This week, the race to shape people’s views turned dirty.
February
Chalmers has ‘damaged’ RBA independence
Jim Chalmers’ pressure on Reserve Bank governors Michele Bullock and Philip Lowe is “highly reprehensible” and has damaged the independence of the RBA, Roger Corbett and Angus Taylor say.