News Australia

Home loans by value fell in October and remained flat over the year, suggesting the housing sector remains stagnant. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) said on Monday that total housing finance by value fell 2.5 per cent in October, seasonally adjusted, to $20.458 billion. The ABS data also showed that the value of home [...]

The telco industry is resisting two out of three major reforms designed to reduce confusion, bill shock and poor customer service, the communications regulator says. Telcos claim that the proposed changes are either too complicated, costly or will confuse customers. Consumer groups argue that the industry’s response is "insulting", "laughable" and won’t appease the regulator’s [...]

TRADIES, flight attendants and real estate employees, be afraid. The nation’s bean counters are coming after you this year. The ATO has announced its annual hit list of occupations that will face extra scrutiny as part of a crackdown on people who make fraudulent tax claims. If you’re a tax cheat or a potential tax [...]

LABOR MPs have backed down on a demand that Indonesian abattoirs comply with Australian standards, paving the way for the return of live cattle exports to slaughterhouses that do not require animals be stunned before they are killed. Animal activists blasted the decision, and said the government had missed a chance to reform Indonesian abattoirs. [...]