EDITOR'S PICKS

It’s the economy, stupid
Alan Kohler
The great prize for the next government is a wave of prosperity on the back of a falling dollar and record-low interest rates. For Labor to lose after straddling one of the hardest periods in economic history would be terribly unlucky.

Greedy paws off your financial honeypot
Alan Kohler
Many advisers will be horrified as today's financial advice reforms kick in, after Labor withstood John Brogden's final volley in a ferocious industry campaign.

A built-in bonanza for house prices
Robert Gottliebsen
A falling dollar and record-low interest rates hold the potential for a huge boost to house prices. Sydney looks set to rise first, with Melbourne and Brisbane following soon after.

The window dressing that tricked the market
Robert Gottliebsen
Bonuses and other EOFY benefits had a rollercoaster ride last week as the Australian bourse rose and fell two per cent. Overseas investors are being scared off and it's making for a dangerous marketplace.

Pilbara stars align for Brockman and Aurizon
Stephen Bartholomeusz
Brockman, as well as other juniors, needs to get its ore to the sea while Aurizon wants a piece of the Pilbara pie. But their partnership is not yet a given.

Can Santos avert the crisis in NSW's pipeline?
Stephen Bartholomeusz
Santos’ eleventh-hour attempt to pursue coal seam gas in New South Wales may be the only hope for the state’s power supply as it lurches towards an imminent catastrophe.

Dispelling dollar gloom on the inflation horizon
Stephen Koukoulas
Fears the falling Australian dollar will automatically lead to a spike in inflation are misguided – the relationship between our currency and consumer prices is more complex than this.

Where is the chaos narrative now?
Rob Burgess
After a period of complicated legislation building under Julia Gillard, Labor’s rushing into a bunch of revisionist policies. And somehow, it’s being taken with a straight face.

The tyranny of polling is now complete
Michael Gawenda
The ascending influence of opinion polling has now locked in a style of federal politics that’s little more than a popularity contest. Call it the modern cult of leadership.

Is new coal power really dead?
Tristan Edis
Right now everything points to the likelihood that no new coal-fired plants will be built in Australia, but there's a scenario whereby coal could make an unlikely, and unfortunate, comeback.

Risks of a harder Chinese landing
Martin Wolf – FT
At lower speed, China’s economy would have to have a fundamentally different composition and include far greater hazards. The best metaphor might be a slowing jumbo jet.

Australia's infrastructure promise needs a funding fix
Stephen Grenville
Australia pioneered some of the first PPP models for infrastructure funding, and has a real chance to lead the world in this area if it can devise a more sophisticated funding framework.