Yesterday
Productivity summit will fail if ideology runs the day
The danger of forming blocs at the roundtable is that it fosters an echo-chamber mentality and is more likely to pit business and unions against each other.
This Month
Hubris delivers Macquarie a pay protest
The first strike by shareholders is a wake-up call for the bank’s management, which must restore investor confidence or risk another showdown next year.
Climate action is a productivity challenge for Chalmers’ roundtable
An economy-wide carbon tax, which would encourage the private sector to invest in the cheapest ways to reach our climate targets, should be on the agenda at the summit.
Business can’t fool itself about Chalmers’ roundtable
Corporate Australia must push hard on the ambitious tax, industrial relations and regulatory reform agenda that is needed to fix the nation’s economic malaise.
Disagreeing with Xi will be the real test of China ties
Albanese’s overly diplomatic tone risks casting Australia as deferential to the Chinese Communist Party, and inadvertently playing into Xi Jinping’s charm offensive.
Libs must fight back on the economy at the roundtable
The party can fill the political leadership void by showing it is prepared to advocate for pro-growth, pro-aspiration and pro-productivity policies.
Chalmers bets on AI to revive stagnant economy
It’s imperative that informed voices in the tech industry play a role in advocating for policies that can boost investment, infrastructure and deployment.
Chalmers should heed Hawke on red tape
The challenge for the treasurer at his Economic Reform Roundtable will be to ensure the good ideas do not get lost in translation.
The roundtable needs to be Labor’s ‘Nixon in China’ IR moment
Labor needs to challenge its policy and political orthodoxies on workplace regulation to fix the nation’s economic malaise.
Time to root out Australia’s tax system rot
Fixing the most damaging parts of our tax system won’t be painless, but it’s necessary to stop the nation sliding further behind.
Chalmers’ roundtable must rise to Australia’s economic challenges
There are worrying signs that the three-day talkfest in Canberra risks becoming another missed opportunity to properly tackle the nation’s economic malaise.
Shots across AUKUS bow throw PM off course in China
The realities of an assertive China and managing the US alliance are more complicated than allowed for by those who dream of Australia going it alone.
PM must read the tea leaves on China security and trade
We should question whether Albanese’s visit will meaningfully improve Australian-Sino relations or simply serve as political window dressing for both sides.
Rise in mental health claims a symptom of a bigger malaise
Mental health and insurance providers must fix the system’s entrenched flaws to avoid the worst of the sustainability and affordability crisis ahead.
BHP ‘same pay’ case an IR wake-up call for business
Unless business is willing to push the Albanese government on the IR elephant in the room, the roundtable will fail to come up with the meaningful solutions required to fix the productivity malaise.
RBA’s rates hold juggles Trump and inflation
The shock decision to keep interest rates steady is a reasonable one based on the known unknowns about Trump’s tariffs and the trajectory of inflation.
Violent protests have no place in Australia’s democracy
The action required must come from governments, and should include upholding the law against protests that cross the line into antisemitism.
Artificial intelligence cold war heats up for Australia
The Albanese government must reject China’s offer of an AI partnership. Yet, we should be under no illusions about the threat the Trump-big tech alliance poses.
The week Labor’s childcare legacy became a bigger challenge
Labor’s education challenges with schools and universities are now dwarfed by the need to restore faith in the childcare system after the shocking events in Victoria.
Australia’s code war cut-out pass against China in the Pacific
Backing both sides appears to be something the country will now have to do to avoid getting caught in the crossfire between union and league.