Abbott’s new Senate challenge

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.

Business plea to politicians – no double dissolution

Business plea to politicians – no double dissolution

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.

Global equities subdued in Syria’s shadow

Global equities subdued in Syria’s shadow

Before the Bell | Uncertainty about whether the US will strike Syrian military targets may keep global equities in a narrow range at the trading week’s start ■ Dow Jones down 15 points ■ $A at US92¢ ■ SPI futures up 12 points

Australian dollar could rise in perfect storm

The Coalition victory, more positive Chinese economic data and a diminished case for tapering the United States’s stimulus program have kept the Australian dollar above US90¢ and could push it higher.

Street Talk

Challenger close to deal with Access Capital Advisers

Financial services outfit Challenger is in talks to acquire advisory house Access Capital Advisers in a potential deal aimed at bolstering the financial services group’s exposure to infrastructure.

Howes tipped to take Bob Carr’s Senate seat

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.

John Authers

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?

Competitive bidders lift auction clearance rates

Competitive buyers determined to ­outbid others on their dream home led to buoyant auction results in Sydney and Melbourne on ­Saturday, despite fewer homes being put to market.

Aristocrat plays it safe in acquisition game

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.

Big banks to save millions with derivatives concessions

Australia’s banks will be major beneficiaries after global regulators agreed to water down international derivatives regulations that had threatened to add to their cost of funding.

How Kevin Rudd’s campaign unravelled

How Kevin Rudd’s campaign unravelled

Held deep within the top strategy group of the Liberal war room was a document which gave a name and a diagnosis to the personality of Kevin Rudd – “grandiose narcissism”.

Telstra mobile growth headed for ceiling

Telstra mobile growth headed for ceiling

The national broadband network is increasing Telstra’s reliance on its rising mobile phone division, yet analysts say subscriber growth may plateau amid rising competition.

Clive Palmer MP – magnate turned politician won’t cede business interests

Clive Palmer MP – magnate turned politician won’t cede business interests

Queensland mining magnate turned politician Clive Palmer said he had no intentions of giving up his business interests if, as expected, he wins a seat in federal parliament.

Markets Summary

Change % Chg
S&P/ASX 200 5145.0 0.0 + 0.00%
Dow Jones 14922.50 - 14.98 - 0.10%
FTSE 100 6547.33 14.89 + 0.23%
SPI 200 SEP3 5157.000 12.000 + 0.20%
AUD/USD 0.9199 0.0018 + 0.20%

Markets Data »

Price % Chg
BLY BOART $ 0.515 + 4.04%
DML DISCOV MET $ 0.130 + 4.00%
GWA GWA GROUP $ 3.140 + 3.97%
PBG PACBRANDS $ 0.765 + 3.38%
SMX SMS M&T; $ 4.900 + 3.38%

Markets Data »

Price % Chg
KCN KINGSGATE $ 1.950 - 7.58%
TSE TFIELDSERV $ 1.185 - 6.32%
SLR SILVERLAKE $ 0.845 - 6.11%
NST NTH STAR $ 0.845 - 6.11%
BDR BEADELL $ 0.835 - 5.11%

Markets Data »

Street Talk

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.

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Rear Window on the election

Rear Window’s Joe Aston was off the leash on election night, prowling the best parties for the latest news and gossip from the pollies, business bigwigs and celebrities.

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National

Malcolm Turnbull’s election loss to Clive Frederick Palmer

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

Alan Mitchell

Time for Abbott to focus on the long game

Alan Mitchell

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.

Rowan Dean

Goodbye to the spin doctors, hello to a new beginning

Rowan Dean

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

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

Risk of new crisis drives Fed doubts over taper

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

Hockey’s financial inquiry has to get clear of the weeds

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.

Markets

Controversial on-market book-build scheme kicks off in October

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.

Lifestyle

Africa’s main game – altitude 60 metres

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

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  

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.

Boy’s own adventure in Genghis Khan territory

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.

Joe Hockey says Abbott government to audit Treasury numbers

Financial Review Sunday host Deborah Knight talks to Joe Hockey on election night as Australia’s newest Treasurer prepares to pick up the reins of our economy.

What an Abbott government means for the economy

Business Council of Australia chief executive officer Jennifer Westacott tells what she things the new government needs to do to support business as ANZ chief economist Warren Hogan gives his predictions.

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.