Insights

A plan to deliver cheaper diesel to coal mines in the Bowen Basin has ended up in the courts, writes Gareth Hutchens.

People are still spending, but not in the high street shops and department stores. Eli Greenblat tries to find out why.

A blackout for election campaign advertising has been in force since the strike of midnight this past Wednesday - but you'd be hard pressed to know it.

With polls pointing to a Coalition victory in Saturday's election, we look at what the business community can expect from a new government.

Why telcos need your love Why telcos need your love

After a six-week trial, and five years after his firm collapsed owing creditors more than $630 million, Julian Smith has walked from court a free man.

With its purchase of Nokia's phone business, Microsoft is taking inspiration from Apple's way of making products, bringing hardware and software under a single roof where they can be more elegantly blended.

Consumers may no longer have to face bill shock, excessive fees and bad service as the mobile phone industry realises it has to improve, write Peter Cai and Clancy Yeates.

Justice Whelan: "None of the bail conditions apply any more, obviously. Mr [Julian] Smith is a free man."

With the election campaign supposedly fought mainly on economic management, it's surprising this week's figures for growth in the June quarter got so little attention. So what shape is the economy in as it looks like being handed over to a new government?

It's business as usual for Peter Drake. The Gold Coast entrepreneur, whose LM funds management empire bit the dust in May, is back in the insurance game. The moral of the story is that you can lend yourself $46 million from your funds business, appoint some insolvency practitioners, then set up shop again down the road. Breezy as you like.

'She'll be apples." But not exactly "no worries" as we all head off to the polling booths today knowing that we will almost certainly have a Coalition government by evening. I hope that later tonight our new PM will graciously accept his great office with a commitment to govern for all Australians. I hope he sees the great need for us all to stick together, no matter how we voted and no matter where we have come from.

Consumers have reined in spending in high street shop and department stores, Eli Greenblat investigates the slowdown.

Thirty months after it won a messy fight for control of the biggest stake in Pilbara exporter BC Iron, Consolidated Minerals has exited the stock with more than a 16-fold return on its initial investment.

The take-home pay for Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce has risen by just more than $1 million to $3.33 million this year, the airline's annual report shows.

Former Suncorp chief executive John Mulcahy has emerged as a key player in the nation's property sector as the new chairman of Mirvac.