Politics and policy

Can a tough Budget help the Australian economy get lean and ripped?

The Albanese government wants to create new civil penalties for doxxing, but working out how to do it without unintended consequences is already proving to be a challenge.

Labor is facing increasing pressure from its left-flank to do more for Australians struggling the most.

The government insists it's committed to passing controversial legislation to curb misinformation, despite a backlash against its plan last year. But crossbenchers say they haven't heard anything about it for months.

Despite all the gloom around China's slowing economy, iron ore prices had been holding up well. Is the bad news finally catching up?

The Nikkei 225 recently surpassed its three-decade high and there are long-awaited signs of sustained inflation — but is Japan's resurgence sustainable?

The federal government is set to resume funding for the UNRWA, months after pausing it over allegations of staff involvement in the 7 October attacks.

Australia’s productivity growth is languishing. Tech Council of Australia CEO Ryan Black thinks the tech sector holds the solution.

Katy Gallagher wants to stop jobs in the new economy from being as divided along gender lines as those of the past.

Public servants are becoming increasingly uneasy with political staffers using encrypted messaging apps.

Labor’s success in the Dunkley byelection showed that the stage 3 tax cut changes were a winner with suburban voters. But the cost of living crisis may not dominate politics for much longer.

The Greens plan for a publicly owned housing developer has been widely lambasted by economists. But maybe that was exactly the point of it.

The government has long said it supports paying super on government-paid parental leave. It's now putting its money where its mouth is.

Differing accounts over what was said between Anthony Albanese and his Thai counterpart served a reminder of the other divergent views between Australia and its Southeast Asian neighbours.

There is a lot of pain in the economy and this poses a challenge for the May budget.

A major professional accounting body insists cuts to its compliance team, amid the fallout from the PwC scandal, won’t have a material impact.

Beijing is coming to grips with slower Chinese growth, and the rest of the world has to as well.

It is difficult to ignore the spectre of China at the ASEAN summit in Melbourne, even though the country is not even present at the event.

The Australian economy may have posted smallest expansion on an annual basis this millennium, or possibly even since the 1990s downturn.

The comments come as the Prime Minister announced a suite of policies including a $2 billion finance facility, visa reforms and startup landing pads in key regional cities.

The collective outrage that has met Meta's move to tear up deals with the Australian media industry distracts from flaws in the laws underpinning them.

There are fears behind the scenes in Canberra that the Albanese government will act hastily to curry favour with Australia's largest media companies heading into the next election.

IFM Investors is the biggest infrastructure investor in Australia. Its chief economist warns that offshore opportunities in green energy are likely to drag money out of the country unless the government provides a clear plan for the transition.

The Albanese government will use the next few days in Melbourne to boost economic ties with Southeast Asia at a special ASEAN summit, which is expected to include a renewed push to help Australian tech companies expand into the region.

A few months ago, Labor was on track to lose the outer-suburban seat in Melbourne's southeast.

The privacy regulator is investigating several allegations against the department over the management of its online database.

The Reserve Bank’s rate rise in November wasn't a surprise but for many it was an irritation. With inflation now slowing quicker than expected, debate is raging about whether the central bank has pushed too hard.