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Matthew Cranston is The Australian’s Economics Correspondent based in Parliament House. He is an award winning journalist who previously covered the Trump and Biden administrations as White House Correspondent in Washington.

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Treasurer Jim Chalmers holds a press conference at The Paddo Tavern in Brisbane. Picture: Nigel Hallett

OECD warns on fiscal discipline as government spending grows

National accounts released on Wednesday are expected to show government spending continues to grow, risking inflationary pressures and interest rate hikes.

Matthew Cranston

Public sectorPolitics

Mathias Cormann, Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), speaks during the World Government Summit in Dubai on February 12, 2024. (Photo by RYAN LIM / AFP)

OECD warns on fiscal discipline as government spending grows

Australian taxpayers face a $42bn borrowing surge as the OECD warns rising government spending threatens to trigger inflation and higher interest rates.

Matthew Cranston

Politics NowNation

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - NewsWire Photos - December 2, 2025: Senator Katy Gallagher appears at the Senate Finance and Public Administration, Supplementary Budget Estimates 2025-26 at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Gallagher refuses to accept cover-up findings in estimates grilling

WATCH | Finance Minister Katy Gallagher has refused to accept or deny the findings of two judges who found there was no political cover-up in the rape of Brittany Higgins, instead saying she has ‘read’ the judgments.

Matthew Cranston, Elizabeth Pike, Lily McCaffrey and Thomas Henry

‘significant milestone’Politics

PERTH, AUSTRALIA - NewsWire Photos - 6 DECEMBER 2024: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visits Australian Vanadium Electrolyte Manufacturing facility In Wangara. with Minister for Resources, Madeline King, with CEO Graham Arvidson (tall shaved head) & COO Todd Richardson (beard.) Madeline King speaking. Picture: NewsWire / Sharon Smith

Minister backs first critical minerals partner to counter China

Australian Rare Earths’ new laboratory aims to assist Western allies in the race to secure crucial components for military equipment such as AI drones and robots.

Matthew Cranston

Investor testNation

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - NewsWire Photos - November 28, 2025: Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers during the passing of the EPBC Bill in Parliament at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

ASIC’s wholesale investor test in play

Renewable energy investors say the corporate watchdog’s push to change the definition of a sophisticated investor could hurt much-needed funds for the energy transition.

Matthew Cranston

economic updatePolitics

24 March 2025; a collage of Jim Chalmers for the Federal Budget 2025. Artwork by Emilia Tortorella. Sources: supplied and iStock. Ratio 4:3.

Federal deficit triples to $33bn in four-month surge

Government payments in the financial year’s first four months were $1.4bn higher than the budget forecast, driven partly by higher wage and salaries, Treasury’s latest accounts show.

Matthew Cranston

EXCLUSIVEPolitics

Figures reveal a third of public servants work from an office five days a week.

One in three public servants full-time in office

The nation’s public service workforce has exploded to nearly 200,000 employees yet office attendance has plummeted to shocking lows across government departments.

Noah Yim, Matthew Cranston and Elizabeth Pike

Capital expenditureNation

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - NewsWire Photos - November 27, 2025: Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers during Question Time at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Business boost for Chalmers and GDP as investment rises

Businesses have lifted their capital expenditure by the fastest pace in almost four years in a sign that strong economic growth will be revealed in next week’s national accounts.

Matthew Cranston

Christmas grimaceEconomics

Treasurer Jim Chalmers in Canberra on Wednesday. Picture: AAP

Heat on Labor to rein in spending as inflation, rates track north

Economists have forecast the first of at least two interest rate hikes after inflation jumped to 3.8 per cent.

Matthew Cranston

Artificial intelligencePolitics

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - NewsWire Photos - November 26, 2025: Deputy Leader of the Opposition Ted O'Brien at the National Press Club of Australia in Canberra. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

AI deals must be done for energy: O’Brien

Opposition Treasury spokesman Ted O’Brien has endorsed billionaire Scott Farquhar’s plan for Australia to host foreign AI data, claiming the nation could become an AI superpower.

Matthew Cranston

Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/author/matthew-cranston