Deaths at Dreamworld theme park could lead to safety changes for amusement rides
David Eager, University of Technology Sydney
Investigations are under way following the tragic accident at the Dreamworld theme park on the Gold Coast on Tuesday that left four people dead.
Queensland Police say initial investigations show that six people...
John Mangan, The University of Queensland
One of the most common ways multinationals take advantage of current laws to reduce their tax bill is through what’s known as transfer pricing. Former Treasurer Wayne Swan last week accused mining giant BHP of “aggressive transfer pricing,” denying the Australian government A$5.7 billion...
Forcing insurers to reveal rejected claims a win for consumers
Justin Malbon, Monash UniversityCompanies offering life insurance will now disclose the outcomes of claims, under a new reporting regime in a bid to increase transparency in the industry. This information won’t only be used by individual customers but also by...
New South Wales overturns greyhound ban: a win for the industry, but a massive loss for the dogs
Clive Phillips, The University of Queensland
The New South Wales government’s U-turn on its greyhound industry ban says as much about the weak calibre of some politicians holding high office as it does...
New VET Student Loans unlikely to weed out dodgy private providers
Mary Leahy, University of Melbourne and Shelley Gillis, University of Melbourne
Education Minister Simon Birmingham argues that the new VET Student Loans program – which will replace the flawed and highly controversial VET FEE-HELP scheme – will “restore credibility” and...
Timothy Minchin, La Trobe University
In Australia, car makers have come to be seen by many as more of a cost than a benefit, a failing industry that was too reliant on government handouts. But in the United States, many state governments have attracted foreign investment that has provided ongoing...
Abbas Valadkhani, Swinburne University of TechnologyWhen Australia’s central bank moves interest rates as part of its monetary policy, it’s not just politicians who stand to lose if banks don’t follow suit.
Retail lending markets form an integral part of the monetary policy transmission mechanism. If interest rate rises are passed...
Natalia Nikolova, University of Technology Sydney; Robyn Johns, University of Technology Sydney, and Walter Jarvis, EdD, University of Technology Sydney
The pay of executives of a company, whether in salary, bonuses or other types of remuneration, is usually justified as an incentive to improve the financial performance of a company....
Thomas Clarke, University of Technology SydneyThe move for an inquiry into how banks treat small business customers should not overshadow the ongoing call for a broader royal commission on banks.
Several financial inquries (outlined below) have failed to tackle the growing concentration in the Australian finance sector, or the need...
The federal parliament is the most important in Australia. It's also more open to corruption than any State parliament.
Icac recommends criminal charges against Joe Tripodi and Chris Hartcher
The NSW Labor senator Sam Dastyari won a lot of attention this week with the news that he'd asked a Chinese company...