Business
The economy
Opinion
Productivity
NSW Treasury kicks off the new realism: Productivity won’t be speeding up
Economists don’t know as much about what causes productivity improvement as they ought to.
- by Ross Gittins
Latest
Exclusive
Census
Brisbane’s suburban rich list: Tracking the city’s changing fortunes
There have been some unexpected changes to Brisbane’s suburban income rankings in the past decade. How does your neighbourhood compare?
- by Matt Wade and Craig Butt
‘House of cards’: Russia’s booming economy could lead to big problems
A spending splurge has boosted Russia’s economy but there are fears it is threatening the country’s financial stability.
- by Anatoly Kurmanaev
Updated
US politics
Fitch cuts US government’s AAA credit rating in surprise move
It’s only the second time in the nation’s history that its credit rating has been cut by a major agency.
- by Christopher Rugaber
Opinion
Jobs
What a future: Climate chaos, a life of renting and a crappy job. I’m truly sorry
The older I get, the more I worry about the nightmare we oldies are leaving for our children and grandchildren. The obvious problem is climate change, but other difficulties are everywhere you look.
- by Ross Gittins
Opinion
Property market
Why the reinflating house price bubble might run out of puff
Most economists still believe house prices will rise this year, but they are far more equivocal about the clouded crystal ball.
- by Elizabeth Knight
Opinion
Inside China
China’s big solution is missing a vital ingredient
How Beijing manages the efforts to revive the faltering economy matters for commodity producers like Australia.
- by Stephen Bartholomeusz
Opinion
Interest rates
Another rise in interest rates? We’ve probably had enough already
Whatever decision the Reserve Bank board makes about rates tomorrow – at governor Philip Lowe’s second-last meeting – the stronger case is for no increase.
- by Ross Gittins
Opinion
Australian economy
You’ve never been better off. So why aren’t you happy?
On most objective measures, life in Australia has been improving over the past few decades. But subjectively we don’t feel like things are getting better.
- by Parnell Palme McGuinness
Opinion
Australian economy
If the US or China falter, the average Australian will pick up the bill
The GST is no longer collecting enough tax to see us through a global recession. Australians’ personal income taxes will have to rise.
- by George Megalogenis
Exclusive
PwC tax scandal
Treasurer refuses to release information on PwC tax leak probe
Jim Chalmers has blocked access to correspondence between the tax office and the federal police over the decision not to launch a criminal probe into the consulting firm. Greens senator Barbara Pocock says the “cone of silence approach” is expected from PwC, not from Treasury.
- by Colin Kruger