It is clearly hard to get out of that election mode when posturing about tough on law and order is seen by politicians as a pre-requisite for success.
Interest rate rises
Hockey wins big from rate rise
Australian mortgage owners aren’t exactly chuffed by the RBA’s latest interest rate rise, but at least one man would be secretly happy: Joe Hockey. This rise provides a grand finale to his recent round of “Hockeynomics,” writes Lenore Taylor.
RBA minutes: prudent not to hold back on rate rise
Could we be on the cusp of more interest rate rises than we thought from the Reserve Bank? Minutes from the latest board meeting suggest it would be “prudent” to be on alert.
Interest rates rise while Stevens changes his tune
The Reserve Bank lifted interest rates rose 0.25% to 4% today, still below what economists called ‘trend’, or neutral, but we are heading towards that higher plain.
Mixed economic scorecard has rates rise an each-way bet
Speculation on interest rate movements is mostly hollow. But what the media has missed is that the central bank has arranged another full month of appearances by senior staff and the bank.
We were warned: interest rates will rise
When interest rates are raised today, we can’t say that we weren’t warned. RBA chief Glenn Stevens told us last year we had a chance of avoiding it and we muffed it.
Rate rises a bloody good thing for Australia
The preoccupation in the Australian media and financial markets commentary on interest rates every time there’s a release of economic data is approaching the illogical. Rate rises aren’t a bad thing.
Consumers less confident than bullish business
Australian consumers are less confident than business, the latest Westpac/Melbourne Institute survey of consumer sentiment shows. But is the lack of confidence due to interest rate rises?
Gittins: Yes, the banks are being greedy
If you’re complaining about the banks being dodgy and raising their interest rates higher than the official rate, you have every right to complain. Except, they were greedy because businesses need to make profits, writes Ross Gittins.
Interest rate horse puns: their cups runneth over
The priceless coincidence of two major news events occurring within an hour of each other yesterday had the nation’s top journalists jockeying relentlessly in their favourite pursuit: tenuously-linked punnage.
Ask the economists: tomorrow’s RBA announcement
We asked the economists for their punt on the RBA’s interest rate announcement tomorrow, just ahead of the race that stops a nation. They say that the numbers will just keep going up…
The RBA charm offensive
The Reserve Bank is about to embark again on a major selling program as inflation and interest rates resume their historic relationship in the minds and forecasts of the central bank.
Australians don’t blame Rudd for interest rate rise
The latest Essential Report reveals some surprising public opinions: 55% of Australians believe the latest interest rate hike reflects a positive trend in the economy, not “reckless and excessive stimulus spending”. Possum Comitatus has the rest.
Australia: the Switzerland of the South Pacific
It’s Australia’s moment in the global economic sunshine, with strong job figures, and a rising market. “In lifting interest rates, the RBA has succeeded… the Harbour Bridge as the new Australian icon”, writes Michael Evans.
scandal 
Kohler: How 18 out of 20 economists were wrong
Amongst all the chatter about interest rate rises, rumours were circulating that two journalists were getting leaked info directly from the RBA, reports Alan Kohler. What problems will this bring?
Political snippets: No government this morning
With all the media focus on the Opposition at the moment, the government are staying very very quiet. Plus, the sneaking humorous world of sub editors.
Stimulus isn’t money for nothing. Time to wind it back
Calls are mounting for the Federal Government to reduce its wide-ranging fiscal stimulus package as economists continue to upgrade the prospects for the Australian economy.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: Dangerous ideas
Crikey readers weigh in on Guy Rundle’s Festival of Really Dangerous Ideas, the Indian students report and the possibility of John Howard heading up the NRL commission.
Spiralling dollar spells current account chaos
Standby for a good, old fashioned current account scare, as the Australian dollar continues to rise as it did last night in the wake of the Reserve Bank rate rise.
Rates up, more to come
The rate rises have begun, with RBA today lifting its cash rate 0.25% up to 3.25%. Is the Australian economy officially back on track?
Interest rates: what goes down must come back up
Interest rates are likely to rise, but not until business and consumer confidence are a little more stable, writes Ross Gittins.
Crikey Says: Crikey Says
Here’s the word from the Golf Club (a genuine cross-section of voters) about the “important” things making news this week.
Confidence slumps, housing hits brick bottom
With housing mortgages at an 11 year high, home lending running at a 9% low and the worst single month for building approvals, you would have though the media would have been all over the decision by Brickworks Ltd yesterday, to cut production in NSW by 100 million bricks a year, writes Glenn Dyer.
Why a rate rise will only take house prices higher
Interest rate rises are supposed to slow the economy … how then do we explain the surge in house prices in 2007, asks Glen Dyer?
Will Wayne Swan protect the world’s most expensive banking system?
New Treasurer Wayne Swan was very keen not to frighten the banking horses during the election campaign, when his distanced himself from Peter Costello’s jawboning on interest rate rises, writes Stephen Mayne.
