News Articles for Innes Willox

Detail of Australia's long-awaited response to the US Inflation Reduction Act will soon be made public, with domestic advanced manufacturing and a clean energy incentive scale-up on the cards.

A resilient but patchy Australian economy is expected to be on display when the Bureau of Statistics releases the latest national accounts figures.

The Federal Government has lauded its planned industrial relations changes as world-leading, but new details of the proposed reform have been slammed by leading business groups.

The federal budget has been broadly welcomed by the business community but some worry it doesn't go far enough to boost productivity and investment.

Jim Chalmers says the high inflation environment is the main challenge facing the economy and his budget will reflect these price pressures.

As criticism of the government's energy market intervention settles, Madeleine King is focused on pushing Australian resources to the fore of the global energy transition.

Jobs growth in the first six months of the Albanese government has been strong and managed to outpace performance in several advanced nations.

The manufacturing sector has finally contracted after three months of flatlining, in a sign that less than favourable economic conditions are now hurting.

The federal government's industrial relations laws look set to pass parliament following a deal with crossbench senator David Pocock.

Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke says he's having productive discussions with industry groups about new worker laws.

Confidence has dropped to its lowest level since mid-August 2020 as cost of living pressures mount, not helped by an expected further rise in interest rates.

Opposition leader Anthony Albanese effectively put a figure on Labor's position, supporting a wage increase of 5.1 per cent, in line with the highest inflation spike in two decades.

Manufacturing is growing at its fastest pace in almost a year, despite the constraints of skilled worker shortages and rising input prices and wages.

Consumer confidence dropped 2.6 per cent in the past week as the war in Ukraine began and storms battered Australia's east coast.

Payroll jobs dropped further by mid-September as coronavirus lockdowns continued to bite, and now stand below their pre-pandemic level.

Reserve Bank of Australia governor Philip Lowe says the coronavirus Delta variant outbreak has interrupted the economic recovery but not derailed it.

Businesses would do well to follow Qantas' model of requiring COVID-19 vaccinations, Prime Minister Scott Morrison says.

Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe expects the Australian economy will bounce back by year's end after suffering a contraction in the September quarter.

Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe is adamant interest rate hikes are unlikely to occur before 2024.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has backed the Fair Work Commission's minimum wage decision, saying it means a real wage rise for two million workers.

A prominent business leader has joined growing calls to support struggling companies once JobKeeper payments dry up.

Labor and unions have thrown down the gauntlet for an industrial relations showdown with the federal government over changes to enterprise bargaining.

Scott Morrison has defended a federal budget scheme to give bosses weekly cash payments to employ people aged under 35.

Australian manufacturers across six priority areas will receive more help to expand in high-value areas through an almost $1.5 billion budget boost.

The coronavirus pandemic and deepest recession since the 1930s has turned a forecast $5 billion federal budget surplus into an $85.3 billion deficit.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg promises his delayed October 6 budget will be about getting people back into work.

Businesses no longer eligible for wage subsidies will retain emergency powers to change workers' conditions if turnover is down 10 per cent.

Are litigation funders a danger to the Australian economy or an important pillar that improves access to justice?

China has ignored Australia's attempts to discuss trade tensions over beef and barley imports, and state governments fear they could become the meat in the sandwich as the trade tangle heats up.

New vehicle sales in Western Australia fell 2 per cent last month and 5.4 per cent during 2019, with national sales crashing to their lowest since 2011.

Australia's poorest workers will be guaranteed a living wage under a federal Labor government but business groups warn it will put jobs at risk.

The federal government today launched a new wage subsidy trial targeting apprenticeships in rural and regional areas, which will invest $60 million across a range of trades

Unions have blasted Industrial Relations Minister Kelly O'Dwyer's decision to intervene in a potentially landmark court case about casual workers' pay and leave entitlements.

The Fair Work Commission has delivered a 3.5 per cent increase to the minimum wage as part of its annual review.

The business sector has cautiously welcomed the federal government's announcement of a new visa scheme aimed at attracting high-paid and highly skilled workers to Australia, with the changes effectively reversing some of the stricter rules announced last year when the 457 visa sub-class was abolished.

Major gas exporters on the east coast have promised to ensure higher domestic supplies, but the industry has slammed the federal government's new restrictions on gas exports.

Soaring energy prices, driven by growing gas exports are putting jobs at risk and "politics-driven energy policies" are making the situation worse, Australia's peak business lobby group has warned.

Fresh from a year that delivered major political shocks and proved tougher than expected, Australian business leaders are taking a cautious approach to 2017.

Australia's service sector activity is set to surge into the new year after finishing 2016 near a decade high.

Australian factory activity picked up last month on the back of improving demand and recovering commodity prices.