‘Very concerned': Businesses ‘hate uncertainty' caused by Trump's tariffs
'Very concerned … the main issue is they don't know where the tariffs is going to land,' Mr Johnston told Sky News Australia.
'Business hates uncertainty – so, even if times are relatively tough, if they can get a certain outlook, then they can at least plan around that.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Age
2 minutes ago
- The Age
The lowest and highest birth rates in Melbourne by suburb
Melbourne's fertility rate has plunged more than 8 per cent in the past five years, with rising house prices and stagnant income levels emerging as key reasons people are putting off having more children. Last year, 55,730 babies were born in greater Melbourne, 8.2 per cent less than the 60,690 births recorded in 2019. The city's population grew by 270,000 people in that five-year period, underlying its heavy reliance on migration to grow. Melbourne's fertility rate – the average number of children born in a woman's lifetime – fell to 1.4 last year, the lowest among major Australian cities, and well below the replacement rate of 2.1 needed to maintain a city's population without migration. But the declining fertility rate was not spread evenly across the city. Melbourne's newest outer suburbs remain fertile breeding ground for new families, while the inner-city and affluent middle suburbs have become relative baby deserts. The statistics, based on preliminary analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics data by KPMG, also reveal that fertility rates are closely aligned with house sizes in Melbourne. Suburbs with the highest fertility rates typically have houses with three or more bedrooms on average, while less fertile suburbs are dominated by one- and two-bedroom homes. But there are outliers: a large handful of wealthy suburbs filled with big family-sized homes that are unaffordable to most young families and increasingly filled with empty-nesters. KPMG Urban Economist Terry Rawnsley said Melbourne's declining birth rate could be linked to recent high inflation and worsening housing affordability.
Sydney Morning Herald
2 minutes ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
The lowest and highest birth rates in Melbourne by suburb
Melbourne's fertility rate has plunged more than 8 per cent in the past five years, with rising house prices and stagnant income levels emerging as key reasons people are putting off having more children. Last year, 55,730 babies were born in greater Melbourne, 8.2 per cent less than the 60,690 births recorded in 2019. The city's population grew by 270,000 people in that five-year period, underlying its heavy reliance on migration to grow. Melbourne's fertility rate – the average number of children born in a woman's lifetime – fell to 1.4 last year, the lowest among major Australian cities, and well below the replacement rate of 2.1 needed to maintain a city's population without migration. But the declining fertility rate was not spread evenly across the city. Melbourne's newest outer suburbs remain fertile breeding ground for new families, while the inner-city and affluent middle suburbs have become relative baby deserts. The statistics, based on preliminary analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics data by KPMG, also reveal that fertility rates are closely aligned with house sizes in Melbourne. Suburbs with the highest fertility rates typically have houses with three or more bedrooms on average, while less fertile suburbs are dominated by one- and two-bedroom homes. But there are outliers: a large handful of wealthy suburbs filled with big family-sized homes that are unaffordable to most young families and increasingly filled with empty-nesters. KPMG Urban Economist Terry Rawnsley said Melbourne's declining birth rate could be linked to recent high inflation and worsening housing affordability.
Perth Now
2 minutes ago
- Perth Now
Jewellery tycoon dies aged 86
Sir Michael Hill, owner of the multimillion-dollar jewellery chain of the same name, has died aged 86. The millionaire entrepreneur and philanthropist was born in New Zealand in 1938, mere months before the outbreak of World War II. According to a memoriam statement posted by Michael Hill International Limited, Sir Michael's first love was music. 'As a young man, he dreamt of becoming a concert violinist, however – at just 17 – he was told he had started too late to reach the pinnacle of his craft,' a spokesman wrote. Sir Michael was raised in Whangarei, on New Zealand's North Island, where he attended Whangarei Boys' High School until he was 16, at which point he elected to drop out. 'Forced to reconsider his future, he pivoted into the world of jewellery, joining his uncle's family-owned store in New Zealand.' Shortly after founding his own business alongside his wife Christine in 1979, Sir Michael decided they should expand into the Australian market. Michael Hill was originally focused on music, but changed his tune later in life to the jewellery business. supplied Credit: Supplied 'What began as a job soon became a passion. Sir Michael had a natural gift for storytelling, a keen eye for visual merchandising and an instinct for attracting customers and a gift for selling,' the spokesman said. 'He won international awards for his window displays and revolutionised the store's advertising with bold, unconventional campaigns.' Michael Hill Chairman Rob Fyfe said Michael brought a 'deep sense of purpose' and an 'enduring curiosity, open-mindedness and creativity' to everything he did. Sir Michael is survived by his wife, Lady Christine and their two children. More to come.
