EDITORS' PICKS

Gillard must mop up Swan's mess
Alan Kohler
Treasurer Wayne Swan, architect of the stinker of a budget handed down in May, must now work quickly with Prime Minister Gillard to release a mini-budget that makes sense. 

Execs and sexuality
Alan Kohler
Should Mark McInnes have been formally warned and given a second chance? Well, yes – long ago. His sorry tale should remind all businesses to set out clear guidelines on staff liaisons.

Rudd dug his own hole
Robert Gottliebsen
The Labor Party is turning to Julia Gillard because Kevin Rudd's leadership style has contributed to the policy blunders, most notably the resource super profits tax. 

Rudd's other tax blunder
Robert Gottliebsen
As if the RSPT hadn't given Tony Abbott enough free kicks, the Rudd government looks set to bring in small-business tax reforms that should push both white- and blue-collar workers away from Labor. 

Will the miners trust Gillard?
Stephen Bartholomeusz
The mining industry now must decide whether Julia Gillard is only trying to defuse the RSPT as an issue until after the election, or is genuine about negotiating a new workable tax framework. 

The cost of teaming up with Telstra
Stephen Bartholomeusz
The incentive for Telstra to maximise its customer base and its value to NBN Co has the potential to push the pricing framework for the network down, undermining the project's economics. 

Gillard's RSPT minefield
Karen Maley
The challenge for the new Prime Minister is not to fall into the trap of believing that the suggested resources tax is sacrosanct and cannot be adjusted. 

Greenspan's fed up with Obama
Karen Maley
The Obama administration's fiscal excess is not only meeting resistance from Germany, but has been undermined by a thunderous attack from former Fed chief Alan Greenspan.

Are we ready for Julia?
Natasha Stott Despoja
Julia Gillard's victory over Kevin Rudd in the Labor Party's leadership spill will pave the way for other female politicians in the current federal government. 

Our renewables 'revolution' is not what it seems
Giles Parkinson
Billions of dollars in renewable investments have gotten the green light following the passage of changes to the RET. However, the consequences of a poorly conceived first attempt at the policy could still see Australia lose out.

Kobo takes on the Kindle and iPad
Isabelle Oderberg
The battle to secure the local e-reader market is on with the launch of the Kobo. So how does the Australian offering stack up against Amazon's Kindle and Apple's iPad?

How Rudd's bad advice won Gillard power
Christopher Joye
Kevin Rudd chose not to seek out the advice of most experienced figures in Canberra. That choice cost him the prime ministership.