March
‘Focus on real factors’: Coles hits back at ninth supermarket inquiry
The country’s second largest supermarket operator said politicians should focus on measures to bring down energy, fuel and labour costs to reduce the checkout prices.
February
Revealed: Cbus’ secret governance report details deep union ties
Commissioned in 2015, the review found the super fund was reliant on the CFMEU to enforce the payment of super in a difficult industry, creating big risks.
January
Prudential watchdog must release secret Cbus review: advice
New advice from the clerk of the Senate argues APRA has no grounds to keep the critical review secret from parliament.
December 2024
How Cbus’ big party year went horribly wrong
It’s not the biggest or the worst performing of the super funds. So why has Cbus become the poster child for the $4 trillion sector’s problems?
September 2024
Woolworths and Coles could be ‘innocent’: Samuel
Graeme Samuel says the higher prices charged by the two major supermarkets could have been caused by suppliers, as the ACCC found the retailers have increased their earnings and operating margins over the past five years.
August 2024
Time for lateral thinking on boards
Representation of pensioner members on super fund boards is an eye-catching idea. What if similar lateral thinking was applied to the future of corporate boards too?
Former ACCC tsar Samuel pushes Cbus for more independent directors
Graeme Samuel recommended Cbus get more independent directors after a 2015 review, but he says the fund has scarcely acted.
July 2024
Economic logic always trumps junk politics
Brexit, MAGA trade policies, and the Coalition’s nuclear power push will fail because they make no economic sense.
‘Not the Coalition I used to support’: Samuel savages Dutton’s break-up plan
Former competition regulator Graeme Samuel and senior Liberal Kate Carnell have savaged Peter Dutton’s plan to break up supermarket giants, warning it could push up grocery prices.
May 2024
Human Rights Commission’s ‘silence deafening’ on antisemitism
Former regulator Graeme Samuel has taken aim at the Human Rights Commission for it’s ‘deafening silence’ on the rise of antisemitism.
Stokes’ anti-AFR price rise could breach competition law: Samuel
Billionaire Kerry Stokes has faced political criticism – and calls for an ACCC investigation – for forcing The Australian Financial Review print edition out of his home state of WA.
Consulting firm fixes are impractical and an overreach
More importantly, they are not necessary to correct a deficiency in the regulation of delinquent behaviour, says the former ACCC chairman.
Let ASIC police big four conflicts: Samuel
Former ACCC chairman Graeme Samuel says the big four’s governance changes looked good on paper, but would not fundamentally change the culture of the firms.
April 2024
‘Take a chill pill’: Graeme Samuel urges calm on environment law delay
Former competition tsar Graeme Samuel has urged conservation groups to “take a chill pill”, and for miners to stop talking “rubbish” on plans to overhaul federal environment laws.
March 2024
Why miners are alarmed by Labor’s ‘nature-positive’ agenda
Miners worry proposed laws will not produce the environmental benefits suggested and will only delay good, environmentally focused projects.
‘We’ve gone soft’: Labor old guard backs Keating
Chairman Tony Shepherd has backed Paul Keating’s sentiment that “we have gone soft” but billionaire Gerry Harvey says Keating is living in the past.
February 2024
ASIC polices only a ‘sliver’ of big four firm activities
The frank description of ASIC’s limited powers comes as outgoing Tax Commissioner Chris Jordan recommends the big four partnerships be brought under federal corporate laws.
January 2024
Grocery review won’t lower checkout prices: former ACCC chiefs
Former ACCC chiefs Graeme Samuel and Rod Sims say the review is unlikely to reduce people’s grocery bills.
Wetland or ocean wind farm? The choice is easy this time
There’s little chance of Victoria ever building its offshore turbines. But this week’s veto of the state’s plans contained an important precedent on the use of net zero in the environment legislation.
Why Australia’s airports and airlines hate each other
“Everyone knows that monopolies are not good for consumers” says airlines group boss Graeme Samuels. “Spare me!” says former airports reformer Peter Harris.