The search is on for the 2025 Best Places to Work.
Income tax hits 25-year high in Chalmers’ surplus
The treasurer’s second budget in the black has been underwritten by the highest share of wages taxation since before the GST was introduced in 2000.
- Exclusive
- Workplace disputes
Brookfield fired manager on maternity leave, kept replacement: lawsuit
Kelly Dyball also accuses the builder of cutting her project bonus by 20 per cent by unlawfully subtracting time spent on paid parental leave.
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Why the strong housing market is still a problem for the RBA
Booming credit demand from wealthier borrowers is more proof that housing is still humming along. That could crimp the RBA’s ability to cut.
Macquarie leads the pack in end-of-year mortgage scramble
Official figures show the financial services giant’s loan book rose at four times the pace of its big bank rivals in August.
ASX closes at all-time top, ends the quarter 6.5 higher
Shares reset record high; Synlait posts giant loss; Pacific Smiles rejects Genesis bid; AGL nabs new deal with Portland smelter; iron ore prices leap 7pc. Follow updates here.
Perpetual faces investor backlash over bonuses with ‘no justification’
Proxy advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services, which had previously been supportive of the fund manager, is urging a vote against executive pay and board members.
Israel strikes multiple fronts amid fears of regional war
Israel’s show of military force reached from Lebanon to the province of Hodeidah in Yemen, where IDF warplanes attacked power plants and shipping infrastructure.
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Edition
AFR Magazine – Power 2024
The hotly anticipated lists of Australia’s most powerful people in 2024.
The best of travel, fashion, cars and more, straight to your inbox every Saturday.
Companies
Drifting former telco turned Austrian miner gets unstuck in Mongolia
Jade Gas has bounced around for three decades, and is trying its luck with coal seam gas in the ex-communist country. Could this be the ASX’s next gas giant?
Billionaire Bruce Gordon retires from WIN as succession questions loom
The future of billionaire Bruce Gordon’s expansive estate – regional broadcaster WIN, 25 per cent of Nine Entertainment, and countless properties – is anyone’s guess.
Minister was told ERA wouldn’t fight Jabiluka decision before it sued
Advisors to Resources Minister Madeleine King thought it “doubtful” Energy Resources of Australia would pursue legal action if she decided to cancel its mining permit.
Investors in Vik Bansal’s biogas side hustle are up 85pc
The Boral CEO is also chairman of ASX-listed biogas group LGI, which has 32 waste landfill sites and supplies electricity into the grid when returns are highest.
Clayton Larcombe sells majority stake in Clearwater PM
Sources said Larcombe sold to TEB after quietly soliciting buyers for the business earlier this year.
PFAS foam leaks on Transurban’s Brisbane toll road rankle council
Transurban’s maintenance practices are being reviewed by Brisbane’s city council after fire-fighting foam spilled from a tank into a pump station in the company’s Clem Jones Tunnel.
Open banking limps to life with ANZ customers seeking full picture
ANZ is the first major bank to use open banking to aggregate multiple accounts through its app. Ultimately, it will be used as a tool to lure new customers.
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Markets
Iron ore rockets 10pc as ASX, China records tumble
The price of Australia’s key export soared above $US110 a tonne on Monday, extending a rally in mining stocks and lifting the sharemarket to a record.
Missed out on Nvidia and Ozempic? This fundie says it’s never too late
Northcape Capital’s Fleur Wright may have missed out in the early AI and GLP-1 investor frenzy, but she made other good calls that were perfectly timed.
- Opinion
- Sharemarket
The ASX’s ‘switch from hell’ has only just begun
The dominance of the banks over the miners in 2024 has been off the charts. But developments out of Beijing could be the catalyst for a final quarter comeback.
There’s a ‘very real’ chance of two rate cuts by Christmas
Momentum is critical and right now, Australia’s economy is at genuine risk of stalling. It’s no surprise then that the bond market has already priced in rate cuts.
ASX set for fresh record as investors bank on China and rate cuts
Futures indicate the S&P/ASX 200 Index is poised to advance 0.3 per cent at the opening bell, enough to reset Friday’s record high.
Opinion
Israel’s dream of a new Middle East order could become a nightmare
With its decapitation of Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Israeli government hopes that it has finally seized the initiative in the battle with its regional enemies.
Columnist
No end to Australia’s love affair with solar
Rapidly declining solar feed-in tariffs could change the way Australian households manage their renewable energy. That is bound to be good for the grid.
Contributor
Queensland wipeout good for Labor’s federal election chances
The LNP small target strategy is politically effective. It’s on track to take out an unpopular Labor premier and, in the process, give a Labor prime minister a better chance of keeping his job.
Editorial
Will Steven Miles be Albanese’s sacrificial anode? Labor hopes so
Feds beware: Miles has shamelessly thrown money at the cost of living and no-one has thanked him for it.
Political editor
What J.D. Vance and Tim Walz need to do to get Trump or Harris elected
In the vice presidential debate on Wednesday, the Democrat’s message needs to be about the economy. The Republican needs to just repair his image.
Research associate
Want to stop an Israel-Hezbollah war? Look to Tehran
If the US and the West want calm on the Lebanese border, it needs to find the will to make Iran pay the price for its proxy warfare.
Middle East expert
Reports
Technology - Valuation shift
This special report looks at shifting valuations for tech companies in public and private markets, plus how AI will change work.
Politics
- Exclusive
- Home loans
Own home becoming ‘just for rich’: Coalition weighs lending overhaul
Housing has become a key battleground for the major parties, as record prices and high interest rates combine to significantly reduce affordability.
‘Not a state secret’: Chalmers digs in on negative gearing advice
In an awkward interview, Treasurer Jim Chalmers resisted saying if he had asked officials to model changes to tax concessions for property investors.
- Exclusive
- Negative gearing
Labor members want negative gearing changes in ambitious housing plan
Labor for Housing, a national group of members, wants Labor to adopt an 80 per cent homeownership target by 2040.
- Exclusive
- Queensland votes
Queensland Labor on track for electoral wipeout
The LNP is nearing just its third election victory in Queensland since 1989, according to new polling, as the election campaign officially kicks off this week.
China stimulus should stabilise iron ore price, says resources minister
Resources Minister Madeleine King says China’s latest stimulus package was unlikely to push prices higher, but it should help arrest the one-third fall seen since the start of 2024.
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World
US climate change targets threatened by tech energy surge from AI
The latest assessment puts the US trajectory even further from its national target to cut its emissions by 50-52 per cent by 2030 from 2005 levels.
How Israeli spies penetrated Hezbollah
The depth and quality of Israeli intelligence helped Netanyahu’s forces turn the tide against the Lebanese militant group.
Austrian far right wins vote, but won’t form government
Despite the Freedom Party winning the most votes for the first time in a national election, its leader, Herbert Kickl, appears unlikely to play a role in the next cabinet.
Ozempic alternatives flood the Australian market
The number of Australians taking weight-loss drugs is growing as new medicines hit the market. MPs warn the influx must be managed carefully.
- Analysis
- Middle East tensions
Who will replace Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah?
With Israel eliminating the Iran-backed group’s senior leaders seemingly at will, whoever takes the helm will have few illusions about their life expectancy.
Property
Riskiest real estate bonds are beating Nvidia’s returns
It’s a turnaround few could have predicted when landlords around the world were creaking under the weight of higher interest rates and changing work habits.
Di Pilla’s $50b funds dream inches closer with major mall deal
If it is finalised, the deal for a stake in the Sydney mall will be a fresh expansion of the rapidly evolving funds platform that went public five years ago.
Weak auction markets point to falling house prices
Auction clearance rates have fallen to their lowest level this year, suggesting buyers are worried there is little relief in sight from high interest rates.
Developers head to the regions to deliver housing
Many developers are seeing opportunities to build much-needed housing in regional areas experiencing strong population and economic growth.
The $620m makeover for Manly, Howard Smith wharves
Plans are afoot to transform the faded glory of waterside venues at Manly and in Brisbane to bustling tourist destinations. The locals have had their say, too.
Wealth
Financial advice for $88: Super funds launch low-cost tools
Superannuation funds have ramped up their financial advice offerings, but the type of advice they can provide remains limited.
Parents’ eye-watering education bills don’t end with school
Helping kids get started in life has arguably never been more expensive. Plan and save early, experts say. We’ve also found the most generous scholarships available.
- Exclusive
- Rich families
Rich Lister wealth secrets revealed after 30-year loophole ends
Two years after removing an exemption that allowed Australia’s richest families to keep details of their private companies secret, their financials are filtering through.
Technology
- Exclusive
- Start-ups
Cannon-Brookes’ Startmate cybersecurity bet pays dividends
Startmate’s $35,000 stake in cybersecurity company Bugcrowd is now worth $2.1 million, delivering eye-popping returns for its billionaire backers.
Fast-growing OpenAI is burning through truck loads of cash
As the company looks for more outside investors, documents reveal consumer fascination with ChatGPT and a serious need for more money.
- Opinion
- Cybersecurity
Why competition laws could increase the risk of blue screen attacks
We should beware of one-size-fits-all technology policies that could open smart devices to the third-party vulnerabilities that caused the CrowdStrike outage.
Work & Careers
- Exclusive
- CFMEU
CFMEU delegates investigated over ‘steeling’ claims
One of the union delegates under investigation for allegedly selling steel from a major government site is a former member of the infamous Bra Boys surf gang.
Qantas engineers strike goes national, targets peak-hour flights
Qantas engineers critical to aircraft maintenance will stop work at major airports around the country next week, threatening to disrupt peak-hour flights at the start of school holidays.
Life & Luxury
Unlimited ice baths and saunas: LA-style wellness lands here
Super Young’s most expensive membership package includes unlimited access to red light therapy, hyperbaric chambers and cryotherapy. All for $15,000 a year.
AFL grand final audience climbs to 4m
The clash between the Brisbane Lions and Sydney Swans was the most watched for the AFL since 2021.
This really was a discovery expedition
Helicopter flights from a ship exploring the Chilean Fjords revealed glaciers not previously charted.
Small ship, big adventures: Island-hopping in Portugal and Spain
This voyage aboard Windstar Star Pride included plenty of time ashore to explore volcanoes, deserts and tucked-away beaches.
- Drinks With Max Allen
- Japan
Heading to Hokkaido? The Nikka distillery is a must
When Masataka Taketsuru returned to Japan from Scotland a century ago he brought the expertise to make great whisky, a love of all things Caledonian and a wife.
