There are growing calls for Australian workers to be given an extra week of paid annual leave, with one expert dismissing claims it would cost businesses too much. Late last year, the union for retail workers struck a deal with homewares giant IKEA to increase the leave entitlements of 4000Continue Reading
Guardrails for Labor’s landmark industry policy will be announced by Treasurer Jim Chalmers on Wednesday — a day after the investment vehicle provided fresh equity to a Silicon Valley-based tech start-up. In April, the Albanese government launched its Future Made in Australia plan, joining the roster of countries that hadContinue Reading
Australia is expected to lag behind its peers in reducing inflation and boosting economic growth, the International Monetary Fund has warned, as Treasurer Jim Chalmers prepares to attend a a series of high-level talks in Washington. With less than a month until the May budget, Dr Chalmers will leave theContinue Reading
As the competition watchdog begins probing a planned mega merger between two pharmacy giants, critics warn Australian consumers could end up paying dearly for the move. In December, it was announced Chemist Warehouse and Sigma Healthcare, which owns brands like Amcal and Discount Drug Store, would join forces to becomeContinue Reading
Parents could pay as little as $10 per day for childcare and receive up to 52 weeks of paid parental leave under a new draft law that will seek to make childcare free for low-income families. Early childhood advocates will launch a bill for consultation into parliament on Wednesday alongsideContinue Reading
A “business as usual” approach to Indigenous affairs is overwhelmingly failing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, a damning new report has found. The final report of the Productivity Commission’s first three-yearly review of government action on the Closing the Gap Agreement found governments had “failed to fully grasp” theContinue Reading
Parenting advocates have urged for immediate access to universal childcare and a pay rise to address chronic workforce shortages plaguing childcare centres, warning that Australian families ‘can’t wait any longer’. Acting CEO of national parenting advocacy group The Parenthood, Jessica Rudd, said statistics showed seven out of 10 parents whoContinue Reading
A group of landlords have aired their complaints about the difficulties of owning and renting out multiple properties in Australia, but their stories have been met with little sympathy from struggling tenants. The ABC published a story over the weekend looking at why landlords are selling their properties after aContinue Reading
Price caps and naming and shaming providers that charge too much are among the options currently being considered by government to limit runaway childcare costs, Education Minister Jason Clare has said. Speaking on Sky News on Sunday, Minister Clare said while the government had acted to provide further bill reliefContinue Reading
Australians would be better served if international airlines were granted greater access to the nation’s capital cities, as more competition could drop prices, the productivity commission says. Acting chair Alex Robson said while the current arrangements had served Australia well, there was room for improvement. “There would be benefits fromContinue Reading