Coalition hedges its bets on reversing super reform
Madeleine Heffernan and Peter Martin The opposition says it cannot guarantee it will unwind any changes the federal government makes to superannuation in the May budget, despite its denunciations that the reforms would be a ''smash and...
Super losses likely as Libs reject repeal
Madeleine Heffernan and Peter Martin The opposition has said it cannot guarantee it will unwind any changes the federal government makes to superannuation in this year's budget, despite its denunciations and claims that the reforms...
Tax rise for rich a red tape 'nightmare'
Peter Martin, Madeleine Heffernan The government's options for taxing superannuation more heavily are shrinking.
Super a juicy target
Peter Martin Peter Martin explains the ways Labor could tax superannuation in order to try to balance this year's budget.
High-earners take more cake: study
Peter Martin While the past 20 years have made Australians of all kinds better off, high income Australians have done far better than those near the bottom, according to new Productivity Commission research.
Senator calls for increased taxes
Peter Martin Leading Labor senator Doug Cameron wants Australians to pay more tax after the May budget - an extra $10 billion more.
Australians oppose more taxes as budget time looms
Peter Martin More than half of Australians believe they pay too much tax, up from 44 per cent two years ago.
Study finds widespread ignorance about carbon tax
Peter Martin Australians are so ignorant about the carbon tax that more than half think it has pushed up the price of petrol.
Albanese likely to survive unruffled
Jonathan Swan, Peter Martin Anthony Albanese looks set to retain his cabinet position despite his backing of Kevin Rudd.
High earners don't realise own wealth, study finds
Peter Martin Australia's high earners are surprisingly magnanimous when it comes to tax. Many think the rich should pay more. They just don't think that applies to them.
Albanese safe despite his allegiance to Rudd
Jonathan Swan, Peter Martin Anthony Albanese is set to retain his position in Julia Gillard's cabinet despite being outed as a member of Kevin Rudd's inner circle during the attempted leadership coup.
PM intervenes on bills, seeks support from crossbenchers
Lenore Taylor, Peter Martin The government is at risk of missing its self-imposed deadline for passing controversial media laws after it adjourned what had been expected to be a long debate Tuesday night.
Lift your game, Carr tells journalists
Peter Martin Foreign minister Bob Carr has called on journalists to lift their standards after again flatly denying he has ever expressed doubt to any of his colleagues about whether Labor can win the next...
Unemployed miss out on super-sized pay increase
Peter Martin Pensioners will get a super-sized pay rise, while Australians living on Newstart get a comparative pittance. From Wednesday, the take-home pay for single pensioners will jump by an extraordinary $35.
Jobless to get a third the rise of pensioners
Peter Martin Pensioners are about to get a supersized pay rise while Australians living on Newstart get a comparative pittance.
PM's gift turns out to be rubbery figures
Peter Martin Julia Gillard grabbed it as a gift from heaven.
PM's jobs record that never was
Peter Martin Julia Gillard grabbed it as a gift from heaven. 'Today we can say, since this government came to office, we created 926,000 jobs,' she told Parliament.
Swan cracks down on dodgy costings
Peter Martin Treasurer Wayne Swan will introduce tougher than expected legislation to crack down on dodgy costings by political parties, extending its reach to the accountants who work for them.
GOING … GOING …
Peter Martin Physics and economics are bedeviled by the phenomenon known as ''hysteresis''. It's where, once made, a change can't be easily undone.
Peter Martin
Middle class has cake, eats it too
Peter Martin So-called middle-class welfare is now counted upon. Can the genie can ever be put back in the bottle?
