The Albanese government has unveiled sweeping changes to property taxes, winding back the capital gains tax (CGT) discount and negative gearing in a bid to help about 75,000 Australians “achieve the dream of home ownership”.
There was little in the Budget for Australia’s under-resourced integrity agencies, who by the government’s own assessment are not meeting their targets.
Medical researchers and advocates have welcomed the government’s commitment to increasing funding for critical research projects, but warn that the sector remains under significant financial pressure. Independent MP Dr Monique Ryan described it as a “really big win” for the sector, which has been campaigning hard for the increased investment.
Greg Jericho, chief economist at the Australia Institute, gives his thoughts and annotations on Treasurer Jim Chalmers' Budget speech
The government's changes to negative gearing and the CGT discount will reduce the enormous tax concessions that are encouraging people to speculate on the property market. Finally, we have a housing affordability policy that will make a real, positive difference.
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Treasurer Jim Chalmers has announced what he described as “the most significant tax reform package in more than a quarter of a century”, but the failure to include a gas export tax has been heavily criticised.
It's true that some taxes grow and while others fade away. Here's a look at some of the 'smaller taxes' by how much they are expected to grow over the next 4 years. What's striking is that while Australia is in the middle of a gas price boom, the PRRT is still expected to fall by a third.
The Government has now released its formal response to the Australian parliament’s inquiry into online gambling and gambling advertising. The response was tabled in Parliament at about 4pm on the Tuesday afternoon that most of Parliamentary press pack were locked in a room without their phones or laptops so that they could read an advanced copy of the budget.
The United Nations has issued a rare warning to Australia over the treatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in the justice system, saying it held “grave concerns” about systemic racial discrimination and over-incarceration. The Human Rights Law Centre (HRLC) said that the findings should serve as a wake-up call to governments.
Former oil and gas executives are urging the Albanese government not to use the Middle East crisis as justification for expanding fossil fuel production, warning Australia risks locking itself into an “outdated” energy system as the rest of the world accelerates towards electrification.
Every Australian has a right to access government information. Requests for access are increasingly delayed, but journalists and members of the public are still using freedom of information law to keep the government on its toes.
Far from chaos or quagmire, the result of power-sharing in the ACT has been a reforming Parliament that has served as a “laboratory of democracy” for other Australian jurisdictions to learn from and take inspiration.
It isn’t always easy to keep up with what’s happening in the US. “Shorter America” is a series where Dr Emma Shortis loops you in on what’s going on in America and shares news and analysis that you can trust.
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Australia’s arts and culture cannot be produced overseas, and cannot be moved offshore. It can only be made here. So, amidst a struggling sector, what has the government announced to make sure it still is? In short, not much.
We know the amount raised from the beer excise is greater than the PRRT, but the bank levy is also bigger than the PRRT. It's little wonder the head of the Commonwealth Bank has twigged that gas companies are taking the piss.
Australia’s win against tobacco shows that we can solve big public health problems. But there are other health epidemics that we’re way behind on. When it comes to obesity – a major risk factor in many health problems – Australia is in the top five nations.
Australia’s first climate case to reach the High Court will be heard next week, in a landmark legal battle that could reshape how fossil fuel projects are approved nationwide. MACH Energy is challenging last year’s NSW Court of Appeal ruling that sided with an Upper Hunter community group.
Protesters highlighted the significant risks posed to Scott Reef and marine ecosystems, as Woodside comes under pressure over the Browse project’s emissions and costs, as well as its appearance at a Senate inquiry into gas taxation.
