Will the Coalition launch an interest rate cut campaign?Who wants to argue against an interest rate cut? Andrew Robb knew he was on safe ground when he suggested a cut on ABC radio, reports James Thomson.
Reserve bank of australia
RBA pay: why Glenn Stevens is not Elizabeth Taylor
The RBA’s decision to jack up the pay of its most senior management by 30% during the 2008/09 financial year, the nadir of the global financial crisis, might have been impolitic, says Adam Creighton.
Political snippets: A little interest rate word of warning
Perhaps we should not get too carried away at the prospect of interest rates actually falling any time soon.
New ABS measure shows lower inflation
A revised method of calculating changes to inflation made by the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that the inflationary measures that most influence the Reserve Bank are lower than previously calculated, writes Richard Farmer.
No, the sky’s not falling — the economy is in rude health
The Australian economy isn’t dying, it isn’t in need of a rate cut to halt a slide towards a recession, it isn’t suffering from a lack of spending or demand: in fact it’s in rude health.
Gottliebsen: blowing up a Swiss safe haven
The decision by the Swiss to defend their currency and the consequent rise in the gold price (it later eased) has the potential to be a time bomb for the Australian dollar, writes Robert Gottliebsen of Business Spectator.
Political snippets: Nearly standing still on unemployment
Nearly standing still. A year ago the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that in July 2010 there were just under 587,000 unemployed. This morning comes the news that in July 2011 there were 576,000 officially looking for jobs. The economic recovery has stalled with the ABS figures actually showing an increase in unemployment over the […]
Rate rise: savers and borrowers have their fingers crossed
At 2.30pm today we discover whether the headline variable mortgage rate in Australia advances from 7.8% to 8.05%, writes Christopher Joye.
Political snippets: Theyre wil be red faces on Tuesday on interest rates
Come Tuesday and the economic teams of one of our major trading banks is going to be red faced
Political snippets: A day of shame for the Australian Reserve Bank.
Australia has its first ever prosecution under foreign bribery legislation.
Maley: waging a battle against stalling productivity
There’s no doubt that the core reason that our productivity is ebbing is that we’ve lost the zeal for microeconomic reforms, writes Karen Maley of Business Spectator.
No interest rate change expected
The Crikey Interest Rate Indicator is pointing strongly to there being no increase in official rates at today’s Reserve Bank board meeting, says Richard Farmer.
RBA boss’s speech a primer for Moody’s
The media and markets took literally a speech by Reserve Bank governor Ric Battellino yesterday and concentrated on his remarks about mortgage stress, bank lending and credit growth.
Ask the economists: how do you talk down the dollar?
The Aussie dollar hit US$1.10 this morning, a record against the greenback. It’s great news if you’re planning an Aussie winter jaunt to Palm Springs, not so wonderful if you’re an exporter or manufacturer in Australia. Should the RBA intervene?
National accounts numbers have us right where the RBA wants
After talk of a recession, the Australian economy grew in the last quarter of 2010, but with no signs of inflation.
RBA chief: save to cut borrowings and debt
Reserve Bank governor Glenn Stevens has all but told the country’s politicians and businesses groups to stop bickering about flood levies, taxes and other minor issues and start focusing on how the economy can ride out the resources boom without too much long-term damage.
Political snippets: Choosing a Reserve Bank board member
Treasurer Wayne Swan has not had an opportunity yet to choose a member of the Reserve Bank Board but he soon will have.
RBA keeps rates on hold at 4.75%
The RBA kept the official interest rate on hold this afternoon at 4.75%, with governor Glenn Stevens saying mortgage lending rates are now just above average given the banks’ decisions to raise interest rates above the cash rate, writes Smart Company’s Patrick Stafford.
War is a-ragin’ between the RBA and Treasury
A war is raging between the Reserve Bank of Australia, which is trying to ween Australians off debt addiction, and Treasury, which is using the budget to try and keep the population spending.
World markets take headshots over China inflation, Ireland meltdown
Since last Friday the world financial markets have taken some major blows.
Let’s play bash the banks
Crikey Media Wrap: Joe Hockey and his “Hockeynomics” proposal calling for tighter banking regulation kicked off an almighty round of bash the banks, and now it seems everybody is joining in.
Stutchbury: Why nobody picked the rate rise
Before heaping blame on the RBA’s rate rise people need to remember that Australia’s economic circumstances are rapidly changing. Asian demand for our iron ore will drive a massive mining boom and the RBA is determined to keep inflation under control, writes Michael Stutchbury.
Swan to banks: this time it’s personal
Following the RBA’s decision to raise the official interest rate Treasurer Wayne Swan has picked up the phone and vented his spleen directly at bank bosses, while publicly making noises about competition strengthening reforms, writes Phillip Coorey.
