Loophole on mining royalties might go

Phillip Coorey THE federal government is considering revisiting the mining tax legislation to close the loophole that allows the states to gouge the tax's revenue by raising royalties - a move which would risk...

Mining tax unsustainable, says Oakeshott

Phillip Coorey The federal independent MP Rob Oakeshott has declared the mining tax "unsustainable" and said unless the federal and state governments sort out the dispute over royalties, the tax must be brought...

Uncertain passage for Swan's measures

Phillip Coorey THE federal opposition has rounded on the cuts contained in yesterday's midyear budget review but stopped short of vowing to block them in Parliament, saying it would reserve its decision.

Slender surplus hangs in balance

Phillip Coorey THE federal government is prepared to jettison its promise to return the budget to surplus this financial year rather than make further harsh cuts should economic conditions continue to deteriorate,...

Electricity reforms could drive down power bills

Phillip Coorey Household power bills would be reduced by as much as $250 a year and the NSW government could save more than $1b in infrastructure spending under a raft of changes proposed to the electricity market.

Now broadcaster told to say sorry over 'vermin' comment

Phillip Coorey, Stephanie Gardiner ALAN JONES has been forced to say sorry for the second time this week after a tribunal ruled yesterday that he must apologise on air for calling Lebanese Muslims ''vermin'' before the Cronulla riots...

Heat on Stevens but Swan at ease

Phillip Coorey, Clancy Yeates, Gareth Hutchens THE federal government has expressed full confidence in the Reserve Bank governor, Glenn Stevens, as calls grow for a judicial inquiry into allegations that subsidiary companies of the bank bribed...

Greens grab headlines with media probity plan

Phillip Coorey THE Greens will try to gazump the government by releasing their own proposal for a public-interest test governing media ownership before Cabinet finalises its plans.

We could go under, Qantas tells MPs

Phillip Coorey, Matt O'Sullivan QANTAS management is warning the airline could ''go under'' if the state-owned Etihad is allowed to buy enough of a share of Virgin Australia to allow it to start undercutting Qantas on its...

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Qantas fears over Etihad push

Phillip Coorey and Matt O'Sullivan Management is warning the airline could 'go under' if Etihad is allowed to buy enough of Virgin Australia.

BHP boss threatens to invest offshore

Elizabeth Knight, Phillip Coorey AUSTRALIA'S most influential businessman, Jac Nasser, has slammed the Gillard government's record on tax and industrial relations, saying that unpredictability is undermining investment and could...

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Abbott's vow: I can save $50 billion

Phillip Coorey THE Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott, has promised that within a decade 40 per cent of year 12 students will speak a second language in a reply speech that condemned the federal budget this week as a...

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Cash flows as mining tax wedges Libs

Phillip Coorey THE first payments from the Gillard government's cash splash budget will be handed to families with schoolchildren next month after the opposition failed to block the legislation in the lower house...

Hockey indicates support for welfare increases funded from mining tax

Phillip Coorey The federal opposition has abandoned its principle of opposing all the measures the mining tax will fund and support $2.9 billion in welfare increases to be funded by the levy.

Phillip Coorey

Cash splash to calm carbon fears

Phillip Coorey THE Gillard government has sought to reconnect with voters angry about the carbon tax and the cost of living with a budget that axes planned tax cuts for big business and instead hands out another $5...

$5bn apology for the carbon soot

Phillip Coorey John Howard mastered the art of throwing money at people who were angry with his government.

Phillip Coorey

Gillard aims to make amends

Phillip Coorey At its core, this budget aims to build bridges between the government and the Labor base. Julia Gillard, so often accused of having a tin ear, has started to heed the message in recent weeks.

Labor's $5 billion carbon offset for families

Phillip Coorey LOW and middle income earners will be eligible for $20 billion in cost-of-living assistance over the next four years after today's federal budget unveiled another $5 billion in payments to coincide...

Surplus of $1.5b right on budget

Phillip Coorey THE federal budget today will promise a slender surplus of $1.5 billion for next financial year, $2 billion the year after, to be delivered amid a worsening global economic picture and uncertainty...

Business to gain a $700m tax lifeline

Phillip Coorey BUSINESSES struggling with the high dollar and other pressures of the mining boom will be thrown a $700 million lifeline in tomorrow's federal budget while parents of schoolchildren will receive...