Leaders face off; huge pay rise for workers; Qantas' banking push
Published: April 16, 2025
Leaders face off; huge pay rise for workers; Qantas' banking push
News in brief
The two federal leaders, Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton, faced off in the second debate last night. It was a better performance by the Opposition Leader though perhaps not enough to make up substantial ground on the PM’s lead in the polls. The debate was broader than the first, covering social welfare and health, childcare, defence, climate change, energy, the economy and a range of other issues. While Albanese told listeners that the country is turning the corner, Dutton asked them if they felt better off than three years ago.
The Fair Work Commission has awarded pay rises of up to 30pc to hundreds of thousands of early childhood workers and health professionals in landmark decisions to try to fix gender imbalances in key industries dominated by women.
WiseTech Global founder and former CEO Richard White is now chief innovation officer, as well as executive chairman of the software group, and he will continue to be paid $1 million a year. Mr White resigned as CEO and a director late last year following a series of allegations against him, including that he exchanged business advice for sex.
It has been a boom time for Australia’s general insurers, last year posting a record $6.1bn in profit, more than triple the five-year average. That’s thanks to a benign year for natural disasters alongside rising premiums, according to KPMG’s annual review of the sector.
Qantas Frequent Flyer and Qantas Business Rewards members will be able to earn points on their transaction account balances under a new partnership with AMP Bank. AMP Bank will offer one Qantas Point for every $10 held in its Everyday Account or Everyday Business Account, up to a balance of $5m.
Fear-o-meter
Who's talking today?
The former Chief Executive of the Business Council of Australia on Donald Trump's politics, our own federal election, and a lack of reform and big ideas in Australian politics:
"People see President Trump as the instigator of this. I see him as the reflection of it. And what is he the reflection of? He's the reflection of a very, very big groundswell of middle and working people feeling that society does not care about them. And we saw this in Brexit. We saw this when he was first elected in 2016. And I think there's a tendency to want to personify this around this particular individual. And I don't believe that's actually a kind of good way of looking at it. So what do we learn from that? Well, we learn that we need to be very careful about what we're doing with middle and working Australians and people who just feel they can't get ahead. They're working hard."
It’s Thursday the 17th of April and PM Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton face off in a second, more spirited debate. The Fair Work Commission awards big pay rises and Qantas pushes further into banking. Plus boom times for insurers and WiseTech Global's new chief innovation officer.
Greed-o-meter
| Rank | Company | Revenue USD | Brands |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ferrero Group | ~$19.7 billion | Nutella, Kinder |
| 2 | Mars, Inc. | ~$18 billion | M&M’s, Snickers |
| 3 | Mondelez International | ~$11.1 billion | Cadbury, Toblerone |
| 4 | The Hershey Company | ~$11.2 billion | Hershey’s, Reese’s |
| 5 | Nestlé S.A. | ~$7.2 billion | Kit Kat, Smarties |
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In the spirit of the coming Easter long weekend, this one's all about chocolate. These are the five biggest chocolate companies in the world, based on revenue, and some of the popular brands they own.
Note: Mars is sometimes cited as number one, and it certainly has been a clear winner in the past. But it's a private company, so its chocolate-based revenue is a little less clear, and Ferrero has made major gains in recent years. Either way, it's obvious that chocolate is serious business.
Listen to today's episode 🎧
Can you help us out?
Sean Aylmer and Adam Lang from the Fear & Greed team are taking part in Royal Far West's Ride For Country Kids - a 380km ride through western NSW. The goal is to raise as much money as possible to improve life options for kids from rural communities.
Neither Sean or Adam are cyclists - so this is well outside their comfort zone (although they do seem to be taking to the lycra a little too keenly).
If you can help raise a few dollars for the Fear & Greed team, it will be gratefully appreciated. You can donate here. And we'll be giving supporters a shout-out on the podcast too!