John McDuling

2 weeks ago | capitalbrief.com | John McDuling

Every so often, the news serves up a reminder that Australia is not the United States, and in fact the two countries are in many ways quite different. The federal Coalition’s volte-face on work-from-home arrangements for the public service is one of those times.

3 weeks ago | capitalbrief.com | John McDuling |Jack Derwin

As the eyes of the world fixated on the White House rose garden for US president Donald Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs announcement, there was always a chance someone would seize on the opportunity to take out the trash. So it was almost unsurprising when, while Trump was speaking, big four lender ANZ told the market it had agreed to wear a $250 million capital penalty from the banking regulator as a result of last year’s bond trading scandal.

3 weeks ago | capitalbrief.com | John McDuling

Parliament House in Canberra is a strange place at the best of times. It's a building oozing with power and intrigue, where journalists work within earshot of their sources and competitors and elected officials engage in all sorts of political theatre to generate attention. But this week was especially weird, and not even because of the presence of a fish on the floor of the Senate.

1 month ago | capitalbrief.com | John McDuling

Is Donald Trump really willing to let equity markets go through the painful detox period some in his administration think is necessary? Or will he blink if things get really rough? That is what investors must ask themselves as a growing number of market warning signals flash red. Get The Edition in your inboxSigned up to The EditionA must-read afternoon newsletter. Free to join, read by decision makers and featuring our top stories. Update and view your newsletter preferences in your account.

1 month ago | capitalbrief.com | John McDuling

Take Donald Trump seriously but not literally. That refrain — coined by The Atlantic in 2016 but used by everyone from billionaire venture capitalist and Trump confidant Peter Thiel to ousted former communications advisor and now Trump critic Anthony Scaramucci — emerged during the US president’s first term in the White House as a framework to understand his unexpected rise to power and unconventional method of governance.