This Month
Five years after Covid, Australia is unprepared for next global storm
Neither major party has offered a credible path for “growing the pie”, fixing the budget and preparing the nation’s military for a new era of disruption.
Power bills to surge; US slams ‘dumpers’ Australia; Trump blasts Irish over trade
Read everything that’s happened in the news so far today.
February
Repurpose electricity bill rebate to subsidise rooftop solar instead
Rather than temporary solutions, we can do something more permanent that can take energy costs almost entirely out of the picture.
Albanese makes $8.5b Medicare overhaul his signature election policy
The prime minister will make Medicare the centrepiece of his re-election campaign, promising to spend big to eliminate patient costs for visits to the doctor.
‘Boggles the mind’: Bragg delays household electrification push
Renewables advocates have slammed the Coalition’s decision to quietly delay the final report of its own inquiry into household electrification.
$80,000 debt is only part of cost crisis hitting students hard
Jasmine O’Brien is in the second of a five-year degree, holds down two jobs and worries about what her student debt will be when she finally graduates.
January
Four charts reveal surprising views on Aussie businesses
Voters hate Coles and Woolworths? Think again. Amid a debate on the role of business in society, a new poll unearths some unexpected views on business.
Butler rejects health insurers’ second bid to lift prices
Health Minister Mark Butler has rejected a second round of requests from private health insurers to increase customer premiums, saying they need to help more during the cost-of-living crisis.
December 2024
Private school fees to rise at almost triple the rate of inflation
Prestigious schools have been gradually contacting parents over the past few weeks announcing new fee schedules for 2025.
September 2024
Review urges free childcare for some at $5b-a-year cost
The Productivity Commission has rejected Labor’s goal of universal childcare, but still wants the country’s poorest families to get three days a week for free.
August 2024
Date night swapped for meal kits as consumers feel the pinch
“We have cut back on everything,” says Alexis Hurditch, who now prefers to spend Friday night eating meals kits at home rather than heading out to a restaurant.
Pressure on power grid eases as EV uptake falters
The Australian Energy Market Operator also cited softer economic growth and the bigger size of rooftop solar systems for the cut in forecast demand from the grid.
July 2024
Gas bill rises hit households despite east coast price caps
Increases of up to 11 per cent from the biggest retailers will saddle families with steeper energy costs despite a mandated pause in electricity tariff rises.
Labor reveals personal bankruptcy overhaul
The threshold for involuntary bankruptcy will rise to $20,000 and Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus will also launch consultations for a mini-bankruptcy regime.
June 2024
Albanese banishes rebel Labor senator
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has suspended Senator Fatima Payman indefinitely from Labor’s caucus after she defied his leadership by vowing to cross the floor again to back pro-Palestine motions.
Beware the knock-on effect of ‘sensible’ decisions like Eraring
If we want private capital to transition Australia’s power grid, we need to remember the ground rules.
May 2024
Holiday home owners to get $600 in power bill discounts
Holiday and second home owners will receive multiple $300 energy bill credits, after the government says all households would automatically receive the benefit.
$300 off every household’s power bill in cost-of-living cash splash
In addition to a tax cut from July 1, every household will receive an electricity bill discount as part of a $7.8 billion cost-of-living package.
PM, Chalmers mull go-it-alone power price discounts
The Albanese government is considering a second round of power bill discounts, on top of $1000-per-household credits promised by the Queensland government.
April 2024
House deposit or HECS debt: what’s best for the kids?
Soaring student loan debts can reduce first home buyer lending capacity by up to $140,000, according to analysis by RateCity.