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Patrick ComminsEconomics Correspondent

Patrick Commins is The Australian’s economics correspondent, based in Canberra. Before joining the newspaper he worked for more than a decade at The Australian Financial Review, where he was a columnist and senior writer. Patrick was previously a research analyst at the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority.

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Shock numberNation

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - NewsWire Photos SEPTEMBER 28 2023. GENERIC - signage - employment & jobs, staff wanted, position available, in Sydney CBD. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Max Mason-Hubers

Hold your horses on rates relief — the job market’s galloping

The jobless rate has plunged to 3.7pc, marking an extraordinary turnaround that economists say could push back any mortgage relief from the Reserve Bank.

Patrick Commins

AnalysisPolitics

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA.NewsWire Photos. March 19, 2024.Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Michele Bullock during press conference.Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

Jobs results means RBA may have more work to do

A surprise 116,000 jobs created in February means the RBA may still have more work to do in its quest to tame inflation.

Patrick Commins

MIGRATIONPolitics

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA, NewsWire Photos. DECEMBER 11, 2023: Minister for Home Affairs Clare O'Neil, Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs Andrew Giles, Chief Executive of the Business Council of Australia Bran Black, ACTU Assistant Secretary Liam OÃ¢â¬â¢Brien hold a press conference to unveil the full details of the overhaul to the immigration system, including new rules for temporary visa holders at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Migrant surge has ALP racing to slam the door

Anthony Albanese is under pressure to deliver his pledge to halve net migration over two years, with new figures on Thursday expected to reveal a spike in net overseas migration.

Geoff Chambers and Patrick Commins

Reserve Bank reformNation

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA, NewsWire Photos. FEBRUARY 6, 2024: The Leader of the Opposition Peter Dutton, Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor and Senator Jane Hume hold a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

RBA reform bill faces fight in the parliament

Jim Chalmers’ hopes that legislative reforms to the Reserve Bank would pass through parliament with bipartisan support are in tatters after the Coalition said it would move an opposing amendment.

Patrick Commins

pressure on treasurerNation

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA, NewsWire Photos. MARCH 6, 2024: Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers holds a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

End of subsidy will risk power bill cut

Up to five million households face big power bill rises if taxpayer funded energy subsidies don’t extend into the next financial year.

Patrick Commins and Sarah Ison

economyNation

RBA not ruling relief ‘in or out’

The Reserve Bank board has held interest rates steady for a third consecutive meeting, but offered scant encouragement to struggling mortgage holders.

Patrick Commins

SkillsPolitics

Pictured Emma Tran who is an Apprentice at Multiplex. According to Liverpool student Emma Tran, taking part in Jump Start has changed her perception of trade industries and inspired her to pursue site supervision as a long-term career goal., , “Before I finished high school, I never thought I would be working for Multiplex,” said Emma, now a first-year apprentice at Multiplex, working on the Western Sydney International Airport (Nancy-Bird Walton) project., , “At first, I wanted to continue working in hospitality, as I had done for five years. But once I joined the Jump Start program, my perspective changed, and that’s when I applied for my apprenticeship with Multiplex. It was the best decision I’ve made.”, , In her final year of high school, Emma completed work experience with Multiplex on the Western Sydney International Airport project, before securing an apprenticeship with the company and enrolling with the Master Builder’s Association at TAFE. Being part of the Jump Start program not only gave Emma a window into the industry, but also showed her the value of working onsite in a close-knit team., , “When I did work experience with Multiplex I was shown all facets of the construction site, and I saw how the Multiplex team interacted with one another,” said Emma., , “That was the moment I knew that the construction industry is where I saw my future and that this is the team I wanted to be a part of.”, , While Emma initially looked to a career in carpentry during her early days in the Jump Start program, her long-term goal is to become a site supervisor, which she hopes will give her a platform to inspire other young women her age, and to give other girls the experiences that she was given onsite., , “I am passionate about inspiring and motivating young women to pursue careers in the construction industry. I love being a leader and teaching others – I hope to be in a position which allows me to do that,” she said., , Emma also credits her family for encouraging her to pursue a career that many young women wouldn’t have considered., , “My cultural background is Vietnamese and I come from a family of six. We were very family oriented and I was supported in every choice I made in life. My family shaped me to follow paths which I felt comfortable and happy with, and I wasn’t limited to any boundaries. My parents always pushed me to be the best person I could be,” said Emma., , “The advice that I would give to other women in pursuing a trade skills pathway is that if it interests you, you should go for it. I believe that giving something new a try could change your life in the best way possible.”

Leg-up for apprentices must be locked in, business warns

Leading business groups have written letters to Jim Chalmers and five ministers urging them to include a two-year extension to expiring apprenticeship incentives.

Patrick Commins

Interest ratesNation

Westpac Bank signage is seen in Adelaide, Wednesday, December 11, 2019. (AAP Image/Kelly Barnes) NO ARCHIVING

Borrowers on slow march to mortgage cliff

More than 250,000 households will roll off cheap fixed-rate home loans in the coming 18 months, with overall payments set to rise even if the Reserve Bank is at the end of its hiking.

Patrick Commins

MigrationNation

Minister for Home Affairs Clare OÃ¢â¬â¢NeilÃÂ arrives at a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Monday, February 12, 2024. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas) NO ARCHIVING

Detainee action on shaky legal ground

Strict monitoring and curfew conditions placed on detainees released from detention are ‘vulnerable’ to challenge, experts say.

Patrick Commins and Joe Kelly

Interest ratesNation

Pedestrians pass the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) building in Sydney, Australia, on Tuesday, Feb. 06, 2024. Australia’s central bank is widely expected to hold interest rates at a 12-year high at its first meeting of the year today. Photographer: Lisa Maree Williams/Bloomberg

Aged-care wage bill tipped to delay rate relief

A more stimulatory federal budget and the big boost to aged care worker wages could delay interest rate relief for mortgage holders, a leading economist says, ahead of the RBA’s decision on Tuesday.

Patrick Commins

Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/author/patrick-commins/page/11