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Articles from MacroBusiness

Victoria’s ballooning debt is a national problem

February 17, 2026 - 10:00 -- Admin

We have repeatedly warned that Victoria is headed toward financial ruin. Victoria has the highest per capita debt and the lowest credit rating among the states. In November, the Victorian Auditor-General warned that debt, deficits, and infrastructure cost blowouts pose long-term dangers to the state’s financial viability. Victoria’s liabilities currently surpass $150 billion, with debt

Bondi was not “Australia’s worst terror attack”

February 17, 2026 - 09:30 -- Admin

Bondi was horrific, but it was not this. Naveed Akram has appeared in court for the first time since allegedly committing Australia’s worst terror attack. “Australia’s worst terror attack” was the Bali bombings, which took 88 Australian lives and 202 lives altogether. It clearly targeted Australians. This is deliberate misinformation. It’s wrong, politicised, and disrespectful

Even more iron ore

February 17, 2026 - 08:30 -- Admin

China is closed for CNY for a week. SGX is closed for two days. Steel profits have improved, and we will probably see a decent rebound in output post-holiday. However, I expect this will only serve to drive steel prices lower amid stalling (and contracting) steel export growth plus weak domestic demand. On the supply

Australia replaced the mining boom with a government spending boom

February 16, 2026 - 12:30 -- Admin

Australia is experiencing a major economic shift driven by a decade-long surge in federal and state government spending: Economists claim government spending is now structurally reshaping the economy in a way comparable to the early‑2000s mining boom. Alex Joiner, chief economist at IFM Investors, clearly illustrates the shift from the mining boom to the government-spending

First home buyers sweat on future rate hikes

February 16, 2026 - 11:30 -- Admin

The Australian Treasury set aside $35.7 million in contingent liabilities for defaults under the federal government’s 5% deposit scheme for home buyers in the mid-year budget update in December. Under this scheme, the Treasury guarantees 15% of first-home buyer mortgages, allowing homes to be purchased with only a 5% deposit without requiring lenders’ mortgage insurance.

Chinese property bust worsens

February 16, 2026 - 11:00 -- Admin

Goldman believes that after accounting for seasonal fluctuations, the weighted average property price in the Chinese primary market decreased by 5.3% on an annualized basis in January, according to NBS 70-city data. Prices varied widely among city tiers. NBS and third-party platforms’ secondary market data indicate price decreases of 10% to 25% throughout the previous

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