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Last-minute budget pitch to ‘level field’ for young

Labor has made a pre-budget pitch to young Australians on social media as the government shakes up the tax system to help more people buy homes.

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‘Need to do more’: Labor to lift lid on housing reform

Australians are under financial pressure and the government cannot "just sit back", the prime minister says, as his treasurer prepares to hand down the budget.

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Budget builds up to shift for ‘broken’ housing market

An extra $2 billion will be pledged in the budget to build sewerage and roads for new homes as the treasurer frames housing policy as a remedy to populism.

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Fuel bonus as WA posts eighth straight budget surplus

More than $1 billion in cost-of-living relief will be shared in Western Australia as the state capitalises on an iron ore uplift to bank another budget surplus.

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More cops, jail guards as territory budget fights crime

The NT budget offers no "lollies and sweets" but it cements the government's tough-on-crime approach, its architects say.

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Right tax moves matter more than mandates: treasurer

Expected changes to negative gearing or capital gains tax would not break an election promise because they would be for the right reasons, Jim Chalmers says.

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Budget to address ‘immediate needs’ of households: PM

The upcoming federal budget is widely tipped to pare back incentives for property investors as the prime minister promises to tackle intergenerational inequity.

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Fiscal restraint to define federal budget as costs rise

Health, defence and welfare commitments are among fiscal pressures weighing on the federal budget as Treasurer Jim Chalmers vows to put a lid on spending.

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War on illegal tobacco needs more ‘boots on the ground’

Huge enforcement gaps between jurisdictions mean illicit cigarettes and tobacco products are still too easy to access, experts warn.

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NDIS in treasurer’s sights as budget outlook darkens

The treasurer is playing down talk of an improvement to the federal budget bottom line after economists tipped an Iran war-driven revenue boon.

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Electric vehicle fee could throttle record adoption

A road user charge for electric vehicle drivers could stall record-breaking sales, a study has found, with households in outer suburbs the hardest hit.

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RBA ready to shift up a gear as the neutral rate rises

The Iran war will hurt consumers by pushing up prices and slowing the economy but the Reserve Bank must act to contain inflation expectations, an official says.

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Treasurer softens up voters for ‘hard decisions’ on tax

The government will warn of a hit to economic growth and Australia's productivity performance in the upcoming budget, raising the stakes for ambitious reform.

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Economic chiefs meet to clear path to Trump-Xi summit

Economic chiefs from China and the US are set to meet in Paris to clear a path to an anticipated summit between presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.

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Women judges hold the line against gender justice gap

A small Pacific nation is leading others when it comes to female judiciary representation but disparities around the world affect how justice is delivered.

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‘Right the ship’: polluters tax could be vote spinner

An ex-Labor strategist turned pollster says there are votes in taxing Australia's biggest polluters through reframing the debate and evolving demographics.

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Households could get paid under plan to price pollution

Australia could raise $35 billion a year by putting a price on pollution and help households and businesses by sharing the revenue, a report has found.

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Rate rise pain all but certain after inflation shock

Hotter-than-expected inflation figures have convinced analysts the Reserve Bank will lift rates as soon as next week, heaping pressure on mortgage holders.

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Magic number that could decide an interest rate hike

Traders now tip a greater-than-50 per cent chance of an interest rate hike in February, but some pundits are holding out hope for a Reserve Bank reprieve.

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Price gouging ban will drive up costs: supermarkets

Lower grocery bills are being promised with a price gouging ban but supermarket giants and retailers say shoppers will be the ones to bear the brunt of costs.

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Wages data could force RBA to turn page on rates cut

Unlikely to receive another rate cut in the next six months, borrowers will at least see the big four banks face parliamentary scrutiny in Canberra this week.

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Ley downplays leadership talk, insists party ‘united’

Sussan Ley has sought to brush aside commentary from Liberal colleagues suggesting her days as opposition leader are numbered ahead of crucial partyroom talks.

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China to focus on industrial system, tech self-reliance

China's ruling Communist Party says it will focus on speeding up self-reliance in technology in the coming five years.

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Ley reveals tax cuts, backflips on unpopular policies

The coalition has outlined priorities it will take to the next election, with leader Sussan Ley attempting to win back voters after a stinging defeat.

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Hastie left with a Scarr in Liberals immigration spat

The coalition's immigration lead wants cooler heads to prevail in the migration intake debate after weeks of inflammatory comments from Liberal colleagues.

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‘Looks too high’: net zero spotlight on Liberal leader

The federal Liberal leader has offered an olive branch to mounting internal pressure for her to walk away from Australia's climate targets.

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Nature delivers $510b bounty but needs more resources

Australia's environment is delivering much more than the government invests in it and contributes 20 per cent of the nation's economic output, a report finds.

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Big ideas to fix housing left untouched at roundtable

Plans to improve housing supply have emerged from the productivity roundtable, but economists say they won't fix the biggest issues affecting affordability.

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Workers could be $14,000 ahead under a growth mindset

Australia's productivity tsar says Australian workers would be $14,000 better off each year in the long run if the nation treads the right path on reform.

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RBA not swayed by jobless spike as next rate call looms

Reserve Bank governor Michelle Bullock has pushed back on rate cut expectations and weighed in on Donald Trump's pressure on Fed chair Jerome Powell.

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Green tick: Australian net-zero projects to be rated

Environmental projects will be analysed and rated in Australia in a move experts say could prevent greenwashing and encourage international investments.