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Soaring coal and gas exports, turbo­charged by the Ukraine war, have driven the largest trade surplus in the nation’s history, filling government coffers and potentially halving the forecast budget deficit for the past financial year. An ongoing commodity price boom drove the nation’s trade surplus to a record $17.7bn in June, ­according to figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, leaving the trade balance for 2021-22 more than 54 per cent higher at an unprecedented $137.4bn. CBA senior economist Belinda Allen described the trade figures as “truly extraordinary in the context of where we were in 2016, when we were recording very persistent deficits”.

Perhaps the single best option for tackling these issues is to provide an unlimited work bonus which would allow pensioners to earn as much as they want from work and just pay income tax like everyone else. This is not to suggest a universal pension — eligibility would still be subject to an assets test and other income tests — but to give pensioners greater freedom to work if they choose to. It will give greater freedom and prosperity to pensioners who choose to work, it will increase revenue from the tax on additional income earned, and it will provide immediate relief to businesses across Australia struggling with worker shortages.

Over time, the free zone model has increased trade and investment flows between countries and created millions of jobs in the process. There are several examples of the impact that successful free zone models can have on a country from all around the world, and the World FZO seeks to highlight such success stories and to raise awareness of the advantages that the model can bring.
– Dr. Samir Hamrouni
CEO World FZO

“Currently as soon as a pensioner earns more than $300 a fortnight they lose 50c on the dollar of their pension.

“Instead there needs to be a simple system where they are able to work more and then pay income tax.“

It’s a good idea. Do it.

New Resources Minister reveals a ‘transition’ to fossil-free world. She intends to use her new platform to “dispel a lot of the myths around the industry” and to ensure the rest of Australia appreciated the sector was the “backbone of the economy”. The trade portfolio she held in Opposition was allocated to South Australian Senator Don Farrell. Ms King said she accepted it would have been “difficult” to hold both jobs, but speculated “one day in the future, maybe” she would have that opportunity. Instead, she was also made Minister for Northern Australia, despite her electorate being south of Perth. She admitted being “a little surprised” but said she had an affinity with the region and saw it as a “broad, exciting portfolio”.