A letter to Gail Kelly and Westpac
Tuesday, 15 March 2011
Dear Ms Kelly, I'm a bit peeved. You see, you've announced that you're going to take my bank away and I'm unhappy about not just the decision but the justifications for it.  ...

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Westpac unveils generous paid parental leave scheme
Wednesday, 30 June 2010
Westpac will pay superannuation to employees taking unpaid parental leave for one year in the first big corporate parental leave reforms announced since the Government passed its parental leave scheme that will provide 18 weeks of payments at the minimum wage. ...

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Business confidence rises in January, but conditions still soft: Economy Roundup
Tuesday, 16 February 2010
Business confidence has surged during January, but actual business conditions have declined mainly due to weaker trading and profits, the latest NAB monthly business survey results show.  ...

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Inside Ian Thorpe’s struggling food business
Monday, 15 February 2010
Revelations that Ian Thorpe's business empire has been knocked about by the global financial crisis have been highlighted by the poor performance of his food company Thorpedo Foods, which saw profits more than halve in 2008-09.  ...

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How our banks are rolling in it – and remaking themselves: Gottliebsen
Monday, 18 January 2010
Take a step back and you suddenly realise that the Australian banking sector is being transformed as dramatically as any industry in the country.  ...

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Can Wayne Swan restore competition to the banking market? Maley
Tuesday, 12 January 2010
Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan knows that he needs to get more competition back into the Australian banking market. The only question is how.  ...

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The Good, the “Brand” and the Ugly of 2009
Tuesday, 15 December 2009
For the third year running, here is my roundup of 10 things that soared or soured and a few in between, for the brand year that was - 2009.  ...

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Current account deficit jumps, Bernanke cautious on US recovery: Economy Roundup
Tuesday, 08 December 2009
The current national account deficit has risen by a seasonally adjusted 23% to $16.1 billion during the September quarter, according to the latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.  ...

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Westpac disappoints instead of delights
Tuesday, 08 December 2009
A week ago, Westpac decided to take a bigger interest rate bite than everyone expected, with the explanation that it we necessary to "recoup their funding costs". The other big three banks took a few days to think it over and then variously stuck to the RBA ...

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Job advertisements soar 5.2% in October, Construction sector still struggling: Economy Roundup
Monday, 07 December 2009
The number of job advertisements posted during November has risen by 5.2%, according to the latest figures from the ANZ job advertisements survey.  ...

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Westpac posts $1.1 billion profit in June quarter, Shares fall: Economy Roundup
Friday, 21 August 2009
Westpac has recorded earnings of $1.1 billion for the June quarter, with the lender pinning the results on growth in the local mortgage market.  ...

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Women in power
Thursday, 20 August 2009
Great news to see that the chief executive of Westpac has been named among the most 20 powerful women in the world. In fact, according to the new Forbes report on the world's most powerful women, Kelly has more power than Michelle Obama (hard to believe) and ...

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The big banks' mortgage gamble: Gottliebsen
Tuesday, 26 May 2009
We are looking at a defining moment in the Australian banking industry.  ...

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Shares lose ground, Westpac chief warns rate cuts may not be passed on: Economy roundup
Monday, 11 May 2009
The Australian sharemarket opened slightly higher today after positive leads from Wall Street, but has since dropped into negative territory as the banks, Telstra and BHP Billiton were sold off.  ...

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Retail sales jump in March, Westpac profit hit by bad debts, David Jones on track: Economy roundup
Wednesday, 06 May 2009
Retail sales have risen by a seasonally adjusted 2.2% in March in a higher-than-expected result, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.  ...

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Insolvencies surge as recession hits business conditions for SMEs
Wednesday, 06 May 2009
The number of companies that hit the wall in March jumped a staggering 64% compared to last year, with 1095 companies entering administration during the month.  ...

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Government strengthens hardship protection for mortgagees - but not business borrowers
Monday, 27 April 2009
The Federal Government has stepped up efforts to protect mortgagees who lose their jobs or face financial hardship. But the new rules will not be extended to business borrowers, many of whom use their family property to secure loans and overdrafts.  ...

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BREAKING NEWS: RBA cuts rates by 0.25%
Tuesday, 07 April 2009
The Reserve Bank has cut official interest rates by 0.25% to 3% in a bid to further cushion the Australian economy from the looming recession.   Economists were divided as to whether the RBA would cut rates this month or wait for an expected surge in unemployment ...

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Economists lean towards interest rate cut
Monday, 06 April 2009
The RBA rate decision looks like going down to the wire, with economists divided as to whether the bank board will cut rates by 25 or 50 basis points or keep its ammunition in reserve and cut when unemployment surges in the coming months.   ...

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Westpac will assist struggling SME borrowers
Monday, 06 April 2009
Westpac has announced it will extend its financial hardship plan for mortgagees to small and medium-sized business customers that are struggling in the downturn.  ...

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