Articles about Australians

Move comes five days after Jim Chalmers said Labor was not considering cutting the fuel exciseAnthony Albanese has slashed the fuel excise in half in a move which will save motorists 26 cents a litre, and is encouraging people to take public transport where they can, as the national cabinet announces a plan to manage the petrol crisis.Following a meeting of state and federal leaders on Monday, leaders also agreed to reduce the heavy vehicle road user charge to zero for three months, in a bid to support truck drivers. Continue reading...

Unions and farmers call for government intervention as agriculture, construction and waste industries also at risk from higher pricesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastCare workers, tradespeople and transport drivers are being hit hard by ballooning fuel costs, with some industry groups urging the government to roll out assistance packages or even a jobkeeper-style wage assistance program to help businesses avoid laying off staff.Reports of small mining businesses scaling back operations and some construction companies deciding against hiring more apprentices have prompted suggestions the government should step in to help, with the Master Builders Association already forecasting a downturn in the number of homes that will be built this year. Continue reading...

Homebuyers lose confidence amid higher rates and Iran war-linked price rises across the economy, buyers agent saysFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSurging numbers of homes are being passed in at auction as higher interest rates weigh on demand and the number of properties for sale hits highs not seen since 2021.The national auction clearance rate last week was just under 57%, the lowest this year, with Sydney’s at 55%, Cotality data shows. The remainder includes both houses that did not sell at auction and houses withdrawn before auction. Continue reading...

Rising inflation and unemployment mean effects of Iran war could be even worse than the post-Covid cost-of-living crisisGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAs diesel prices make history by passing $3 a litre in nearly every capital city around the country, the stresses of high fuel costs are beginning to show.Truckies are warning they will go out of business if they can’t renegotiate their contracts with customers; farmers are warning the same, telling families that food in our supermarkets could soon cost more. Continue reading...

Poll also finds Australians keener for government to forge closer ties with ‘middle powers’ such as Canada and JapanGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastOnly one in four Australians approve of the US-Israel war on Iran, and just a third have backed the federal government’s actions in sending a military plane and troops to the region, according to a new poll.The latest Guardian Essential poll found Australians are keener for the government to forge closer ties with so-called “middle powers” such as Canada and Japan, with about a third wanting to distance from the US. Continue reading...

David Pocock says a flat 25% export levy on gas producers could redirect ‘wartime profits’ to struggling AustraliansGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPressure is mounting on the Albanese government to help households struggling with fuel prices, with working from home and free public transport posited as possible solutions.Nearly 150,000 New Zealand families will soon receive a weekly cash payment to help them afford petrol, believed to be the world’s first fuel relief package that directly pays citizens since the Israel-US war on Iran began. Continue reading...

Vehicle numbers on key Sydney and Melbourne roads have held steady, as calls grow for free or cheaper public transport to encourage people to drive lessFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralians appear to have kept driving despite soaring petrol prices, as calls grow for free or discounted public transport to help people save fuel and get off the road.Traffic and public transport usage are holding steady, with experts warning the country needs to change travel methods or start working from home if fuel costs keep rising.Do you know more? Email [email protected] Continue reading...

University polling and focus groups found sharpest increase in those worried about national security was cohort aged 18 to 24Nearly half of Australians believe a foreign military will attack the country within five years, as anxiety over national security issues rises sharply, a new study suggests.The Australian National University’s National Security College report found that two-thirds of those polled in 2026, including an increasing number of teenagers and young adults, were worried about national security issues. Continue reading...

Government faces political fight as industry says mooted 25% levy on exports would hurt Australia’s economy and energy securityGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGas giants will lobby against any federal government moves to introduce a 25% export levy on windfall profits, as crossbenchers pressure the prime minister to redirect billions of dollars in “wartime profits” to Australians struggling amid the global energy crisis.It comes after the prime minister’s department asked Treasury to model the effects of placing a flat 25% tax on gas exports, the ABC reported on Friday, along with any further changes to the petroleum resource rent tax (PRRT) and corporate income tax. Continue reading...

One Nation and Coalition adopting reactionary tactics to win over frustrated and fearful voters, frontbencher Andrew Giles saysGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPauline Hanson and rightwing populists are cynically exploiting the frustrations of Australians who feel forgotten by government or left behind by poor education and job opportunities, Labor frontbencher Andrew Giles says.Accusing One Nation and the Coalition of adopting cynical and reactionary tactics to win over frustrated and fearful voters, Giles says better education is critical to stopping disenfranchisement with government and a weakening of democracy in Australia. Continue reading...