Abbott’s new Senate challenge
Tony Abbott must wait almost a year and then deal with a cumbersome new Senate before implementing his key promises, including scrapping the carbon and mining taxes, after Labor refused to budge despite Saturday’s election loss.
Avoid double-dissolution at all costs: CEOs
Top business leaders have welcomed the change to a more business-friendly government, but they have called for politicians to avoid a double-dissolution election at all costs, and for an end to the politicking of the past three years.
Full agenda for first 100 days
Tony Abbott’s first week as Prime Minister will be very busy if he is to complete a lengthy “to-do” list during his first 100 days.
Howes tipped to take Bob Carr’s Senate seat
Exclusive | Australian Workers Union national secretary Paul Howes is tipped to become a Labor Senator, filling a vacancy to be created by the expected resignation of Bob Carr.
Australian dollar could rise in perfect storm
The Coalition victory, more positive economic data from China and a diminished case for tapering the United States’s massive stimulus program have conspired to keep the currency above US90¢ and poised to rise.
Trio of tasks panacea for past six years
The new government’s most pressing tasks are to reform the country’s system of government; kickstart infrastructure investments and formulate an innovation policy.
Aristocrat plays it safe in acquisition game
Aristocrat Leisure chief executive Jamie Odell has ruled the poker machine maker out of the wave of consolidation sweeping through the United States gaming industry, despite having considered two big-ticket acquisitions of US rivals in 2013.
Local bankers win regulation concessions that will save millions
After a joint submission to global financial regulators, ANZ, Commonwealth, Westpac, Macquarie and NAB have won concessions to international derivatives regulations that had threatened to add to their cost of funding.
Coles takes on banks in battle for customers
Coles has already sold about 200,000 insurance policies; now it’s applying for a banking licence.
G20 leaders plan to stick with stimulus spending
Despite recent positive economic new, leaders of the world’s 20 largest economies say it is too early to ease off government stimulus spending.
Death by dysfunction
Pamela Williams, editor-at-large, reveals the inside story of the Liberal Party campaign to unseat Kevin Rudd.
Competitive bidders lift auction clearance rates
High demand for properties in Melbourne and Sydney has prompted competitive bidding at auctions but Canberra’s property market remains subdued after a Coalition commitment to slash public service jobs.
Digital devices booming as fixed line numbers collapse
The falling number of fixed lines is ready to move from a natural decline to a collapse because of the national broadband network. All Australian homes and businesses will be shifted off Telstra’s network and onto a wholesale NBN by 2019 if the Coalition’s plan is completed on time.
Alan Young joins Highbury
Veteran banker Alan Young has been hired by Highbury Partnership, a boutique advisory firm founded earlier this year by JPMorgan’s former head of equities, Matt Roberts.
Tinkler’s Knights set for strong financial finish
The financial result for Nathan Tinkler’s Newcastle Knights this season will be the best since the former billionaire became owner.
Lerida Estate ripe for sale
Lerida Estate, by Lake George near Canberra, is for sale. The popular winery is renowned for its pinot noir and shiraz viognier wines.
Tokyo to host 2020 Olympic Games
Thousands of Japanese erupted in joy early on Sunday as they learned Tokyo would host the 2020 Olympic Games.
Costly divorce looms as Packers split
James Packer and wife Erica have separated and will divorce as the billionaire prepares to spend more time pursuing US business interests.
The chef who mastered the fire
French restaurateur Jacques Reymond has come a long way from his parents’ Burgundy truck stop.
Perth, the home of haute couture
Perth has shrugged off its title as the home of bogans and beachwear, and its growing affluence has brought in fashion-forward consumers and world-famous brands.
Marketing whizz hits web sweet spot
Diane Costa put her music gig on hold to find success building affordable sites for small companies.
Win a $50,000 African adventure
Life & Leisure’s The Sophisticated Traveller and The Australian Financial Review are giving you the chance to win a $50,000 African adventure to Kenya.
Professor wants hide-and-seek at Olympics
Sixty-four-year-old Yasuo Hazaki hopes to encourage ‘sport for all’ by lobbying hard for the game of hide-and-seek to be included in the 2020 Olympic Games.
New government faces foreign affairs test in Dubai
Today’s decision by a Victorian court to back two Australians detained for years in Dubai will be one of the Coalition’s first major tests of foreign affairs.
National
Abbott’s new Senate challenge
Tony Abbott must wait almost a year and then deal with a cumbersome new Senate before implementing his key promises, including scrapping the carbon and mining taxes, after Labor refused to budge despite Saturday’s election loss.
- Avoid double-dissolution at all costs: CEOs
- Micro parties to be deal makers
- Howes tipped to take Bob Carr’s Senate seat
- Full agenda for first 100 days
- Selector faces tough choice
- Labor may dump Rudd leader rules
- Education leaders urge Abbott to make knowledge-creation a priority
- Farming community needs to double output
Malcolm Turnbull’s election loss to Clive Frederick Palmer
Clive Palmer, the new member for Fairfax, on the northern Sunshine Coast, had better get working on his Members’ interest statement – or at least his accountant, or team of accountants, had better.
Opinion
Time for Abbott to focus on the long game
Tony Abbott’s promises to protect manufacturers (Abbott’s five-pillar economy) and preserve Labor’s core industrial relations reforms are not compatible with a world of hard-won and volatile growth.
Goodbye to the spin doctors, hello to a new beginning
The best ad of the seemingly endless federal election campaign emerged on the last day and was not a slick piece of spin costing the taxpayer squillions, but a witty YouTube clip from a group who perfectly expressed what many of us were feeling.
Reagan-style small government hard to do
While he sees former PM John Howard as a key figure in his life, it is the late US President Ronald Reagan’s approach that resonates with Tony Abbott. Like Reagan, he wants to downsize government by shifting responsibility from Canberra (read Washington for Reagan) to the states.
World
G20 leaders plan to stick with stimulus spending
Despite recent positive economic new, leaders of the world’s 20 largest economies say it is too early to ease off government stimulus spending.
- Fewer than expected US workers seek jobs
- Kerry says other nations support US, French stance against Assad
- Shinzo Abe zones in on Japan’s revitalisation
- Data indicates Greece headed towards recovery
- China looks west to strengthen ties
- Export lift points to rebounding China economy
- Mink farmers lack trend data after survey halted
- EU wants 'strong' Syria response but no call for military action
Risk of new crisis drives Fed doubts over taper
The data informing the Fed’s decision when to start tapering is being affected by the anticipation of tapering. How can a decision be made?
Business
Aristocrat plays it safe in acquisition game
Aristocrat Leisure chief executive Jamie Odell has ruled the poker machine maker out of the wave of consolidation sweeping through the United States gaming industry, despite having considered two big-ticket acquisitions of US rivals in 2013.
- Avoid double-dissolution at all costs: CEOs
- Seeds of discord in Graincorp takeover
- Coles takes on banks in battle for customers
- Local bankers win regulation concessions that will save millions
- Mende’s AMCI battles hefty financial claims
- NZ’s EBOS eyes two more acquisitions in Australia
- Towering performance earns reward
- Mining boom not over, says head of Siemens
- Perpetual on deadline to counter IOOF’s bid for Trust Co
Hockey’s financial inquiry has to get clear of the weeds
Joe Hockey’s pledge to hold an inquiry into banking competition has largely been accepted by the financial industry. But there are caveats: it needs to be credible, with a well-chosen panel and staffed by a senior secretariat.
Technology
Yahoo7! turns back on Bing to woo Google
Last week Yahoo!7 jumped into bed with the enemy, Google. Very few are willing to go public on the fears they hold about the near monopoly that Google has on search queries in Australia – and the $1.8 billion or so that is spent on search advertising here.
- iiNet’s dream run slows as targets dry up and NBN looms
- Digital devices booming as fixed line numbers collapse
- Vodafone sets out to win back ex-customers
- The Nokia insider who knows why it failed warns Apple it could be next
- Yahoo! releases first report on government agency data requests
- From MySpace’s ashes, Silicon start-ups rise
- Smartwatch market pushed by Sony and Samsung
- Leaked: NSA cracks encryption tools guarding corporate systems, personal internet use
- Tech giants fight Coalition’s e-safety plan
Samsung touts 4K OLED TV
Having trouble choosing between OLED and 4K TV? Welcome to another episode of our long-running series, Why Not Have Both?
Markets
Australian dollar could rise in perfect storm
The Coalition victory, more positive economic data from China and a diminished case for tapering the United States’s massive stimulus program have conspired to keep the currency above US90¢ and poised to rise.
- Rebound in business confidence expected
- Bernanke’s possible successors in spotlight
- Risk of new crisis drives Fed doubts over taper
- Investment geniuses take note: reforming China is real
- Export lift points to rebounding China economy
- Local bankers win regulation concessions that will save millions
- iiNet’s dream run slows as targets dry up and NBN looms
- Archean forge ahead with $3 million IPO
Controversial on-market book-build scheme kicks off in October
ASX chief executive Elmer Funke Kupper says a controversial book-build scheme for company capital raisings is an interesting innovation, but has yet to prove itself.
Personal finance
Timely journey of discovery
Treasure can be found in unexpected places; from school fund-raisers, to local markets, to a Queensland cattle property. But seekers must keep digging, as there are endless possibilities.
- Why it’s time to get back into Europe
- Value to be found beyond yield plays
- Now’s the time to find a place among commercial property stars
- Wasiliev | Stick to the fundamentals in DIY super investment
- Marketing whizz hits web sweet spot
- ASIC disciplines financial advice firm over poor SMSF advice
- Moody’s cuts sub-debt rating of Australian banks
- Perpetual equities deputy Lanchester to leave
Get the better of dark pools and fast trades
The relatively new phenomena of dark pools and high-frequency trading have emerged via innovation and competition, but pose significant threats to investors.
Lifestyle
Africa’s main game – altitude 60 metres
Bench International’s Torben Rune had an epiphany in his Cessna Grand a few years ago – more people should see Africa from the air. So he set up Scenic Air Safaris.
Great escape produces secrets from the heart
Laura Tingle swaps Canberra’s cold corridors of power for the warm largesse of the Kimberley coast and finds herself in the grip of a dilemma.
Relative values surprise all at sea
When an unexpected guest arrives on board the luxury liner, Crystal Symphony, Fiona Carruthers discovers there’s more to cruising than just fine dining, day spas and spectacular scenery.
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Boy’s own adventure in Genghis Khan territory
Almost 15 years ago, Tim Cope spent his 21st year riding a bicycle from Russia to Beijing and stumbled across Mongolia, which has held him in thrall ever since.
Latest TV
Tony Abbott’s party
Reporter Eddy Meyer was with Prime Minister-elect Tony Abbott on the big night. He brings a full round-up of the celebrations – and commiserations – as Financial Review poliital editor dissects the result.
Abbott declares Australia under new management
Prime Minister-elect Tony Abbott declares victory in the 2013 federal election, promising a grown-up and methodical government. More AFR TV
Vocation shapes up for $300m float
Street Talk reveals that former federal education minister John Dawkins will feature in a new, $300 million share market listing – the initial public offering of Vocation.
Rudd concedes defeat
Outgoing Prime Minister Kevin Rudd concedes defeat in the 2013 federal election and says he won’t re-contest the Labor leadership following the resounding loss. More AFR TV
