The federal government will prioritise long-term investment in the upcoming budget, with hints the bottom line will come in better than expected. Industry Minister Ed Husic said the investment would flow to sectors where it was needed. It includes science and technology, with $60 million (US$39 million)to go towards Canberra’s iconic Questacon. Husic said interest…

Labor’s flagship multi-billion dollar housing fund could be revived later this year after a federal government minister vowed to push on with negotiations. Legislation to set up the fund was rejected by the Senate crossbench, forcing the government to back away from its plan to get it passed during last week’s parliamentary session. Industry minister…

The Australian Labor government has said consumers would see energy bills eventually decrease as its gas and coal price caps take effect. This is despite reports indicating that many households will face steep price hikes in February. As gas companies and energy experts are speaking up about the negative impact of the $12 (US$8.27) per…

Global energy giant Shell has suspended talks to supply gas to Australian businesses in response to the federal government’s contentious move to cap the wholesale price of gas and coal—effectively cutting into the profits of energy companies—an action supposed to lower retail prices for households. Shell’s move comes amid a wave of opposition from energy…

The Australian housing industry saw a sharp fall in the number of buildings approved in July amid soaring building costs and interest rate hikes. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), total building approvals across the country tumbled by 17.2 percent in July compared to a modest 0.6 percent drop in June. The sharp…

The Australian government is inviting the people to give opinions on which technologies will be most critical to Australia’s economy and national security over the coming decade. Businesses and researchers across the country now have six weeks to submit their recommendations for the technologies considered vital for Australia’s interests today or those that have the…

The Australian Labor government is reviewing a grant program implemented by former Prime Minister Scott Morrison and could take away funding from related industry projects. After it was revealed that the former prime minister secretly swore himself into five minister roles between 2020 and 2021, The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Morrison had approved 17…

Australia’s domestic spy agency’s decision to drop sensitive labels such as “left-right” and “Islamic extremism” has received a mixed reaction, with one religious expert saying the shift to broader terminology could inadvertently mislead public perception of extremist behaviour. Last week, Mike Burgess, director-general of the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), delivered the Annual Threat…

Labor is calling on the Morrison government to address the issue of understaffed farmers resulting in Aussie growers losing more than AU$40 million (US$30.1 million) as unpicked crops rot. The move is led by Opposition Agricultural Minister Ed Husic, who is hoping for an urgent meeting of state and federal ministers to address the crisis….