Business News

why governments get addicted to smoking, gambling and other vices

Written by Richard Holden, Professor of Economics, UNSW

Taxing harmful behaviour like smoking and gambling have become too lucrative for governments to turn away from. Shutterstock

We’ve known about smoking’s health risks for half a century — at least since the landmark 1964 report by US Surgeon General Luther Terry.

But it turns out it is not just smokers addicted to nicotine. So is...

Engineering Companies Melbourne: Driving Innovation and Infrastructure Growth
As Melbourne continues to expand with new residential developments, commercial hubs, and large-scale infrastructure project…
New climate report warns property prices face a $611 billion hit. What does that mean?
Climate risks are hitting where Australians feel it most: at home. One of the headline-grabbing figures in a new climate risk…
From batteries to EV chargers, Australia and NZ need these 3 fixes to hit net-zero at less cost
New figures show Australians bought a record 85,000 home batteries in the first half of 2025. That’s almost three times…
AI companies want copyright exemptions – for NZ creatives, the market is their best protection
Getty ImagesRight now in the United States, there are dozens of pending lawsuits involving copyright claims against artificia…
How much money do you need to be happy? Here’s what the research says
Over the next decade, Elon Musk could become the world’s first trillionaire. The Tesla board recently proposed a US$1 t…
NZ First wants a compulsory KiwiSaver. Boosting the Super Fund is a better bet
Getty ImagesAn ageing population not saving fast enough for its retirement has been called a “timebomb” and a loo…

Traditions of Rural Bali at Villa Sabana
A Privileged Insight into the Traditions of Rural Bali at Villa Sabana Situated in the traditional village of Pererenan near Canggu, Villa Sabana is peacefully secluded in a semi-rural setting where…

5 Reasons to Hire a Building Contract Lawyer Before Your Next Construction Project in Melbourne
If you're planning to build, renovate, or develop a property in Melbourne, you might be focusing on finding the right architect, builder, or project manager. But there’s one professional most…

Eternal Bellus Design
Hong Kong founded Sydney design business of 30 years finds new home at Interlink Strathfield industrial estate Functionality, efficiency, and longevity are the core principles underpinning Interlink’s Industrial design units Since…
Fast Finance: Fixing Cash Flow Quickly
In a perfect world, Australian SME’s would be diligent with their cash flow forecasting and have enough money set aside to ride out inconsistencies. But even with the best foresight…
Greenland Hotel and Tourism Group accelerates overseas expansion plans
Greenland Hotel and Tourism Group (GHTG), today, announced its ambition to accelerate the growth of its overseas operations through the launch of its Overseas Operations Centre. Located in Singapore, the…

Manny Shah: Is your business disappearing from Google? You’re not alone

Small business owners across Australia are panicking as their websites vanish from Google’s front pages overnight. According to Manny Shah, cofounde...

MR Roads named Queensland Finalist in the 2025 Telstra Best of Business Awards

MR Roads, co-founded by Daniel Mikus and James Rolph, has been announced as a Queensland finalist in the prestigious 2025 Telstra Best of Business...

AWS research shows strong AI adoption momentum in Australia, with startups outpacing large enterprises in innovation

Amazon Web Services (AWS), an Amazon.com company, released new research revealing that while artificial intelligence (AI) adoption continues to acce...

Changing the World One Bite At a Time: IKU Turns 40

One of Australia’s first plant-based, chef-led eateries and now ready meal provider IKU is celebrating its 40 year anniversary with the business e...

Three generations marking 45 years in hot-air balloons

Australia’s leading hot-air balloon company is celebrating 45 years in the sky and its 700,000th passenger, driven by the passion of father-son du...

Workplace DMs, Reinvented: Deputy Messaging, Purpose-Built For Shift-Based Teams

Deputy, the global people platform for shift-based businesses, has launched Deputy Messaging, a fully integrated, real-time communication tool designe...