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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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Four N Twenty meat pie. Picture: Four N Twenty / Instagram

ALP fund scoffs $36m pie, passes on its greens

The government’s $36m investment in Four ‘n Twenty pies maker has raised eyebrows as its first agriculture priority spend, while mandated renewable investments remain untouched.

Matthew Cranston

latest report cardNation

Jim Chalmers has been warned by the IMF to reform tax and tighten spending.

Reform taxes and limit spending: IMF to Chalmers

The IMF says near-term policies in Australia should continue to focus on reducing inflation, as Jim Chalmers claims the report backs in Labor’s fiscal strategy.

Matthew Cranston and Thomas Henry

ExclusivePolitics

GARDEN ISLAND, AUSTRALIA - NewsWire Photos NOVEMBER 19 2025 Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in the torpedo room on board USS Vermont. Picture : NewsWire / POOL / Andrew Ritchie

A $45bn fix for growth: amp up the competition

Australia could unlock $45bn in annual GDP growth through major competition reforms, says a new policy body backed by Anthony Albanese’s former top adviser.

Matthew Cranston

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CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - NewsWire Photos - November 19, 2025: National Australia Bank Group Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Irvine and Acting Group Chief Risk Officer, Peter Whitelaw appear at the Standing committee on economics, Review of Australia's four major banks at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Net-zero conviction? It seems you can (almost) bank on it

Australia’s big four banks have revealed their true positions on net-zero targets, with NAB prepared to surrender profitable gas projects to overseas financiers.

Matthew Cranston

PayPolitics

Generic photo of office workers. Picture: istock

Civil service wages outpace private sector

Public sector wages have surged ahead of private sector pay for the third consecutive quarter, hitting 3.8 per cent annual growth versus 3.2 per cent in the private sector.

Matthew Cranston

Housing affordabilityNation

Miniature wooden houses and a red arrow down. The concept of low cost real estate. Lower mortgage interest rates. Falling prices for rental housing and apartments. Reducing demand for home buying

Labor’s housing dream slips away

Australia’s supply of new homes is likely to fall 20 per cent short of Labor’s 1.2 million target by 2029 and well short of Housing Industry Australia’s goal of 1.9 million, the peak body says.

Matthew Cranston

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CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - NewsWire Photos - November 18, 2025: Commonwealth Bank of Australia Chief Executive Officer, Matt Comyn appears at the Standing committee on economics, Review of Australia's four major banks at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Bank chiefs’ warning on net zero targets

Australia’s biggest banks have warned achieving net zero by 2050 will be ‘challenging and bumpy’ amid concerns over power prices and slow project approvals.

Matthew Cranston and Max Aitchison

ExclusiveNation

China and Australia flag together realtions textile cloth fabric texture

Pacific tax pact to counter China’s ‘debt-trap diplomacy’

The Albanese government is assisting Pacific island nations to build a tax system that would bolster revenues and reduce the risk of falling prey to Chinese influence.

Matthew Cranston

ExclusiveNation

MARKETS, MANDATES & MEGATRENDS (panel) Moderated by Nick Griffin | Munro Partners, Lord Michael Hintze (pictured) | Deltroit Asset Management (UK), Ajay Rajadhyaksha | Barclays (USA). 2025 Sohn Hearts & Minds Conference 11th November 2025 Photo by Renee Nowytarger www.rnphoto.au

Where’s the belief with Libs, lord asks

Michael Hintze, one of Australia’s richest international billionaires, says the Liberals lack a ‘north star’ but dumping net zero was smart.

Matthew Cranston

SOHN HEARTS AND MINDSBusiness

‘Massive Ponzi’: Trump’s Fed bashing matters not

‘Do you need an independent Fed? Frankly I don’t know,’ says conservative billionaire Baron Michael Hintze, warning China’s impact on Australia was more of a worry than Trump’s economic decisions.

Matthew Cranston and David Rogers

Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/author/matthew-cranston/page/3