The deficit that stole Canberra's Christmas

Peter Martin THE Gillard government has asked public servants to search for fresh spending cuts in the lead-up to Christmas in a new attempt to achieve a 2012-13 budget surplus.

Christmas cuts in hunt for surplus

Peter Martin The Gillard government has asked public servants to search for fresh spending cuts in the lead-up to Christmas in a new attempt to achieve a 2012-13 budget surplus.

'Compelling' case for Newstart boost

Peter Martin There is a 'compelling' case for boosting the $245-a-week Newstart unemployment allowance, according to the man who chaired the Senate inquiry.

Coalition tax plans come with $4.6b bill

Peter Martin THREE of the Coalition's tax policies will cost Australian businesses an extraordinary $4.57 billion in their first full year of operation, a Treasury analysis has found.

EXCLUSIVE

Abbott's $4.6b slug to business

Peter Martin The Coalition's tax policies will cost Australian businesses $4.57 billion in their first full year of operation, according to the Commonwealth Treasury.

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'Blind belief' in China misplaced

Peter Martin Ross Garnaut lambasts Australian executives for destroying shareholders' funds in the blind belief that China's demand for Australia's big three mining exports would keep climbing.

Living costs all good for workers

Peter Martin Far from being squeezed, working Australians are better off than ever, latest figures show.

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Attractions of mining boom fail to send us west

Peter Martin Far from making Australia more dynamic, the mining boom seems to have pushed us back into our shells.

Revolt over wheat bill

Peter Martin Western Australian Liberal Party council urges members to break ranks and back government bill.

Health insurance rebate may shrink by 30% in 10 years

Matt Wade, Craig Butt, Peter Martin IF THE next 10 years are like the past 10, changes to the private health insurance rebate means families with health cover will get about 30 per cent less in total rebates by 2022 than they would...

Cost of carbon tax less than estimated

Peter Martin First official consumer price figures show far lower impact than predicted by Treasury.

Peter Martin

Swan empties bag of tricks to save his skinny surplus

Peter Martin THE government needs export prices to stop falling if it is to have any hope of painlessly delivering its promised budget surplus.

Tax perks will go in budget update as Treasurer looks to 'Labor values'

Peter Martin Workers who get a tax advantage sacrificing their salaries for tickets to events such as V8 Supercar races are among those who will bear the brunt of billions of dollars of budget cutbacks to be...

Liberals make big inroads in ACT

Peter Martin, Canberra Labor stronghold swings sharply to the Liberal Party with key Labor ministers including the Attorney-General at risk of losing their seats.

Swan cuts workers' perks to curb debt

Peter Martin WORKERS who get a tax advantage by sacrificing their salaries for tickets to events such as V8 supercar races are among those who will bear the brunt of billions of dollars of budget cutbacks to be...

Government faces budget deficit as tax take plunges

Peter Martin The federal government is facing a massive challenge to meet its promise to deliver a budget surplus, next week's budget update will reveal.

Budget shock: $21b shortfall

Peter Martin NEXT week's budget update will reveal spending cuts and revenue measures worth an extraordinary $4 billion this financial year - a task made all the more difficult by the fact the year has only eight...

Budget update to beat gloom

Phillip Coorey and Peter Martin The federal government will release its midyear budget update next week.

Update accused of being coy to hide revenue hit

Phillip Coorey, Peter Martin THE government is set to release its midyear budget update next week, prompting accusations it is bringing the document forward to avoid factoring in worsening revenue predictions and jeopardising...