February
In defence of Australia’s ‘golden ticket’ visa scheme
The great majority of Significant Investor Visa holders are just very good business people with money to invest in Australia to help create innovative businesses and jobs.
May 2024
Giles scandal shows we disdain bureaucracies until we need services
Slashing the capabilities of government departments means that in the real world, dodgy characters escape scrutiny and genuine needs go unanswered.
Young, ready to go regional: the migrants business wants most
Australia should prioritise full-time workers who have settled in locations with the biggest skills shortages, big four firm KPMG says.
March 2024
Former top public servant and regulator join big super board
Martin Parkinson and Helen Rowell will join the Australian Retirement Trust as directors as it ramps up the independence of its board.
February 2024
A scandal-ridden finale for ATO boss Chris Jordan
Last year’s PwC scandal and a giant GST fraud scheme are casting a long shadow but the outgoing commissioner points to successes such as collecting billions more from overseas companies.
December 2023
Backpackers spared from migration overhaul
Labor ignored a recommendation to limit the working holiday visa to one year. It committed instead to a new review of how to lure foreign workers to the regions.
Rob Heferen named new Tax Commissioner
Treasurer Jim Chalmers says the incoming ATO boss is an “outstanding leader and one of the nation’s most experienced tax experts”.
October 2023
How the WTO helped Australia repair its trade ties with China
Australia’s resistance to Chinese coercion helped win the trade war, but the international trade organisation’s role should not be underplayed.
Migrant intake has ‘already hit record 500k’
International students and working holidaymakers entering Australia in large numbers pushed the net overseas migration a long way past Treasury’s yearly forecast.
September 2023
Bullock’s power hinges on RBA appointments
Central bankers say concerns about the new RBA governor having less power are only a risk if Treasurer Jim Chalmers appoints “radicals” to the board.
Tradies carved out of migration overhaul amid union pressure
Business may be unable to bring foreign tradies into Australia under the Albanese government’s new fast-track visa rules.
Migration overhaul to fast-track skilled workers in days, not months
The government’s migration review will involve the biggest shake-up of a system since the 1990s – a system the government admits is “broken”.
June 2023
Who will be the next RBA boss? The pros and cons of each candidate
The treasurer is due to make an announcement on Philip Lowe’s future in July. There are seven potential local candidates to head the RBA. Here’s what you need to know about them.
May 2023
Australia’s top WeWork still an ‘Old Farts Club’
O’Connell St Associates has been getting more diverse. There are still some holding back the exclusive board members club.
Tech CEO concerned about rising cost to hire skilled migrants
Visa application charges will increase between 6 per cent and 40 per cent from July 1.
April 2023
One immigration number matters more than most
The new $70,000 pay threshold for temporary visas will change a whole ecosytem of low-paid work in Australia.
What’s in and out of the immigration system review
Business, unions and civil society groups all had wildly different views of how to improve the immigration system. So who got what they wanted on key points?
February 2023
Martin Parkinson blames Coalition for ‘hollowed out’ public service
The loss of public service skills was a “perverse consequence” of the former Coalition government’s fixation on cutting the size of the public service, says the former top public servant under two Liberal PMs.
The race for talent will be lost due to slow migration shake-up: firms
Executives from CBA, BHP and Ramsay Health Care urged the government to move faster with its overhaul of the migration system that the minister conceded was “broken”.
The core problem with Australia’s migration system
The dysfunctional structure is a spaghetti of complex interconnected programs with no overarching strategic purpose and is in need of urgent reform.