This Month
Plenty of reasons why rates will remain higher in the long run
Politicians around the world have a habit of running big budget deficits to spend money on voters today by borrowing money from voters in the future.
Trump signs tax and spending cut bill at White House picnic
Flanked by Republican legislators and members of his cabinet, the US president signed his multitrillion-dollar legislation into law.
Federal borrowing to top states as $1 trillion debt milestone looms
The federal government will borrow more money than the states this year for the first time since the pandemic, heaping more pressure on Treasurer Jim Chalmers.
The US ‘debt bomb’ that Musk and Dalio fear just got bigger
The Tesla chief and the president are feuding again as Donald Trump’s big tax and spending bill gets closer to passing.
‘Rob the poor to pay the rich’: Trump’s big, beautiful act of self-harm
Many Republicans could lose their seats in Congress as a result of the president’s “reverse Robin Hood” budget. The economics is terrible for everyone.
Will Trump and the Fed add up to a train wreck?
The administration is exacerbating the problems left over from the pandemic, risking inflation and recession.
June
Stop blaming pandemic for state government debt binge: S&P Global
The high-profile credit ratings agency warns that infrastructure spending and more handouts are causing a significant deterioration in finances.
Chalmers closes in on shock third budget surplus
The budget is running $15 billion ahead of forecast thanks to a stronger-than-expected company tax take, but economists expect deficits from now on.
State debt to top $900b, triple pre-pandemic levels
The gross debt of state governments has increased by 150 per cent since 2019 to $661 billion, prompting calls by economists for premiers to rein in spending.
Trump’s next fight is the one that could really shake markets
The battle over who should be the next US Federal Reserve chairman is part of a problem that just won’t go away: the American debt crisis.
NSW Labor claims $400m dividend from cutting debt
Treasurer Daniel Mookhey says state debt has stabilised as he prepares to hand down a budget on Tuesday that shows gross debt will reach $178.8 billion by June 2026.
NSW treasurer promises quicker approvals, more growth in budget
Daniel Mookhey is set to deliver NSW Labor’s third budget with a commitment to tackling the problem of low growth.
O’Brien plans tax review, stands by nuclear power
The federal shadow treasurer has committed to developing a taxation policy that leaves more money in the pockets of Australians.
Trump’s ‘one big beautiful bill’ is a danger to Australia
The budget is yet another tool to beat trade partners into submission. It threatens our companies, superannuation industry and sovereignty.
The One Big Beautiful Bill that split Trump and Musk
Elon Musk has finally discovered what the rest of us have known for a while: the Republicans no longer care about fiscal responsibility.
‘A disgusting abomination’: Musk blasts Trump tax bill
The billionaire said that Republicans who voted for what he called the “massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending” proposal should be ashamed.
May
A complacent Wonder Down Under is heading for a productivity fail
Crazy levels of government spending, and Victoria’s status as one of the most indebted states in the world, helps explain Australia’s miserable performance.
Investors shrug at Victorian debt bomb in search for new safe haven
For all the talk about the age of market vigilantism and deteriorating public balance sheets, there’s no lack of interest in Australian state government bonds.
Beware the rising ‘moron premium’ on US bonds
In one way, Donald Trump is like Republican predecessors – he believes in tax cuts. What is novel is the foreboding he creates about faith in America’s credit.
Numbers Victoria is relying on to kill debt are at odds with the RBA
Official federal estimates don’t support the population growth that Treasurer Jaclyn Symes says will drag the state out of debt.