“The reality is that government employees around the world are known not to be as efficient as the private sector.” —Paul Fletcher, Liberal Party, Member for Bradfield “The efficiency of the public system…
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Displaying 6101 - 6125 of 7440 articles
The consensus of the nine members of the Shadow Board is that the Reserve Bank of Australia should leave interest rates unchanged from March at 3.00%. But the balance of risks implies rates should rise…
The long-term future of carbon pricing in Australia’s efforts to reduce our emissions of greenhouse gases is bleak if there is no bi-partisan approach. With Coalition likely to win September’s election…
The 21st century is predicted to be Asia’s century. As the leading economic power in Asia, China has become a popular business partner for many countries notably Australia. With increasing business interactions…
The recent Four Corners documentary on poverty in the United States is a salutary reminder of why the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) needs to hold the line on minimum wages in relation to average…
Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten is bringing private sector legal firepower into the Fair Work Commission, including appointing the President of the Law Council of Australia, Joe Catanzariti as…
In arguably the TV event of 2013 so far, House of Cards – a $100 million, 13-episode TV series starring Kevin Spacey, directed by David Fincher, and commissioned by Netflix, premiered exclusively online…
In opening the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) forum this week, chairman Greg Medcraft pulled no punches. “Manufacturers [i.e. banks and financial institutions] - and, frankly, this…
For most of us, banks represent a trusted and safe harbour for our money. Investing in fixed term deposits for example, is widely seen as a low-risk strategy. The global financial crisis changed that view…
Corporate consultants often say that a company’s success depends not only on having a clear vision, but the ability to articulate it to all levels of staff. But how many employees know or understand the…
Uninsured savings over €100,000 deposited in a troubled Cypriot bank may be subject to a new levy, under a deal reached to save the Cyprus banking system. The European Union (EU) finance ministers, the…
Two changes are needed to the taxation and family benefits system to improve efficiency and achieve equity between families. The first step is to replace the current complicated family tax benefit payment…
Last week, the Parliament of Cyprus rejected a bill that would impose a levy of 9.9% on bank deposits over the insurance threshold of €100,000 and a levy of 6.75% on deposits below the insurance ceiling…
Today, an Australian parliamentary committee grilled the IT titans - Apple, Adobe, and Microsoft - on price discrimination against Australian consumers. The IT companies were evasive under questioning…
Yesterday’s events around Labor’s leadership were stunning. Julia Gillard emerged victorious but polls will no doubt continue to predict a huge loss for this Government on election day and MPs in marginal…
Beijing has been blanketed by another round of heavy smog, this time causing more chaos as businesses reopen and people return after the Lunar New Year Holiday. Over the past eight weeks, the capital has…
Julia Gillard has called a ballot for the leadership at 4:30pm. Gillard announced the ballot at the start of question time. “In the meantime, give it your best shot,” she told the house. Veteran Labor…
Fairfax Media is introducing a “soft” paywall for The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH). Initially, the paywall will only affect readers outside Australia, but a domestic version will follow. Fairfax…
Two of the government’s six media reform bills passed in the House of Representatives with multi-party support on Tuesday night. While most attention and debate has focused on the regulation of the news…
In an address to the Australian Industry Group yesterday, Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank Philip Lowe made a number of interesting remarks regarding recent monetary policy and the difficulties experienced…
In a surprise move that shocked investors and commentators alike, the Republic of Cyprus announced plans last weekend to impose a levy on bank deposits. However, Cyprus’ prime minister, Nicos Anastasiades…
One quarter of Australians would be willing to switch superannuation funds to avoid investing in coal or coal seam gas, according to a recent survey. Not only does this research raise important questions…
The NBN is emerging as one of the key issues in the lead-up to this year’s federal election. But the project has been fraught with challenges: planning issues and a shortage of skilled labour have delayed…
The Republican and Democratic budgets released last week share little common ground. But both illustrate the same point: for all the talk of a new liberal America in the wake of Barack Obama’s re-election…
Gambling provides Australian state governments with an average of 7.3% of their own taxes, about $5147 million, according to ABS data for 2010-11. Victoria (10.8%) and New South Wales (8.6%) earn above…