EDITORS' PICKS

When push comes to carbon shove
Alan Kohler
Without the certainty of a clear, bipartisan plan on carbon pricing, there will be no investment in electricity generation, and inevitable power shortages before the end of the decade.

Saying no to Canberra's IR dopes
Robert Gottliebsen
South Australia has woken up to NSW's plans to lace the proposed national occupational health and safety laws with a 'Mickey Finn' that will knock out productivity. Hopefully the other states will too.

A short, sharp shock for banks
Robert Gottliebsen
Sinking markets around the world are sending two distinct messages – that banks are going to be hit by further eurozone jitters and the China slowdown is happening, albeit at a snail's pace.

The great Aussie economic barbeque
Robert Gottliebsen
If the Reserve Bank and Australian government carry out the moves they've threatened, our economy will be seriously burned and could take half a decade to recover.

Telstra makes a good call on 4G
Stephen Bartholomeusz
The switching on by Telstra of higher-speed 4G technology gives the telco a strategic market advantage over its main rivals Optus and Vodafone.

King's role is up to Leighton's rulers
Stephen Bartholomeusz
Not all on the Leighton board would roll out the red carpet for Wal King if he were to return to the company. Ultimately, however, King's return will be determined by majority shareholder ACS.

China's thinning economic grip
Karen Maley
A striking resemblance between China's economy and pre-Depression US is likely to see investors lose faith that the global economic recovery will be driven by the Chinese juggernaut.

The ECB's toxic debt shock
Karen Maley
One ECB member has labelled Greek debt restructure a "horror scenario", but fears are growing over the central bank's own toxic assets, which place it in a no-win situation.

Abbott's easy run is over
Rob Burgess
Leaked revelations of new Liberal disunity come just as Tony Abbott's early success in using the carbon tax and illegal boat arrivals to attack the government appears to be losing momentum.

The carbon debate's pivotal movement
Rob Burgess
Sparks will fly next week when the Productivity Commission's report on climate change – released in the same week as the final Garnaut review – reveals how far we need to go to keep up with the rest of the world.

TECHNOLOGY SPECTATOR: Fickle Twitter traders
Charis Palmer
Twitter may give some insight into sentiment, but mining the social network for a reliable stream of profitable trades is a different matter.

Australian housing's wealth effect
Leith van Onselen
If housing remains mired in a slump then expenditure, credit growth and job creation will remain subdued – and don't expect the terms of trade to save us.

Japan's economic demons dog China
John Lee
The economic factors that have kept Japan in almost a constant state of recession for years are an enduring fear for China. If conditions change quickly, the China growth story could end in tears.

Electric roads - the throttle EVs need
Paul Budde
Technology that would embed electric charging pads under roads to power electric vehicles could completely change the direction of vehicle research and production.