Hi all, A quick note to offer guidance on the new website. As well as the layout changes that make it easier to access content for new readers, it comes with a dramatically improved sign-up and resubscription process, greatly enhanced speed, and a much better mobile experience (since 95% of traffic is now phone!). The
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released data this week on population growth in the capital cities for the 2024-25 financial year. The headline results are summarised below by the ABS, with Melbourne leading the nation’s population growth (105,030), followed by Sydney (75,230), Brisbane (58,223), and Perth (58,088): However, the drivers of population growth across
God only knows this is a fool’s errand, but here goes my best guess at what the mad POTUS will say tonight in his national address Mission Accomplished. He, Donald Trump has made Americans safer by destroying Iran. The nuclear threat is gone. America will withdraw in 2-3 weeks. He, Donald Trump, has some mopping
Former NSW Premier Mike Baird has penned an article in The Australian arguing that Australia is no longer a low-debt country and state and territory governments now account for about half of the nation’s total public debt. Between 2007 and 2023, Baird argues that Australia recorded the fastest growth in public debt (as a share
Wage theft continues to run rampant across Australia: A nationwide audit has uncovered more than $300,000 in wages owed to migrant workers in regional hospitality venues, as experts warn underpayment and exploitation remains a “pervasive” issue across Australia. More than half of the cafes, pubs and restaurants inspected were caught underpaying or exploiting migrant workers in what
The threat of rising interest rates, low yields, and the expected unwinding of property tax concessions has led to a sharp decline in investor demand for housing. On Tuesday, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) released credit aggregates data for February, showing that housing credit in Australia grew by 0.58% in February, down from the
Australia faces an energy-scarce future, despite being the world’s largest coal exporter, the second-largest natural gas exporter, and holding 30% of the world’s uranium. To meet the federal government’s 82% renewable energy target (RET), the majority of Australia’s current coal fleet must be retired and replaced with approximately 6–7 GW of new large-scale renewable generation
Markets are partying on some crazy headlines. President Trump told aides he’s willing to end the U.S. military campaign against Iran even if the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed, administration officials said, likely extending Tehran’s firm grip on the waterway and leaving a complex operation to reopen it for a later date. More. Iran’s
In the history of Australian politics, there is a relatively small number of phrases that are burned into the nation’s collective consciousness, whether for better or for worse. Phrases like “It’s time”, “The recession we had to have” or a more recent challenge that really came into its own during the pandemic, “That’s a state
The evidence is rapidly accumulating that the Australian economy is entering depressflation. A junior West Australian iron ore miner was forced to scale back non-essential activities to keep its operations running after coming within days of running out of fuel. Fenix Resources, which operates three mines in the state’s Mid West, hauls its iron ore
The American Empire is dying before our very eyes. This is no longer a long-term Thucydides Trap decline. This is an accelerated collapse in which all American allies will reassess their position simultaneously. There were three main pieces to the American empire. The first and foremost was NATO. Post-WWII, NATO was the glue that bound
Australian consumer sentiment is imploding, with the ANZ-Roy Morgan weekly consumer confidence report plunging to a fresh 53-year low. All subindices deteriorated last week, with household confidence in their current and future finances at their lowest level since the subindices were first available in 1985. Following two back-to-back interest rate hikes, mortgage holders are the
Cotality’s March housing report has been released, showing that Australia’s rental crisis is deteriorating at an accelerating pace amid strengthening demand. Monthly advertised rental growth has held steady at 0.7% over the past two months, taking quarterly growth to 2.1%, the largest increase since May 2024. Over the year to March 2026, advertised rents rose
No. But the WSJ piece is the best option I’ve read since it started. President Trump told aides he’s willing to end the U.S. military campaign against Iran even if the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed, administration officials said, likely extending Tehran’s firm grip on the waterway and leaving a complex operation to reopen
TME with the charts. Still playing out – for now The dĂ©jĂ vu setup continues to play out, with price action, positioning, and macro signals all moving in the same direction. While short-term bounces are possible given stretched conditions, the broader backdrop, from flows to volatility dynamics and macro pressures, still argues for a fragile
The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that data centres account for approximately 1-1.5% of global electricity use, which translates to around 330 million tons of CO2-equivalent emissions annually. This figure represents about 0.9% of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions. The demand for digital services, including cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI), is rapidly increasing. This growth
I would like Albo to take an IQ test. I think he would come in well below average. Labor MPs were “perplexed” by Anthony Albanese’s decision to slash the fuel excise, saying they were surprised the government had moved ahead with a plan many of them were against and that the Prime Minister had no
After experiencing one of the world’s largest house price booms during the COVID-19 pandemic, New Zealand has subsequently experienced one of the greatest price declines. As illustrated below by Justin Fabo from Antipodean Macro, New Zealand home prices have declined by more than 16% from their previous market peak in early 2022, with all major
The local gas price is still holding far below the Asian price, but it is now threatening to rise above $10Gj. The Asian price is still hovering around triple that at $30Gj. Today, the cartel makes its message crystal clear to Australia. ‘Tax us and you will pay‘. Shell Australia chair Cecile Wake said the
There is nothing new here, but the MB outlook is again creeping into respectable commentary, this time from Morgan Stanley. According to the bank, acute diesel sensitivity is a major macro risk in 2026, making Australia one of the economies most vulnerable to a worsening global energy supply shock. The bank points out that Australia’s
The Albanese government seems incapable of reining in spending and restoring the integrity of the federal budget. Over the weekend, we learned that the government is reconsidering plans to unwind the fringe benefits tax (FBT) exemption on electric vehicles (EVs), which is forecast to cost taxpayers $1.35 billion this financial year—15 times the original forecast.
As the war in the Middle East continues to rage and gasoline prices continue to rocket, the net approval rating of the U.S. president has continued to dive to new lows for this current administration. According to an analysis by U.S. political analyst Nate Silver that weights data from multiple pollsters by quality, Trump has
Along with the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea is another crucial maritime area where the Middle East conflict has spread due to the Houthi rebels in Yemen. This puts strain on two of the most significant energy corridors in the world at the same time, raising the risk of the global supply chain and
Australia’s housing market has clearly divided into two distinct blocks: Sydney and Melbourne, where values are now falling and Perth, Brisbane, and Adelaide, which continue to experience strong growth. Cotality’s daily dwelling values index for March 2026 clearly illustrates these trends. As illustrated below, dwelling values across the five main capital city markets grew by
Australia’s real per capita GDP growth has been in structural decline over the past 25 years. As illustrated below, 10-year annualised GDP per capita growth has fallen to its lowest level in recorded history (outside of the pandemic lockdown), growing by an anaemic 0.8% in 2025: The most recent national accounts release from the Australian
A new report from Sustainable Population Australia (SPA) argues that the nation’s skilled occupation list is fundamentally broken—packed with hundreds of roles that are not genuine shortages—resulting in migrants being brought in for jobs that either don’t exist, don’t require qualifications, or are already oversupplied with Australian workers. SPA claims that Australia’s skills shortage will
