For all their bickering, Labor and the coalition appear to be unified on one policy front. Both have adamantly ruled out hiking the GST rate if elected in September, with Labor claiming it would hurt poorer ...

The coalition has accused the federal government of running a "hysterical scare campaign" over superannuation, as Labor MPs across the country rally to warn that Tony Abbott would cut retirement ...

Labor has launched a nationwide attack on the coalition's superannuation plans, warning an Abbott government would erode the retirement savings of low-income Australians. Labor MPs across the country on ...

Labor cabinet member Bill Shorten has warned Tony Abbott would hike the GST rate if elected as prime minister in September. The federal government claims Mr Abbott's plan for a tax "white paper" ...

SkyCity hopes to cash in on Queenstown.

A 52-strong trade mission is flying to Indonesia this weekend for two weeks of intensive briefings and meetings.

Diamonds don't just come in all shapes and sizes: they come in a rainbow of colours, from cherry blossom pinks and the deepest ruby reds to deep ocean blues and icy whites. Rio Tinto had 64 of them on ...

The Australian dollar has fallen to its lowest level in almost a year, with no signs the sell-off will be over any time soon. At 1700 AEST on Friday, the currency was trading at 97.37 US cents, its lowest ...

Shares in engineering giant WorleyParsons plunged to four-year lows after it blamed a slowdown in Western Australia's mining industry for a profit downgrade. The announcement surprised investors given ...

The Australian share market closed higher on Friday, led by investors picking up cheaper mining stocks after heavy selling in recent days. The market was still slightly lower for the week. The mining giants ...

A federal opposition plan to repeal the carbon tax if it wins government has been labelled immoral by a senior Labor minister, who says such a move cannot go ahead. Climate Change Minister Greg Combet ...

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has dismissed claims by Australia's richest person Gina Rinehart that the nation's economy is heading for a collapse like those seen in Europe. In a video recorded speech delivered ...

Australian bond futures prices are higher after disappointing US economic data saw Treasury yields fall. Local bond futures rose overnight on Thursday as share markets in the US weakened and Treasury yields ...

Prime Minister Julia Gillard says a coalition government would have to make further budget cuts to cover a $26 billion shortfall in revenue. Opposition Leader Tony Abbott on Thursday night said in his ...

Stocks to watch on the Australian stock exchange at close on Friday: VAH - VIRGIN AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS LTD - up four cents at 42 cents Virgin Australia shares regained some ground after their 17.39 per cent ...

If businesses ran their budgets like the federal government they would face corporate charges, shadow treasurer Joe Hockey says. Speaking at the Australian Mines and Metals Association conference in Melbourne, ...

May 17 (BusinessDesk) - New Zealand shares fell, with Nuplex Industries cutting its full-year earnings guidance a second time and Summerset Group modestly weaker after its biggest shareholder reduced its ...

By Paul McBeth May 17 (BusinessDesk) - The New Zealand dollar is heading for a 2.1 percent weekly fall against the greenback as investors flock to the US currency on growing expectations the Federal Reserve ...

Wesfarmers has downgraded its earnings forecast for Target as the troubled department store continues to drag down the conglomerate's otherwise strong performance. Wesfarmers, which owns Target as well ...

Anchor says sales of its light proof bottle milk are up over 10 per cent in supermarkets.

By Tina Morrison May 17 (BusinessDesk) - New Zealand's Reserve Bank will clearly explain concerns it has about risks to financial stability before using any of its new tools to cool asset bubbles, in the ...

If you're planning an overseas holiday any time soon, this will come as bad news: the Australian dollar is down and staying down. Two weeks ago, one dollar was buying around 103 US cents; today it's buying ...

Australia's richest woman Gina Rinehart has been criticised by Prime Minister Julia Gillard for saying the nation's economy is heading for a collapse like those seen in Europe. The multi-billionaire mining ...

China's state-owned electricity company is set to spend about $6 billion for a major stake in Australian electricity and gas assets. The largest utilities company in the world, Sate Grid Corporation of ...

A major business group has pledged to lobby an Abbott government to scrap its "ill-conceived" paid parental scheme, which it says will cost large companies in excess of $100 million a year each. ...

There are indications the unemployment rate will bounce back up relatively soon.

Summerset Group shareholder Quadrant Private Equity sold down its stake in the retirement village operator at $2.90 a share, raising some $89 million, and taking advantage of the stock's 34 percent advance ...

Standard & Poor's has dropped its outlooks for eight New Zealand banks from stable to negative.

May 17 (BusinessDesk) - Nuplex Industries cut the range for its full-year earnings guidance by about $11 million, saying Australia's manufacturing slump has dented demand for its resins, specialty chemicals ...

US cranberry farmers who spent millions of dollars to replant and expand bogs face a financial crisis after a huge harvest in Canada flooded the market and sent prices plummeting. Farmers in Wisconsin, ...

Sixteen-year-old Gabriel Aguilar, of Chicago, an avid shopper, prefers to patronise specialty shops such as Urban Outfitters or Forever 21 for party and hang-out-with-friends apparel. Sears? Not a chance. ...

Wesfarmers has downgraded its earnings forecast for its Target stores, predicting a "disappointing" result for the department store chain. Target's bottom line in the 2012/13 year would be hit ...

The Australian dollar has fallen to another 11-month low as the currency becomes unpopular with Japanese investors. On Friday morning, the Australian currency dropped as low as 97.53 US cents, its weakest ...