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Incentives and tax cuts will do little to fix the big problem facing Australian business, leaders say.
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The Australian
 

Good afternoon,

Tax breaks will give a boost to business and workers, but the Albanese government has missed an opportunity to push ahead with more substantial tax reform, business leaders and industry experts say.

The local boss of one of the world’s largest supermarket suppliers, Cadbury owner Mondelez, has warned of a ‘cost of manufacturing crisis’ that is equally as painful and dangerous to the Australian economy as the ‘cost of living crisis’.

BHP boss Mike Henry has thrown down a gauntlet to Anglo American shareholders, signalling the company will walk away from its bid for the UK-listed major if Anglo’s board doesn’t engage with BHP’s takeover offer.

The Australian sharemarket closed higher as investors digested the federal budget, led by mining and health care stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.4 per cent to 7,753.7 points on Wednesday, while the All Ordinaries gained 0.3 per cent to 8,020.9.

Perry Williams
Business editor

The Markets

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The Big Read

Inflation has gone from the greatest challenge of our time to an afterthought in Jim Chalmers’ big spending, nation building, and energy-busting budget.

However, it is the Treasurer’s credibility that is on the line with the heroic assumptions that inflation can be tamed in the coming 12 months, bringing the price-bending scourge back inside the nation’s preferred range.

This outlook puts the Treasurer on a collision course with Reserve Bank governor Michele Bullock, who just last week said the inflation fight was far from over and warned that hiking the cash rate once again remained a live option.

Eric Johnston

Read more

TAX WOES
Budget ‘a missed opportunity’ on tax reform
Incentives and tax cuts will do little to fix the big problem facing Australian business, leaders say.
CLIONA O’DOWD, ELI GREENBLAT
MANUFACTURING
‘Cost crisis’: Cadbury boss flags exodus
Food makers could head the way of local car, textiles industries and shift overseas if profit shaming and cost pressures are not addressed, Mondelez Australia chief Darren O’Brien ...
By ELI GREENBLAT
UPDATED
CEO signals BHP will walk without Anglo talks
BHP boss Mike Henry has thrown down the gauntlet to Anglo American shareholders, signalling BHP will abandon its takeover bid unless Anglo’s board negotiates.
By NICK EVANS
SUPER
Super’s budget verdict: good for women, bad for low paid workers
Super funds have welcomed measures to address the retirement savings gap but say more still needs to be done for low-paid workers.
By CLIONA O’DOWD
COMMENTARY
Get ready for an early election after Labor’s budget splurge
Now the Albanese government has splashed the cash in the Budget – which contains a series of high-risk assumptions – strap in for an early federal election.
By ROBERT GOTTLIEBSEN
PROPERTY
Office towers feeling the pressure, says Blackstone chief
The world’s top investor believes that the office market has re-rated at a lower level, but it will still deal in top projects.
By ERIC JOHNSTON
RAZOR GANG
Consultancy cuts, public service wages surpass $29bn
It’s bad news for the big four firms KPMG, EY, Deloitte and PwC, as the Budget reveals how many external consultant roles will be cut in Canberra.
By DAVID ROSS
INDUSTRY
Gupta’s electrification plans for Whyalla blast furnace blow out
Sanjeev Gupta’s Whyalla steelworks won’t be producing steel from a new electric arc furnace until 2027 at the earliest, after earlier claims the project would be finished next year...
By CAMERON ENGLAND
BUDGET REACTION
Government ‘not taking AI cyber threats seriously’
Cybersecurity experts say the federal budget is light on defending Australians against AI-fuelled attacks, with small and medium-sized businesses the most exposed.
By JARED LYNCH
STOCKHEAD
Aussies’ big moves in Brazil’s Lithium Valley
The signs are good as Latin Resources takes a big step at its world-class Salinas project and other ASX stocks leap into Brazil’s Lithium Valley.
By CAMERON DRUMMOND