Deloitte modelling for Super Members Council finds move could cost budget up to $2.5bn a year by end of the decadeGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastLetting Australians access superannuation to buy their first home would blow a hole of up to $2.5bn a year in the budget by the end of the decade, according to Deloitte...

People living on the shores of Ballarat’s Lake Burrumbeet say they have to choose between rent or food and petrol – and they have chosen the latterSign up for the Rural Network email newsletterJoin the Rural Network group on Facebook to be part of the communityAn old black billy hangs above a doused fire at the front of John Cleeland’s caravan, nestled...

Royal commissions into disability and aged care found ‘a fundamental problem’ with how the drugs were usedGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastGlenda Parkin was 56 when she was diagnosed with younger-onset dementia, a rare visual variant of Alzheimer’s disease known as posterior cortical atrophy. She became functionally...

Government dampens hopes for an increase to jobseeker, despite pressure from economists, social justice groups and equality advocatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastAustralians are forecast to have more disposable income next year, according to budget predictions, with higher wages, tax cuts and lowering inflation.But...

We need to avoid replicating the experience of the 1990s, when taming inflation involved destroying the economyGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastIt seems that some people really want a recession. The estimates of inflation not falling below 3% until the end of next year has led some commentators to demand higher...

Perpetrator counselling programs are no ‘magical solution’ but a crucial pillar in preventing and stemming reoffending, experts sayGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastDavid knew carrying out violence against his family was wrong. But it was a 20-week court-mandated program that taught him how to change his behaviour.After...