Today
- Opinion
- Federal budget
This budget sees the return of government as saviour
Two decades ago, Australia was poised to shed the hard done by battler mindset. Now it is more entrenched than ever.
- 6 mins ago
- Phillip Coorey
Dutton to slash migrant intake, ban foreign property buyers
The opposition leader has vowed to slash permanent migration by a quarter to 140,000 a year, cut refugee arrivals by a third, and ban foreign investors buying established homes for two years, in a bid to free up 100,000 properties. Watch live.
- 36 mins ago
- Phillip Coorey
- Updated
- Gas
Labor slammed for offshore gas approval backdown
A deal with the Greens means Labor is close to passing Petroleum Resources Rent Tax changes and vehicle emissions standards, but it has shelved fast-tracked gas approvals.
- Tom McIlroy
- Opinion
- Property market
The big fail in Australia’s housing
The Albanese government’s promises of 1.2 million homes over five years are now in the realm of political fantasy, despite the billions of dollars it has pledged for housing.
- Jennifer Hewett
Glen Le Lievre cartoons for 2023-24
See all of Glen Le Lievre cartoons for 2023 and 2024.
- Updated
- Glen Le Lievre
- Analysis
- Federal budget
The ADF will grow by just 358 people next year. That’s a big problem
If Defence is to attract the 5000 new soldiers, sailors and aviators it desperately needs, it must do a much better job looking after its current ones.
- Andrew Tillett
Can Australia become a green energy superpower? Five charts that say yes
The Albanese government is taking a big punt on its signature Future Made in Australia policy, betting $24.3 billion over 10 years in Tuesday’s budget – these charts show why.
- Ronald Mizen
Jobs growth, immigration back under control: Chalmers
Delivering his 2024 budget speech, Treasurer Jim Chalmers says Labor has delivered record jobs growth, wages growth is back in the black, and immigration will be half what it was last year.
- Updated
Jobless rate up; No ‘quick’ house price fix: RBA; Buffett boosts bulls
Read everything that’s happened in the news so far today.
AFP investigates large-scale ransomware attack on health company
The Australian Federal Police and other authorities are investigating a large-scale ransomware attack on a private health business. Here’s how the day unfolded.
- Updated
- Tom Rabe
PM chides Labor MP over her use of anti-Israel slogan
The opposition wants Anthony Albanese to remove rookie senator Fatima Payman from a prestigious parliamentary committee after her pro-Palestinian advocacy.
- Andrew Tillett
David Rowe cartoons for May 2024
David Rowe is a multiple Walkley award-winning cartoonist. He draws a daily political cartoon and one for the Chanticleer column.
- Updated
- David Rowe
Yesterday
- Opinion
- Australian economy
Chalmers confronts his economic critics
The treasurer insists his budget gets the balance right, even if the economists don’t agree. What will the Reserve Bank and the voters think?
- Updated
- Jennifer Hewett
- Opinion
- The AFR View
Chalmers’ budget boast overlooks Australia’s debt mountain
The substantial fiscal challenge from the budget is a forecast decade of deficits and highest plateau of federal government net debt for more than half a century.
- The AFR View
Dutton rejects ‘Rich Lister’ tax cuts
The opposition has blasted $27.8 billion in production credits in the budget as “tax cuts for billionaires”, vowing to repeal them if elected.
- Phillip Coorey and Brad Thompson
Moody’s warns big ‘structural’ spend will leave budget mired in red
The influential ratings agency said the broader issue was “how effective spending programs such as Future Made in Australia are in allocating resources”.
- Cecile Lefort
NDIS rorters push to spend more before reforms take effect
Unscrupulous providers are pushing participants in the disability scheme to spend up before changes limit cost growth of the $44 billion scheme.
- Tom Burton
Palmer says billionaires like him shouldn’t get a break on bills
The Rich Lister, who is eligible for the power bill rebate on several of his homes, says the money would be better spent on households that desperately need it.
- Campbell Kwan and Bonnie Campbell
Careful return to migration trends needed, Labor urged
Efforts to better manage immigration levels must not undercut the university sector and efforts to address skilled worker shortages across the economy, experts say.
- Tom McIlroy
Liontown’s Tim Goyder turns up to thank Jim Chalmers
Heavy hitters wary of party political functions have grown fond of the National Press Club’s Great Hall lunch.
- Myriam Robin
