Taylor’s big advantage could be 35pc of voters don’t know who he is
The new opposition leader is standing at the bottom of a mountain and there is doubt among many in his own party that he can climb it.
Taylor pins recovery on immigration crackdown, economic rebuild
Hume forgiven election blunders to return as Taylor’s deputy
‘Retiree tax’ crusader is contender to be shadow treasurer
The easy coup is over. Now for Angus Taylor’s impossible job
‘Don’t dwell on disappointment’: Ley quits politics after leadership loss
S&P 500 reverses most gains as earlier CPI/rate optimism fades
US equities turned mixed in the final hour of the session as buyers opted to sell the January inflation data rally before a three-day break.
‘I’m very measured’: Sigma CEO’s global ambition for Chemist Warehouse
Vikesh Ramsunder says Chemist Warehouse’s international operations could one day “potentially” exceed the huge Australian store network.
Australia, EU zero in on free trade deal after breakthrough talks
A sweeping free trade pact with Europe close to being struck after negotiators converged on previous sticking points follow two days of intensive talks.
The AFL’s new bad cop: The rise of Sharon McCrohan
From Labor politics to Afterpay and now Australia’s wealthiest sporting code, Sharon McCrohan has spent decades wielding influence from the shadows.
Trump working on rollback of steel and aluminium tariffs
Donald Trump is poised to scale back more tariffs amid rising costs for US businesses and consumers, and in a bid to check his faltering approval rating.
Victoria told of more corruption claims after CFMEU crackdown
The Allan government has received 40 reports of corruption on state infrastructure projects more than a year after the union was forced into administration.
Weekend Reads
The evidence Allan should have known of corruption is overwhelming
One of the most ordinary observations in the CFMEU corruption report – that the government knew and did not act – has somehow become the most controversial.
‘Puke or diarrhoea’: The brutal choice facing voters in a broken Britain
Reform UK is on the verge of snatching a safe seat from Prime Minister Keir Starmer, threatening to end his leadership after a fortnight from hell.
‘The world is in peril’: Why two AI insiders quit in alarm
Former employees of OpenAI and Anthropic issued a warning about the fast pace of technological development this week, and urged society to keep up with the risks.
How repeating first grade drove Christian Beck towards a circa $6b IPO
A lifelong desire to prove he wasn’t stupid drove the ATI Global founder to build an international legal tech firm. He’s now asking markets to value his work.
The 90-minute race to give a baby a new heart
An infant heart transplant is an operation on the edge of what’s possible, requiring meticulous preparation and an ability to deal with unexpected problems.
smart investor
10 signs you are finally ready to retire
After 42 years in banking, Graeme Steele embarked on a 15-week road trip to see if he could farewell work forever. Here are 10 other ways to test your retirement readiness.
Should I give money to my kids to avoid the new super tax?
Evaluate your super balance against $3 million and $10 million thresholds before June 30, 2027, because this date is a critical reset point under transition rules.
How the new super tax makes death ‘excruciatingly expensive’
Division 296 tax is being characterised by some as a “stealthy” inheritance tax and financial advisers are predicting a rush of super withdrawals.
600 victims of super’s forgotten collapse feel left behind
Nearly 50 ASIC staff are working across 26 investigations into Shield and First Guardian, but Australian Fiduciaries investors feel frustrated by a lack of action. Here’s what they can do.
Not all capital gains are equal. So tax housing windfalls harder
When one asset class systematically generates passive, location-driven profits, taxing it more heavily than productive capital is economically defensible.
Lucy King on the global scam operators targeting Australian investors and how the brother of “Raygun” came to be linked to one of them.
Companies
Can big ski resorts really transform into year-round destinations?
Thredbo has installed an alpine rollercoaster and Mount Buller put in new equipment to transport mountain bikes as operators try to maximise their investments.
BHP’s export of flagship iron product crashes amid stoush with China
An 80 per cent slump in export volumes of a key BHP iron ore product to China occurs as the world’s biggest miner prepares to release results this week.
GQG’s Jain says he was early but right on decision to sell out of tech
The high-profile fund manager made the comments after the firm posted a jump in profits even as investors withdrew their cash after a year of poor performance.
Local jobs to go as Blackstone’s Crown takes IT, finance offshore
Crown says the latest reduction in jobs is designed to set the business up for the future and comes as the group faces industrial action in Victoria.
Westpac profit margins under pressure amid battle for customers
The big four lender made a profit of $1.9b in its first quarter, broadly in line with last year, but said it was seeing some margin pressure.
Cochlear shares hit three-year low on new implant delays
The medical device maker expects full-year earnings to land near the bottom end of its forecast range, and has written down its investment in Saluda.
Nick Scali boss urges patience after soft January trading dents shares
Profit and sales jumped in the first half at the sofa and home furnishing retailer, but investor concerns about a softer outlook sent its shares tumbling.
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Markets
US inflation eases, traders lift odds of third rate cut
The consumer price index rose 0.2 per cent in January, the smallest gain since July and restrained by lower energy costs, good news for policymakers.
From Goldilocks to too hot, markets face an almighty inflation test
Fund managers are starting to rethink a playbook that pushed equities to record highs as Australia emerges as a possible bellwether for the rest of the world.
Australia’s once mighty growth funds watch returns disappear
Top investors including Hyperion, GCQ and Aoris are nursing heavy losses as the violent sell-off in software stocks erode years of market-leading performance.
L1’s bet against profitless tech stocks fuels massive returns
The hedge fund’s new global strategy has returned 92 per cent net of fees since it launched at the start of last year. Here’s how they did it.
ASX falls 1.4pc on AI jitters; Cochlear, Austal dive, AMP rallies
Despite Friday’s drop, the ASX 200 posts a weekly gain; Cochlear misses expectations; Webjet ends takeover talks; Austal smashed on guidance blunder; gold rebounds. Follow live
Opinion
Victoria is what happens when Labor governs unchallenged
Without a robust sparring partner to take on Labor, we are left with the soft tyranny of unchecked power and the inevitable decline of the state.
Editorial
The easy coup is over. Now for Angus Taylor’s impossible job
The new Liberal Party leader rose in an overwhelming vote against Sussan Ley. Will that be enough to arrest the party’s steep decline in public support?
Columnist
No let up in the merry-go-round of executive changes at the big banks
When will the dust settle? A frenzied period of executive change and senior staff movements between large lenders has continued into 2026.
Associate editor
Taylor is an old-school Liberal. But the rescue task is Herculean
While he has extensive experience, Angus Taylor is saddled with being a poor communicator and, like fellow Rhodes scholar Malcolm Turnbull, poor at politics.
Political editor
Skip the roses. A prenup is the best gift this Valentine’s Day
Binding financial agreements were once seen as symbols of mistrust, but they are now emerging as practical tools for clarity, certainty and mutual respect.
Corporate affairs specialist
A Liberal Party that can’t win women can’t win Australia
We may not want to cry for Ley – or even for the Liberal party itself. But we should pause for what it says about diversity of representation in our democracy.
Law professor
Politics
Taylor pins recovery on immigration crackdown, economic rebuild
Angus Taylor says it will take time to rebuild the Liberal Party. His first test will be the Farrer byelection.
Virginia Giuffre estate row elevated to senior WA judge
The court battle over the Epstein survivor’s multimillion-dollar estate has pitted her lawyer and friend against her children.
From Bad Bunny bets to the Big Build, we’re being swallowed by grift
Whether it’s crypto, prediction markets or union scandals, corruption is no longer hidden and only a rort if you’re not in on it in this new transactional world.
‘What a farewell gift’: Liberals face tough battle for Ley’s seat
A hotly contested byelection in Sussan Ley’s seat of Farrer will be an early test of Angus Taylor’s political leadership.
The man who would be PM: Taylor’s defining moment arrives
From sheep farmer to Rhodes Scholar, Angus Taylor finally makes his move for the Liberal leadership, in a career defined by ambition and never far from controversy.
World
Merz puts Europe’s nuclear arms at heart of Transatlantic reboot
Still, the German leader warned the audience at the Munich Security Conference not to “reflexively write off” the US, saying such positions were short-sighted.
Dubai’s Bin Sulayem quits DP World after Epstein ties exposed
Emails between Bin Sulayem and Epstein show the two men exchanged intimate messages, contacts and attempted to broker deals for one another.
Goldman Sachs’ top lawyer resigns over Epstein files
The bank had been steadfast in its support of Kathy Ruemmler even as documents showed she was a close ally of the sex offender through his 2019 arrest.
Citigroup bumps CEO Jane Fraser’s pay to record $59m
The 22 per cent increase in remuneration makes her among the best paid Wall Street bank CEOs – and just shy of JPMorgan boss Jamie Dimon’s package.
Sorry, not sorry: Manchester United owner’s immigrant claim sparks fury
UK billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe apologised if people were offended by his comments that Britain had been “colonised” by incoming migrants.
Property
Former CBA boss lands secret buyer for Hunters Hill estate
One of Hunters Hill’s finest estates, Lyndcote was listed for sale by former CBA chief executive David Murray last year. Now, it’s disappeared from websites.
Brookfield heavyweight splashes $28m on record-setting waterfront
Stewart Upson, the Asia Pacific head of the Canadian private capital giant Brookfield, and his wife Jemma have spent a record sum for a slice of Avalon Beach.
Treasury may need more money to cover 5pc borrowers
First home buyers may be at greater risk of default as rates rise because they can borrow more under the expanded scheme.
Zuckerberg flees California for ‘billionaire bunker’
The Meta CEO and his wife are the latest California billionaires to reportedly buy a home in Florida, amid concerns over the introduction of a wealth tax.
Rate rise dampens interest at open homes
Consumer sentiment and higher rates are likely to slow housing price growth this year.
Wealth
Annie Cannon-Brookes goes solo with huge Southern Highlands venture
The billionaire is preparing to unveil her tourism project with everything from restaurant Three Blue Ducks to cattle grazing and sustainable crickets.
600 victims of super’s forgotten collapse feel left behind
Nearly 50 ASIC staff are working across 26 investigations into Shield and First Guardian, but Australian Fiduciaries investors feel frustrated by a lack of action. Here’s what they can do.
10 signs you are finally ready to retire
After 42 years in banking, Graeme Steele embarked on a 15-week road trip to see if he could farewell work forever. Here are 10 other ways to test your retirement readiness.
Technology
How a viral social media site for AI bots is suffering a human problem
OpenClaw and Moltbook have taken the tech crowd by storm, but the purity of a social media platform solely for AI bots is ironically being polluted by humans.
From selling cars to software millionaires: Brisbane duo sell to US fund
A decade ago Glenn Harwood and Jaron Crossland were selling used cars, now they have sold their car valuation software company for millions to US billionaires.
PsiQuantum’s plant in Brisbane will reach -269C. It’s running behind
There is still no sign of activity at the site slated to house a quantum computer that has nearly $1 billion in government backing.
Work & Careers
Victoria’s baby barristers fear being stuck in limbo as bar fills up
Prospective barristers face an almost three-year delay between passing their exams and starting work, while fees have jumped over 130 per cent in just one year.
UTS to cull more than 100 jobs after regulator rejects union claim
Views about costs and alternatives to redundancies were labelled speculative and irrelevant by the workplace regulator, paving the way for over 100 job cuts.
Life & Luxury
Aussie mogul king was a hero before shock Olympic gold
Cooper Woods stunned the field to take Australia’s first Winter Olympics medal, winning a tense tiebreak in the men’s freestyle moguls.
Do we need ‘super hybrids’? This Chinese brand makes the case
The Geely Starray EM-i has impressive levels of tech, but can it stand out in an already crowded market of similarly equipped Chinese-made vehicles.
Why you should let your kids fail
Early exposure to setbacks can help children confront later disappointments without falling apart.
The 90-minute race to give a baby a new heart
An infant heart transplant is an operation on the edge of what’s possible, requiring meticulous preparation and an ability to deal with unexpected problems.
I flew Latam Airlines to Chile, Qantas back. How did they compare?
Both airlines now fly Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners direct from Sydney to Santiago but only the Australian carrier earned a four-star verdict.
