News
RBA says interest rates ‘too low’ The Reserve Bank has claimed that interest rates were raised for the third straight month in December because they were ‘‘too low for an economy that had resumed expanding.” The minutes of the December board meeting revealed that the decision to raise interest rates was “finely balanced” between board […]
Less than half of Australia’s small businesses are prepared to deal with the latest family friendly workplace laws under the Fair Work Act, expected to take effect from next month, a new survey shows. The CompliSpace survey of 352 small and medium businesses found that fewer than half of the businesses surveyed know of, understand […]
SMEs more concerned about economy than debt Concern about debt is at the bottom of the list of issues worrying Australia’s two million small and medium businesses (SMEs), according to new research from DBM Consultants. The company’s Business Financial Services Monitor (BFSM) found that of the 18,000 businesses surveyed, concern about debt ranks fairly low […]
NSW Government still out of favour with voters The NSW Government has taken a beating in the latest opinion poll after a tumultuous month, which saw a dramatic reshuffling of party members, and a new leader sworn in. The Newspoll, published in The Australian, shows primary support for the NSW Government fell four percentage points […]
Electricity prices to soar 62 percent by 2013 NSW electricity prices are set to soar 62 percent by 2013, according to the state’s pricing regulator. The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) has today recommended that electricity prices rise by up to 62 per cent, including inflation, over three years. IPART says the biggest impact […]
Petrol prices rise in time for Christmas Australian consumers have received an early, but somewhat unwelcome, Christmas present this week, in the form of rising petrol prices. Fresh numbers from the Australian Institute of Petroleum show the national average price of a litre of unleaded fuel rose 0.4 cents in the last week. The cost […]
More than 60 countries around the world are expected to record lower output in real terms in 2010 than in 2008, according to Dun & Bradstreet’s (B&B) latest risk report.
Over the past year, the popularity of applications on social networking websites has increased dramatically, which has led to a new wave of phishing attacks targeting the users of these applications, Symantec reports.
The Queensland Retailers Association (QRA) expects shoppers in the state will spend up big this Christmas.
Thousands of passengers may find themselves stranded this Christmas, as British Airways (BA) cabin crew threaten to strike over Christmas. About 13,000 crew voted in favour of the 12-day strike, beginning on December 22, which will cripple the airline’s scheduled flights between Britain and Australia. The proposed strike is over workplace conditions introduced last month. […]
Lending commitments down in December Lending commitments fell to an eight-month low in October, as consumers and business felt the pressure of rising interest rates. According to the latest ABS figures, total lending finance commitments – including leases – fell by 9.7 percent to $50.766 billion in October, the lowest amount since the $49.272 billion […]
The health of some of Australia’s top businesses declined during the financial crisis, according to the Australian Corporate Health Index. The index, conducted by 333 Consulting, found that of the 200 ASX-listed companies excluding those from the financial services sector surveyed, more than 70 percent went backwards during the financial crisis. A further 49 percent […]
Postal workers around Australia are taking part in industrial action against Australia Post from today in the hope of getting a new wage deal. Postal workers around Australia say they will deliver unstamped mail from today until Christmas Eve. New South Wales union secretary Jim Metcher says workers are fed up and have waited three […]
Top Aussie brands take beating in crisis Some of Australia’s top brands such as Qantas and Foster’s Group took a severe beating in the financial crisis, a new study has found. According to Brand Finance Australia’s second annual Australia’s Most Valuable Brand Portfolios report, Qantas lost more than $700 million during the financial crisis in […]
Copenhagen talks likely to fail: Abbott Opposition leader Tony Abbott has once again attacked Kevin Rudd’s position on climate change, claiming that climate change talks in Copenhagen are likely to be a disappointment and a personal failure for the Prime Minister. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will attend the talks in the Danish capital this week […]
OH&S laws may reduce protection for workers: ACTU The Federal Government’s new occupational health and safety laws could actually reduce protection for workers and harm them in the long term, the ACTU has warned. The states and territories, except Western Australia, agreed at the Workplace Relations Ministerial Council in Melbourne on Friday to a model […]
Treasurer Wayne Swan says Australia continues to outperform other advanced economies, as the impact of the global financial crisis starts to fade.
Blackberry’s app store is now available to Australian and New Zealand customers, following the launch late last week.
PM unveils first Australian hybrid car Prime Minister Kevin Rudd today unveiled the first Australian-built hybrid car at Toyota’s Altona plant, west of Melbourne. The new hybrid version of the Toyota Camry has a 2.4-litre engine and an electric drive motor and is said to produce 30 percent less emissions than a regular car. It […]
Interest rate will continue to rise Employment minister Julia Gillard has once again reminded Australians that interest rates will not stay at “emergency levels” forever. Gillard told ABC Television that she won’t speculate about what the RBA “may or may not do in the February board meeting” but she reiterated what the Reserve Bank governor […]
