Featured Opinion
Spending on care can’t be careless of deficits
The budget will have important social service objectives. We owe it to make them financially sustainable.
Editorial
RBA shoots down inflation hawks
Deputy governor Guy Debelle dismissed talk of spikes in wages and inflation by showing that Australia’s economy remains quagmired by globally weak price pressures.
Columnist
Biden is making a mistake on vaccine patents
An act of apparent generosity could damage the IP system that created these miracle drugs in the first place.
Contributor
Can’t beat the border populists, so the PM has joined them
The India travel ban shows the government has given in to the hardline approach of state premiers. Not because it is necessarily right, but because it is politically popular.
Political editor
Australians need clarity on war or peace
An independent annual threat assessment is better than the shapeless war talk voters are getting at the moment.
Contributor
Make quarantine fit to return the stranded and open border
The India travel ban controversy must put large dedicated quarantine facilities on the table so expat Australians, then students, tourists and skilled labour can be brought back.
Editorial
It’s raining money for banks and budget
Bank CEOs lined up to report vastly improved results thanks to a surging economy ahead of Josh Frydenberg’s budget next week. What else does the Treasurer want to achieve?
Columnist
Modern Libs don’t believe what Peacock did
In 1990, Andrew Peacock promised tax cuts and smaller government. Now the Morrison government’s budget could just as well be delivered by a Labor government.
Columnist
More From Today
- Opinion
- Federal politics
Maths classes that teach division. So how divisive is that?
Imagine if the whole continent could be blanked of colonial-era knowledge.
- Rowan Dean
Yesterday
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Australia’s electric vehicle strategy is a mess
Australia lags the world in the adoption of electric vehicles, despite compelling arguments in favour of reducing carbon emissions and weaning the country off imported fuel.
- Tony Boyd
- Opinion
- Coronavirus pandemic
There is no spinning around a botched border ban
The Morrison government seems to have completely misread the consequences of stranding its own citizens.
- Laura Tingle
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Macquarie cashes in on volatility
Nick O’Kane, Macquarie’s commodities and global markets head, earned almost as much as former CEO Allan Moss did in the pre-GFC boom times as his division helped generate a record profit.
- Updated
- Tony Boyd
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Banking’s once-in-a-generation reset
The pandemic allowed the banks to reset their reputation, capital positions and cost base, and created a surge in demand. But COVID-19 also leaves a big problem.
- Updated
- James Thomson
- Opinion
- Cash
Who’s afraid of the big bad boom?
All indications are that the US is headed for the fastest year of growth since the ‘Morning in America’ boom of 1983-84. What’s not to like?
- Paul Krugman
- Opinion
- Letters to the Editor
Letters of 7 May 2021: Taiwan may be a bridge too far
Taiwan, China, Darwin port, inflation, retirees, gas, renewables, RBA, interest rate, NDIS
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Atlassian’s one big lesson from COVID-19
As a global tech company, it provides a case study of how to attract and keep the best software engineers. Spoiler alert: COVID-19 has made it easier.
- Tony Boyd
- Opinion
- Cryptocurrencies
Cryptocurrencies have a climate challenge
Whether mining cryptocurrencies or fossil fuels, climate damage must come at a price.
- Rachel Etherington
- Opinion
- World elections
Peru election highlights flaws in South America’s twisted system
The rules of South American democracy promote political fragmentation, divided government, poor governance and chaos.
- Andrés Velasco
This Month
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Bank shares worse than an ETF
Another profit reporting season for the big banks has ended with optimistic comments by CEOs and much brighter economic assumptions baked into provisioning.
- Updated
- Tony Boyd
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Investors caught out as tech darlings plummet
Investors in one-time tech darlings Adore Beauty, Nuix and Appen got ahead of themselves and have been caught out by changes in post-pandemic buying patterns.
- James Thomson
- Opinion
- Insider trading
What Westpac’s swaps traders were doing that fateful morning
Can Westpac argue that there are different rules in the bond market when it comes to insider trading? First we must understand how the market works.
- Jonathan Shapiro
- Opinion
- Insolvency
Why Lex Greensill should have read Machiavelli on the Medici
The failed prince of supply-chain financing and his credulous creditors should have heeded the cautionary lessons of medieval banking about the dangers of mixing finance with politics.
- Harold James
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Missing piece in NAB’s result might be its biggest win
The lack of notable items in NAB’s profit was a win for Ross McEwan’s back to basics strategy. The post-COVID-19 momentum in business lending is even better news.
- James Thomson
- Opinion
- China relations
Western companies in China succumb to Stockholm syndrome
Executives fearful of antagonising Beijing have adopted a hostage mindset. What they forget is that acquiescing to the demands of kidnappers only encourages them to take more prisoners.
- Jamil Anderlini
- Opinion
- Letters to the Editor
Letters of 3 May 2021: China opts for punitive action
China, tariff, Biden, diplomacy, quarantine, GST, agriculture, workforce, India, Covid
Yawn! This robot vacuum just works and works
There was a time when reviewing automated cleaners was terrific entertainment. The Deebot T9+ ensured this wasn’t one of those times.
- John Davidson
- Opinion
- Letters to the Editor
Letters of 6 May 2021: International standing at risk
Flight ban, coronavirus, India, quarantine, COVID-19, retirees, inflation, deflation, budget, RBA, interest rate
