Bosses fire warning; James Hardie's 28pc crash; workers back WFH

Published: August 20, 2025

Bosses fire warning; James Hardie's 28pc crash; workers back WFH

News in brief

James Hardie shares crashed almost 28pc after net profit for the June quarter tumbled 60%, following a sharp slowdown in its key US market. The downturn was defended as a “blip on the radar” by CEO Aaron Erter who insists outdoor decking and pergola business Azek - James Hardie's recent $14 billion purchase - is performing well.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he doesn’t take personally comments by Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling him “weak” and accusing him of abandoning Australia’s Jewish community.

The NDIS is “not the right fit” for thousands of children with autism or developmental delay, according to Disability Minister Mark Butler. From 2027 they’ll be directed to a new program called Thriving Kids in an effort to cap NDIS growth at 5–6% a year, down from more than 10%.

US President Donald Trump has met with Rio Tinto and BHP bosses in Washington as they push to advance the stalled Resolution Copper project in Arizona – one of the largest untapped copper deposits in the US.

British pop star Robbie Williams has taken a minority stake in Australian no-alcohol beet company Heaps Normal, after discovering the brand while touring.

Fear-o-meter

John McMurdo, Chief Executive of super fund Australian Ethical, has written a letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, calling for a more ambitious target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions:

"As long-term investors in Australia’s future, we urge your government to set an ambitious national emissions reduction target for 2035—one that reflects our international obligations under the Paris Agreement and meets the expectations of the Australian public.

Climate change is no longer a distant threat—it is a pressing and escalating challenge that impacts our environment, economy, and the wellbeing of all Australians. Australia has both the opportunity and the responsibility to lead by example in the global effort to limit warming to 1.5°C.

We believe a national target of 85% emissions reduction by 2035 is not only achievable—it is essential for Australia’s economic prosperity and global credibility.

Being ambitious will enable the orderly transition of our economy, sending a clear signal to the market which will stimulate investment in emerging industries and jobs, and reduce the risk of stranded assets. Investing in cheaper, cleaner energy and the net zero transformation is one of the Productivity Commission’s five pillars for driving Australia’s long-term growth and competitiveness."

Fear & Greed Q+A today

On Woodside's half-year results, ruling out another bid for Santos, the role of gas in the energy transition, and frustration with the approval process for WA's massive North West Shelf Project:

"I know there's 24 people in Canberra today talking about productivity, and today I think they're talking about regulation. I hope this is a case study that they talk about. So we have a state regulatory, environmental regulatory agency, a Commonwealth regulatory, environmental approval agency looking at basically the same question.

The state took six plus years, a very rigorous process, including a number of rounds of appeals to issue an approval that has some quite stringent conditions on the sorts of missions that we can have from our plants. And it's all about protecting the very precious rock art and cultural heritage that exists in close proximity to where we operate.

I was pleased to see Minister Watt, one of his first decisions after his appointment as Minister of Environment, issue that preliminary approval. And all we want from the federal government is exactly what we have from the state government, which is operational conditions that are based on the science and are technically feasible. So we'll continue to work with the government with the goal of achieving that outcome."

It’s Thursday the 21st of August. Business leaders have fired a warning at the Albanese government, demanding urgent reforms to lift productivity amid mounting global headwinds, as the economic roundtable enters its third and final day. BHP’s Mike Henry said rivals were outpacing Australia in attracting capital, while Woodside’s Meg O’Neill blasted delays to environmental approvals, warning gas shortages loom by 2029.

Greed-o-meter

Group	Support	Oppose	Unsure
Total	66%	13%	21%
Working	76%	7%	17%
Not working	59%	14%	27%
Retired	44%	31%	25%

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There's significant public support for legislating two major workplace changes: the right to work from home and the four day workweek. These are the findings of the Resolve Political Monitor in Nine newspapers.

Listen to today's episode 🎧

Source: Resolve Political Monitor, reported in Nine newspapers

Group	Support	Oppose	Unsure
Total	64%	17%	19%
Labor voters	74%	8%	18%
Coalition voters	51%	33%	17%
Other voters	64%	16%	20%

Support for four day week:

Support for work from home: