Businesses could face fines of $25,000 if they refuse cash, under a bid by a former Nationals MP to secure more freedom for consumers. Andrew Gee is behind a Private Member’s Bill that would force individuals and businesses to accept cash payment or face heavy penalties. But the Bill, introduced to federal parliament on Monday, … Read more
A pay bump for the lowest-paid workers is unlikely to throw the Reserve Bank of Australia’s inflation fight off course after landing broadly in line with economists’ expectations. Millions of workers on minimum and award wages will get a 3.75 per cent pay rise from July following the Fair Work Commission’s annual decision. Based on … Read more
A Queensland woman narrowly avoided losing her life savings in a scam that cost Australians almost $100 million last year. Rebecca (name changed for privacy) visited the NAB branch in Kingaroy, northwest of Brisbane, in early May to transfer $100,000 for a new car. But holes quickly appeared in the sale, with a banker spotting … Read more
Australian radio legend Bob Rogers, whose career on the airwaves spanned 78 years, has died aged 97. Friend Derryn Hinch paid tribute to the country’s longest-serving radio presenter following Rogers’ passing at his Sydney home, surrounded by family. “The words legend and icon are thrown around too easily these days but Bob Rogers was both,” … Read more
The penalty for lodging a tax return after the deadline in Australia is set to increase, if proposed legislation passes before the end of the financial year on July 1. The 5.4 per cent increase will bring the existing $313 penalty up to $330, and the penalty will continue to go up every three years … Read more
The family of a beloved Australian shipworker who vanished at sea more than three years ago have revealed when they will finally hold his funeral — but say the formal service won’t end their bid to uncover why their brother and dozens of crew were sailed directly into a huge storm. NSW man William Mainprize … Read more
Gone are the days when wine tasting was confined to local wineries or national borders. Today’s consumers crave authentic wine experiences in the land where it’s cultivated. In Europe, where the wine economy is predominantly export-driven, tasting rooms tend to be family-operated. That means there may be just one person serving visitors, and appointments are … Read more
Australian renters looking to move house had slightly more choice in April but with competition for vacant homes still fierce, prices will probably continue to rise. Vacancy rates have been holding at very low levels in most parts of the country, leaving more renters scrambling to secure the few available properties and pushing market rents … Read more
A number of changes have been made to the mutual obligation rules to improve Centrelink’s JobSeeker payment, according to the federal budget. The relaxation of the rules is likely to result in fewer people being cut off from the payment. Among the changes, comes an expansion to the grace period before a Jobseeker recipient gets … Read more
The sentencing of the man who helped expose allegations of Australian war crimes in Afghanistan has been met with outrage, with David McBride to spend at least two years and three months behind bars. McBride, 60, pleaded guilty to leaking classified defence information to journalists. Justice David Mossop sentenced him to an aggregated five years … Read more
