Labor amasses $430b war chest
The money, a result of Labor's proposed tax increases and its decision not to adopt most of the Coalition's income tax cuts, will enable it to promise both bigger surpluses and fund large election promises.
Cloud hangs over markets ahead of election
In the lead up to voting day, the key question for investors is what a Coalition or Labor win will mean.
Inside Morrison's plan to out-campaign Shorten
The Prime Minister's personal brand is okay but the Coalition is still on the nose. Here's how their campaign maestros plan to change that.
Who's afraid of big super?
For financial industry veterans, recent hubristic comments from industry super suggest that their stellar rise could well be coming to an end.
- Opinion
- Federal election
Bill Shorten's biggest challenge
Bill Shorten is promising things for the year ahead, promising a government that will do stuff, but he needs to overcome the cynicism of voters first, writes Laura Tingle.
- Opinion
- Federal election
A stark election choice
Australians face one of their starkest choices in political leadership since Gough Whitlam dramatically expanded the social welfare net in the early 1970s.
Bracket creep will still bite for 45pc taxpayers
The threshold at which the top marginal rate of 45 per cent kicks in would need to rise to $250,000 to provide very high-income earners with any relief from bracket creep.
Business
'There's no one to deal with': Why ANZ is yet to sell to IOOF
Bank expresses concern IOOF doesn't have enough executives to handle the billion-dollar transaction.
Inside ANZ's renewed Asia push
ANZ's Asian clients include Alibaba, Tencent, Baidu, Tata, Reliance and LG. Now it needs to convince investors it can drive profits from them.
What the election will mean for big banks
A Labor win would be more negative for banking stocks than a Coalition government, given the proposed changes to negative gearing and higher compliance costs.
Retailers weigh Coalition, Labor policies
The Coalition is promising the biggest tax cuts, which could boost retail spending, but a change in government could improve consumer sentiment.
Boomtime for infrastructure investors
Infrastructure investors are winners no matter who gets elected but Labor is planning bigger, faster rail investments.
'Bigger is better': AP Eagers and AHG in $1.8b merger
If approved, AP Eagers' merger proposal will create an enlarged ASX-listed car dealership giant with a combined 229 new-car outlets in Australia.
SeaLink boss to set sail after 21 years as CEO
A visit by Prince Harry and Meghan, then the tragedy of two Japanese boys drowning on Fraser Island, have been highs and lows of running tourism group SeaLink.
Markets
Trump wants Fed to juice US economy
President Donald Trump called on the Federal Reserve to open the monetary floodgates to turn the world's largest economy into a "rocket ship".
US stocks rally on job data, Trump's Fed jab
The S&P 500 index rose for a seventh consecutive day, the longest rally since 2017, and is approaching the record high reached in September.
US economy adds 196,000 jobs in March
US employment growth accelerated from a 17-month low in March, assuaging fears of an abrupt slowdown in economic activity.
- Opinion
- Australian economy
The economy needs a bolder budget
To return to more normal monetary policy settings (or just avoid even lower rates), we need more stimulus than this week's proposals will provide, writes Patrick Commins.
Saudi Aramco poised to sell at least $14b of debt
Interest in the most highly anticipated sale of the year already totalled more than $36 billion, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter.
Opinion
Bill Shorten's biggest challenge
Bill Shorten is promising things for the year ahead, promising a government that will do stuff, but he needs to overcome the cynicism of voters first, writes Laura Tingle.
Columnist
Labor is setting up for a fatal policy flaw
Labor's belief that it can stomp on growth generators with no consequences runs parallel with Tony Abbott's early mistakes.
Editorial
The economy needs a bolder budget
To return to more normal monetary policy settings (or just avoid even lower rates), we need more stimulus than this week's proposals will provide, writes Patrick Commins.
Journalist
PM delivers 'equivalent of two RBA rate cuts'
The Coalition’s $7.2 billion of tax reform slated for 2019-20 and 2020-21 pack the same punch in fiscal stimulus as two 25-basis-point rate cuts, writes Christopher Joye.
Columnist
Politics
Casualisation not behind low wage growth
New research presented to the RBA finds the effect of non-standard employment on recent wage trends is "insignificantly different from zero".
'Back in black' but is the Coalition back on track?
Scott Morrison used Tuesday's federal budget to launch a conspicuous marketing reset for the ailing Coalition.
Doctors forced to bulk bill to get Labor's Medicare cancer rebate
Medical groups don't believe Bill Shorten's plan for "free" cancer treatment amounts to a blank cheque for the profession.
- Exclusive
- Aged care
Concern about 'missing' 10,000 aged care places
Tuesday's budget was expected to contain funding for another 10,000 home care places, on top of the 10,000 that were announced in February.
Adani approvals won't be rushed: Morrison
After hosing down divisions over coal-fired power and preferences, Scott Morrison faces a fresh split over Adani.
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World
Is Julian Assange about to lose his home?
Ecuador's foreign minister tweeted that WikiLeaks' claims Ecuador was about to throw Assange out of its embassy were no more than "unfounded rumours".
Boeing cuts 737 MAX ouput in wake of two deadly crashes
Starting mid-April, production will be cut to 42 airplanes per month from 52, the company said.
Trump nominee wins job to run World Bank
David Malpass immediately sought to reassure sceptics who have called out his and the White House's criticism of multilateral institutions.
Brexit talks between May, Corbyn stall
Labour officials say May had so far refused to budge from her original plan, but the government saying it was still prepared to propose changes.
Ray Dalio sounds alarm on capitalism's flaws
The Bridgewater co-chairman points to statistics showing the bottom 60 per cent of income-earners in the US keep falling further behind the top 40 per cent.
Real Estate
Property industry braces for election fallout
Investors are likely to be wary of both the existing and new home market under Labor reforms.
'No concerns' at selling farming empire to the Saudis: John Nicoletti
The long-mooted sale of one of Australia's biggest farming aggregations settled on Thursday after the deal received Foreign Investment Review Board approval.
Labor's negative gearing plan could deter investors
Losing generous concessions in a Labor election win is setting many against investing in real estate.
- Opinion
- Strata
How your state's strata laws compare
Confused by different rules for apartments across the country? If you had to cherry pick the best of the bunch, these are them.
French court orders British millionaire to demolish his $90m mansion
The villa, which can sleep up to 36 guests, sits on 17 acres. It includes 18 suites, two helicopter pads, and is rented out for film productions and weddings.
Personal Finance
A latte a day won't ruin your retirement
Eliminating a daily latte or avocado toast will not get the job done, big fixed costs are the problem, Barry Ritholz writes.
What the election will mean for big banks
A Labor win would be more negative for banking stocks than a Coalition government, given the proposed changes to negative gearing and higher compliance costs.
Health sector winners no matter who takes the election
Health is front and centre of both Labor and the Coalition's budget agendas, but Labor trumped its rival on curbing out-of-pocket costs for consumers.
Technology
Watches are the new bitcoin
Some Millennial investors are treating vintage wristwear as a new asset class. “It is the quintessential blue chip,” says one.
Updater could've been a unicorn by now
The former tech market darling has failed to deliver its promised higher valuation from private markets, after delisting from the ASX in October 2018.
Huawei won't rule out suing Australia
The Chinese firm wants a "formal explanation" from the Australian government over the decision to ban it from supplying equipment for the 5G networks.
Leadership
Former ambassador turns $2.5trn fundie
Widely considered one of Australia's most effective ambassadors to the US, Michael Thawley says the fight for our way of life is worth the trouble.
Billionaires are living longer than ever
A drawn-out fight for control is a risk faced by a growing number of longer-living billionaires.
Lifestyle
I was 42 before I realised what my 'hidden disability' was
Being diagnosed with dyspraxia in middle age explained all the strange symptoms Clare Empson had suffered since her youth.
How an outfit can give you power
The fabulous costumes for hit film The Dressmaker helped the actors inhabit their characters, says one of the movie's stars.
Two little films worth watching: Galveston and Woman at War
There are plenty of worthwhile films that never make it to the big cinema complexes.
Run to paradise... a chef's journey from Vue de Monde
Forget sea changing and tree changing, acclaimed Australian chef Cory Campbell and his family have traded the Sydney rat race for a dose of island paradise.
A joyful existence with Alzheimer's is possible
A growing number of people are determined to approach dementia care differently and are coming at it with a sense of openness, playfulness and even wonder.
