Working families are still under acute financial pressure but fewer cash rate hikes of late has tempered growth in their overall living costs. In the 12 months to the December quarter, living costs rose 6.9 per cent for employee households, down from the 9.6 per cent...
HOW ALLAN FELS SAYS AUSTRALIA CAN STOP PRICE GOUGING A NATIONAL WATCHDOG: * Establish a national competition and prices commission, which has a “standing review” of the market and examines the reasons behind high prices * The watchdog would not replace the competition regulator, the Australian Competition and...
Children in more than a dozen NSW schools will help test an in-house artificial intelligence app after the state banned the popular ChatGPT over cheating concerns. The trial AI app, called NSWEduChat, was an important first step for the rollout of the technology in the state’s...
Low and middle income earners have been guaranteed extra relief, with bipartisan support secured for changes to income tax cuts. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said he would not stand in the way of those doing it tough and in need of tax relief. “We’re supporting this change...
Workers who are not paid to monitor their phones and emails 24/7 should not be penalised if they choose to disconnect, the prime minister says. A range of workplace changes are before parliament, designed to improve pay and conditions and stamp out exploitation. Some MPs want worker...
Australian businesses should deploy artificial technology across more parts of their operations or the nation risked falling behind the rest of the world in productivity, a major technology conference has heard. But Microsoft’s AI Tour event in Sydney on Wednesday also heard major corporations had started...
Voters have voiced approval for looming changes to tax cuts, but federal politicians are doing their best to play down the polling. Almost two in three people surveyed by Newspoll said the prime minister made the right decision to amend stage three tax cuts, while 29...
Students from disadvantaged backgrounds should be eligible for fee-free university places in industries facing chronic shortages, the sector’s peak body has urged. In a pre-budget submission to the federal government, Universities Australia has called for financial support for students from underrepresented backgrounds, similar to a Commonwealth...
Even as children, people create this big picture in their minds — a reflection of how they envision their life to be. Whether your big picture is similar to what’s called the Australian Dream (home ownership as the key to a better life) or not depends a...
For some people, a major reason for beginning to prepare for life’s ‘what if’ scenarios is starting a family. If your primary concern is taking care of your family, life insurance is an excellent option. It makes sure that your loved ones are supported financially, both...