News
ACCC investigates petrol pricing The Federal Government has asked consumer watchdog, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to investigate possible petrol price fixing. Competition Policy Minister Craig Emerson said Labor had long been concerned that petrol companies were colluding to set a weekly price cycle, and as such, asked the ACCC to look into the […]
Consumers unconcerned about rate rise The three consecutive rate rises handed down by the Reserve Bank have not dampened consumer spending, latest retail sales figures reveal. Australian retail sales rose a moderate 0.3 percent in October, with consumers spending more at department stores and in cafes. Department stores reported the largest growth in the month […]
Chocolate franchiser in strife for misleading franchisees The Federal Court has delivered a not so sweet message to chocolate franchiser Personalised Chocolates 4U (PC4U) and its sole director Troy Patching, declaring the company mislead franchisees and engaged in conduct in breach of the Franchising Code of Conduct. The ruling follows legal action undertaken by the […]
There has been a dramatic increase in the number of Australians looking for work during the past six months, with one in five now ‘atively looking’ for work, a new survey has revealed.
Abbott hints at bringing back WorkChoices New Liberal leader Tony Abbott has hinted at bringing back John Howard’s controversial WorkChoices under a different name, if the Coalition is elected. “The phrase WorkChoices is dead. No one will mention it again. But we do need to have a free and flexible economy,” he said. ACTU president […]
Australian business confidence has returned to the high levels enjoyed prior to the economic downturn, according to the Sensis® Business Index released today.
New Liberal leader Tony Abbott is sure to be celebrating today after the Senate blocked the Federal Government’s controversial emissions trading scheme.
Yellowfin launches iPhone app for business execs Business intelligence firm, Yellowfin, today announced the launch of its business intelligence application specifically designed for the iPhone – Yellowfin for the iPhone. The app allows business executives access to important corporate data on the go. The app has been designed to sharpen the focus on key performance […]
More Aussie businesses plan for future It seems more and more Aussie businesses are planning for the future, if the results of a new workforce planning survey are anything to go by. The survey, Workforce Planning – Securing HR’s Role in the Business conducted by global workforce planning firm Infohrm, found that the number of […]
SMEs to drive responsible business practices The Council of Small Business Organisations of Australia (COSBOA), along with St James Ethics Centre yesterday announced the launch of Good Business Register: the national register of responsible business practice for SMEs. The Good Business Register is an online platform, which will enable small to medium enterprise (SMEs) to […]
A joint survey by Veda Advantage and Coface Australia has found that credit and trade payments can become a real problem for businesses during an economic downturn and the period of recovery.
In yet another blow for consumers and businesses around the country, Westpac has raised its home loan rates by almost double the 0.25 percent lift in the official cash rate ordered yesterday by the Reserve Bank board.
RBA plays ‘Scrooge’ with Christmas rate rise The Reserve Bank’s decision to lift interest rates by 25 basis points just before Christmas will eat away at consumer confidence at the most crucial time for retailers, the Australian National Retailers Association said today. “This is the first time in six years the Reserve Bank has lifted […]
Fraud season begins for Aussie businesses Christmas is the period of greatest risk for application fraud and non-payment for Australian businesses, with young adults (young adults (aged between 18-22) the highest risk category, almost twice (1.8 times) as likely than any other age group to commit application fraud, new research has revealed. These findings are […]
Google reveals top Aussie searches for 2009 2009 has certainly been a year to remember – from the Victorian bushfires to the death of pop icon Michael Jackson and Masterchef mania. To mark the year that was, Google has today released the most popular search terms that Australians tapped into google.com.au with some quite interesting […]
The Reserve Bank has raised the cash rate for the third consecutive month. The rise of 25 basis points takes the rate to 3.75 percent, effective from tomorrow. In a statement, RBA governor Glenn Stevens said they decided to raise the rates because the downturn has been “relatively mild, and measures of confidence and business […]
In an close finish, Tony Abbott has been elected leader of the Liberal Party after a 42 to 41 vote, defeating former leader Malcolm Turnbull. MP Fran Bailey was unable to vote due to medical advice preventing her from travelling to Canberra, and party rules disallowing a proxy. This morning the party voted in favour […]
One third of Aussies to buy property in next two years More than one third of Australians plan to buy a property in the next two years despite concerns over higher living costs and rising interest rates, a survey shows. The Mortgage Choice Consumer Sentiment Survey of 1,025 Australians found that 41 percent of respondents […]
To add further fuel to the already raging Liberal leadership fire, the Federal Government is threatening to pull the rug on the emissions trading deal if there isn’t a vote on Friday.
WorkCover launches new sun safe campaign WorkCover will launch a new sun safe campaign across New South Wales in order to educate construction workers about safety at work. The state government has launched the sun safety at work campaign which aims to educate construction and utilities industry workers about ways to reduce the risks of […]
