Mums and dads are expecting a paid parental leave scheme in a little over nine months’ time but complications are threatening the delivery. The federal government last year promised an 18-week taxpayer funded scheme, paid at the federal minimum wage of $545 a week, by Janua

The New South Wales Government is proceeding with the sale of another state-owned business. Legislation will be introduced to parliament today to allow the transfer of the waste business , WSN Environmental Solutions , to the private sector. The sale follows the announcement last

By Svenja O’Donnell March 7 (Bloomberg) -- The U.K. opposition Conservatives widened their poll lead over Prime Minister Gordon Brown ’s Labour Party, while still falling short of a majority. An ICM poll for the News of the World showed the Conservative lead widening to

March 5 (Bloomberg) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the use of derivatives must be restricted to halt market “speculators” from exploiting the Greek fiscal crisis. Merkel said “the question doesn’t arise” of financial aid to Greece. Instead, the two nation

"The latest round of talks with the Netherlands and the United Kingdom regarding the Icesave matter have adjourned without a final resolution,'' the Icelandic finance ministry said in a statement. "Icelandic voters will go to the polls on March 6, 2010, to vote on whether to approve the

The federal government's investment in triple-A rated mortgage backed securities is helping to raise competition in the home loan market , Treasurer Wayne Swan has told parliament. The government allocated a further $8 billion investment into residential mortgage backed

Feb. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Japanese Finance Minister Naoto Kan said he will use fiscal policy to fight deflation, a day after central bank Governor Masaaki Shirakawa called on the government to contain its debt burden. Governor Shirakawa yesterday called on the government to contain its

Click to enlarge photo Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan said earlier forecasts predicted the gross domestic product would grow by 1.5 percent this year. "However, things are looking slightly better," he said, as he presented the annual budget to parliament. "Our

AAP Corporate Law Minister Chris Bowen flagged in December the idea of multiplying by five the maximum penalty for breaking sharemarket trading rules. But he reneged on his plan, outlined in a consultation paper, after stockbrokers lobbied the government to keep the existing maximum penalty