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Celebrations in China for its lunar year see a seasonal plunge in output - but it’s good news for Australia. AAP/EPA/Rolex Dela Pena

New Year celebrations give Chinese economy a hangover

In China, the value of output produced in the December quarter drops a staggering 53%. And it’s down to New Year celebrations.
With a temporary EU debt deal done, Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis must now deliver his economic reform plan. Stephanie Lecocq/EPA/AAP

Greece stares financial apocalypse in the face, and retreats

Crisis postponed. On Friday, Greece, the European Union (EU) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) brokered a four-month extension of bailout loans to the newly-installed government of Alexis Tsipras…
The WorkChoices campaign was a rare and important success for the Australian union movement, but can it build on this success of eight years ago? Author provided

Unions: part of the solution, or part of the problem?

Unions were once integral to working life but their influence has been severely eroded. Can they regain their relevance?
Sports rights are seen as critical to the survival of free-to-air broadcasters. Flickr/Beau Lebens

Are sport broadcast rights worth the money?

Free-to-air broadcasters will pay big price for right to broadcast AFL games from 2017-2021. But there are ways networks can leverage more value.
Boards are no longer a female-free zone, but do you know why? Toronto Public Library

We need women on boards for many reasons: ethics isn’t one

There are many good reasons for increasing gender diversity on boards: better decisions, better performance, and better representation of the consumer base. But the idea, put forward in a variety of research…
China’s export food safety standards are much more stringent than domestic ones. Image sourced from Shutterstock.com

Contaminated berries scare unlikely to slow China food exports

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has been forced to respond to calls for stricter food labelling and inspection of food imports, following a spate of hepatitis A infections suspected of being linked…
The Shadow RBA Board recommends what the RBA should do, not predicts what it will do. Image sourced from www.shutterstock.com

The RBA cut rates, we said it shouldn’t. Here’s why.

I am a member of the “Shadow” RBA Board, which is made up of a collection of industry and academic economists. Just before every meeting of the real-world RBA Board, we announce our recommendations for…
Despite claims, there isn’t a systemic problem with tax evasion by Australian companies. Image sourced from www.shutterstock.com

Australia is not a country of rorters: our tax system is sound

The Henry Tax Review identified 125 taxes within Australia levied by all levels of government. Of those 125 taxes, just 10 taxes raised 90% of all tax revenue. The company tax is the second largest source…
Farm workers hired through labour hire contractors are vulnerable due to Australian law. Image sourced from Shutterstock.com

Australian dream a nightmare for many labour hire employees

With another fruit picking season in Australia have come the usual reports of “dodgy” labour hire contractors operating in farms around the country. Italian satirical news program Striscia recently picked…
Forex traders who went to the dark side could soon be forced to face the consequences. Justin Lane/EPA/AAP

Explainer: how bankers fixed forex trades and why it’s criminal

“Oh what a tangled web we weave. When first we practice to deceive”. Sir Walter Scott’s comment could have been made about the LIBOR and foreign exchange (forex) scandals engulfing the world’s largest…
It’s not all blue skies ahead for the Sunshine State’s economy, with declining gross domestic income per capita and higher unemployment than three years ago. Dan Peled/AAP

Queensland’s biggest economic challenge isn’t debt – it’s growth

Queensland has a new Labor minority government, led by Annastacia Palaszczuk, after the shock defeat of the Liberal National Party. Labor’s pre-election promises were “modest”, leaving many now wondering…
The government’s political play on submarines could backfire. Image sourced from Shutterstock.com

Tender doublespeak adds risk to submarine decision

Days after announcing Australia’s largest ever defence contract will be awarded via a “competitive evaluation process”, the government is still scrambling for a sensible definition of what such a process…
With Tony Abbott’s political capital at a new low, he’s shifting the focus from big reforms to small wins. David Crosling/AAP

‘Big’ no longer beautiful for Australia’s reform agenda

As the haze lifts (in the short term at least) on Canberra’s leadership ructions, we can see the extent of the car wreck that is Australia’s economic reform agenda. “Political uncertainty hits business…
White Ribbon aims to make women’s safety a man’s issue too, but ambassador Tanveer Ahmed has done damage to the cause. Courtney Biggs/Newzulu/AAP

‘Disempowered’ men still lead on economic power

This week “feminist” organisation White Ribbon came into disrepute after one of its ambassadors, psychiatrist and journalist Tanveer Ahmed, wrote an opinion piece in The Australian, suggesting men’s violence…
Water is just as critical as land for farms like Cubbie Station. Cubbie/AAP

Land ownership just the start in foreign investment debate

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has announced long-promised changes to the rules for foreign land purchases and ownership in Australia. There are two key changes. First, the Foreign Investment Review Board…
China’s moves against the global gambling industry needs to understood against historical and domestic concerns. AAP/ EPA/YM EPA

What lies behind China’s clampdown on foreign casinos

China’s recent clampdown on foreign casinos has been portrayed as an extension of Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption drive, but it is also more than that. The motives behind Xi’s declaration of war against the…
The policies Australia needs are being blocked in the Senate. Lukas Coch/AAP

Senate stalemate must end so we can face economic headwinds

Much of the current political turmoil in Australia can be traced to Bill Clinton’s famous aphorism: “it’s the economy stupid” – in particular, the plunge in world commodity prices over the past few years…
To help Australia meet its G20 commitments, infrastructure projects like Sydney’s WestConnex require a more stringent and transparent cost-benefit analysis. Dan Himbrechts/AAP

PM’s infrastructure plan failing growth and cost-benefit goals

The OECD’s Going for Growth report released this week is a good reminder of why Tony Abbott wants to be remembered as “the infrastructure Prime Minister”. The OECD argues addressing infrastructure service…
Defence Minister Kevin Andrews has stood by the term “competitive evaluation process” despite many questioning what it means. Nikki Short/AAP

Too much at stake for weasel words on submarines

It appeared to be the announcement Australian industry had been waiting for. Finally, political pressure on prime minister Tony Abbott’s leadership had forced a “fair go” for Australian shipbuilding. On…
Companies that try to aggressively avoid tax face scrutiny from activists and journalists. AAP Image/NEWZULU/HOWARD JONES

Tax transparency trend forces companies to face reality

Some may be surprised to hear the Corporate Tax Association (CTA) is calling for greater transparency around the tax paid by companies. One may ask why major companies would prefer to enhance transparency…
Fairfax sees Huffington Post’s left-leaning, populist approach as a good fit.

HuffPo meets Fairfax and you won’t believe what happens next

This week’s announcement that Fairfax had acquired a 49% partnership stake in Huffington Post Australia means yet another new entrant into the Australian online media landscape. An Australian edition of…