The NSW government has been criticised for blocking Freedom of Information (FOI) requests for access to taxpayer-funded reports on the likely impact of closing down coal-fired power stations on electricity prices. The government has commissioned at least 10 reports, studies, and presentations between June 2024 and July 2025 on the impact of its emissions reduction
New Zealand’s economy is in a deep hole. As illustrated below by Justin Fabo from Antipodean Macro, real GDP contracted sharply in the June quarter, drastically underperforming the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s forecast: The number of filled jobs in New Zealand has also contracted sharply: As a result, the Reserve Bank on Wednesday chose
One of the often repeated tropes of social media discourse or backyard BBQ political debates is the idea that the election victories that Labor has won in Victoria and federally are indicative of the public holding a high level of support for their leadership. Such an assumption is not a new phenomenon. This perspective has
There is a commonly held economic narrative that Indian demand for commodities will compensate for the reduction in Chinese demand as China’s economy slows and rebalances toward a consumer-focused model. The reality of this narrative is perhaps best summed up by the chart below from Visual Capitalist, which shows that China produced more steel in
In a speech to the National Press Club, BlueScope CEO Mark Vassella warned that Australia risks following the UK’s industrial decline if the federal government fails to fix the gas market. Vassella and other industry leaders say that without cheaper gas, the federal government’s Future Made in Australia policy is doomed, and Australia will become
The Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority (APRA) has consistently flagged high loan-to-valuation ratio (LVR) mortgage lending as a risk area. For example, in December 2014, the Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority (APRA) released guidance stating that “ADIs should not undertake large volumes of, or increase their share of, higher-risk lending. This included lending at very high LVRs”:
In the popular imagination, Australia is often viewed as a sophisticated 21st-century economy, comparable to any number of advanced developed economies. Yet when one examines the balance of the nation’s exports, it’s largely about resources, as the chart below of quarterly export volumes from CBA illustrates. And this is assuming one takes the nation’s education
From the Market Ear: Losing momentum? How bullish is bullish? SPX is basically trading at the same levels we traded at two weeks ago. Let’s see how this plays out, but SPX is losing momentum. Highs aren’t pushing higher as they should. First support is the trend line, followed by the 21 day at 6700
Former Prime Minister and architect of the Snowy Hydro 2.0 pumped hydro scheme, Malcolm Turnbull, has hit back at critics following a 900% blowout in the mega project’s costs. The government-owned Snowy Hydro confirmed on Friday that the project’s costs would easily exceed its $12 billion budget, which was already six times higher than the
Cotality’s daily dwelling values index shows that capital city value growth is tracking at around the fastest pace in two years. This follows a commensurate rise in auction clearance rates, which are also tracking at around a two-year high. Westpac’s latest consumer sentiment survey showed that house price expectations hit a fresh 15-year high in