Are we seeing the decline and fall of Australian Impressionists?
Australian collectors were turning away from 'more traditional' works in favour of postwar and more contemporary art, according to Leonard Joel's head of art Wiebke Brix. This was Brix' explanation for the conservative estimates placed on the 33 stunning paintings in Leonard Joel's August 25 auction, A Private Collection of Important Australian Art.
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Sydney Morning Herald
2 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Cheesed off: Swiss meltdown over Trump's ‘incomprehensible' tariff whack
London: Swiss companies are reeling from a shock move by US President Donald Trump to slap a 39 per cent tariff on their exports, stunning brand-name suppliers of luxury watches, jewellery, cheese and chocolate. Swiss chocolate makers have declared the move 'incomprehensible' and are warning it will hit them hard, as the changes flow through to higher prices for American customers. The biggest names in luxury watches, already suffering a slowdown in America after Trump's previous trade decisions, now confront extraordinary price hikes that could lead them to expand sales in other markets. Trump spared Australia from higher penalties in his sweeping trade decision on Thursday, leaving tariffs at 10 per cent for most Australian exports, but he singled out Switzerland with the biggest blow to any European country. At 39 per cent, the new rate is higher than the 31 per cent tariff the president proposed in April – and much worse than Swiss leaders expected. The decision puts the Swiss exporters at a grave disadvantage to competitors in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and other countries that will incur the 15 per cent tariff applied to the European Union. While Americans may have to pay steeper prices for Bally fashion made in Switzerland, they would incur a more modest price hike for a Dior item made in France or Armani product made in Italy. 'It is incomprehensible why Switzerland is affected by these tariffs, as reciprocity is out of the question,' industry group Chocosuisse said, repeating concerns it aired in April.

The Age
2 hours ago
- The Age
Cheesed off: Swiss meltdown over Trump's ‘incomprehensible' tariff whack
London: Swiss companies are reeling from a shock move by US President Donald Trump to slap a 39 per cent tariff on their exports, stunning brand-name suppliers of luxury watches, jewellery, cheese and chocolate. Swiss chocolate makers have declared the move 'incomprehensible' and are warning it will hit them hard, as the changes flow through to higher prices for American customers. The biggest names in luxury watches, already suffering a slowdown in America after Trump's previous trade decisions, now confront extraordinary price hikes that could lead them to expand sales in other markets. Trump spared Australia from higher penalties in his sweeping trade decision on Thursday, leaving tariffs at 10 per cent for most Australian exports, but he singled out Switzerland with the biggest blow to any European country. At 39 per cent, the new rate is higher than the 31 per cent tariff the president proposed in April – and much worse than Swiss leaders expected. The decision puts the Swiss exporters at a grave disadvantage to competitors in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and other countries that will incur the 15 per cent tariff applied to the European Union. While Americans may have to pay steeper prices for Bally fashion made in Switzerland, they would incur a more modest price hike for a Dior item made in France or Armani product made in Italy. 'It is incomprehensible why Switzerland is affected by these tariffs, as reciprocity is out of the question,' industry group Chocosuisse said, repeating concerns it aired in April.


The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Work from home a legal right in Australian-first reform
Employees will be legally allowed to demand to work from home two days a week if an Australian-first proposed law is passed. The Victorian government has promised to introduce legislation to make working from home a right in 2026, in contrast to other states that want public servants to spend more time in the office. The proposed law would apply to all public and private sector employees in Victoria who can reasonably do their job from home. Yet to be determined are the legislation's definition of remote work, who can do it and the types of businesses the law would apply to, but the government promised to consult before its introduction to parliament in 2026. It sets up a major contest with business groups in an election year, with Labor seeking a fourth consecutive term that polls indicate it's on track to win. The November 2026 election will be the first as premier for Jacinta Allan, who lags opposition leader Brad Battin as preferred state leader. Ms Allan said legislating the right to work from home was good for families and the economy. "Not everyone can work from home, but everyone can benefit," she said. "If you can do your job from home, we'll make it your right." The coalition's push to end to working-from-home for public servants was partly blamed for its unsuccessful result at the May federal election, despite abandoning the policy before polling day. NSW Premier Chris Minns has described remote-work provisions as a thing of the past but stopped short of seeking an end to working from home, instead ordering public servants to work principally in offices. More than one third of Australian employees usually work from home but that number swells to 60 per cent of managers and people in professional services, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The bureau says 43 per cent who work from home do overtime, compared to one quarter of those who do not. Employees will be legally allowed to demand to work from home two days a week if an Australian-first proposed law is passed. The Victorian government has promised to introduce legislation to make working from home a right in 2026, in contrast to other states that want public servants to spend more time in the office. The proposed law would apply to all public and private sector employees in Victoria who can reasonably do their job from home. Yet to be determined are the legislation's definition of remote work, who can do it and the types of businesses the law would apply to, but the government promised to consult before its introduction to parliament in 2026. It sets up a major contest with business groups in an election year, with Labor seeking a fourth consecutive term that polls indicate it's on track to win. The November 2026 election will be the first as premier for Jacinta Allan, who lags opposition leader Brad Battin as preferred state leader. Ms Allan said legislating the right to work from home was good for families and the economy. "Not everyone can work from home, but everyone can benefit," she said. "If you can do your job from home, we'll make it your right." The coalition's push to end to working-from-home for public servants was partly blamed for its unsuccessful result at the May federal election, despite abandoning the policy before polling day. NSW Premier Chris Minns has described remote-work provisions as a thing of the past but stopped short of seeking an end to working from home, instead ordering public servants to work principally in offices. More than one third of Australian employees usually work from home but that number swells to 60 per cent of managers and people in professional services, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The bureau says 43 per cent who work from home do overtime, compared to one quarter of those who do not. Employees will be legally allowed to demand to work from home two days a week if an Australian-first proposed law is passed. The Victorian government has promised to introduce legislation to make working from home a right in 2026, in contrast to other states that want public servants to spend more time in the office. The proposed law would apply to all public and private sector employees in Victoria who can reasonably do their job from home. Yet to be determined are the legislation's definition of remote work, who can do it and the types of businesses the law would apply to, but the government promised to consult before its introduction to parliament in 2026. It sets up a major contest with business groups in an election year, with Labor seeking a fourth consecutive term that polls indicate it's on track to win. The November 2026 election will be the first as premier for Jacinta Allan, who lags opposition leader Brad Battin as preferred state leader. Ms Allan said legislating the right to work from home was good for families and the economy. "Not everyone can work from home, but everyone can benefit," she said. "If you can do your job from home, we'll make it your right." The coalition's push to end to working-from-home for public servants was partly blamed for its unsuccessful result at the May federal election, despite abandoning the policy before polling day. NSW Premier Chris Minns has described remote-work provisions as a thing of the past but stopped short of seeking an end to working from home, instead ordering public servants to work principally in offices. More than one third of Australian employees usually work from home but that number swells to 60 per cent of managers and people in professional services, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The bureau says 43 per cent who work from home do overtime, compared to one quarter of those who do not. Employees will be legally allowed to demand to work from home two days a week if an Australian-first proposed law is passed. The Victorian government has promised to introduce legislation to make working from home a right in 2026, in contrast to other states that want public servants to spend more time in the office. The proposed law would apply to all public and private sector employees in Victoria who can reasonably do their job from home. Yet to be determined are the legislation's definition of remote work, who can do it and the types of businesses the law would apply to, but the government promised to consult before its introduction to parliament in 2026. It sets up a major contest with business groups in an election year, with Labor seeking a fourth consecutive term that polls indicate it's on track to win. The November 2026 election will be the first as premier for Jacinta Allan, who lags opposition leader Brad Battin as preferred state leader. Ms Allan said legislating the right to work from home was good for families and the economy. "Not everyone can work from home, but everyone can benefit," she said. "If you can do your job from home, we'll make it your right." The coalition's push to end to working-from-home for public servants was partly blamed for its unsuccessful result at the May federal election, despite abandoning the policy before polling day. NSW Premier Chris Minns has described remote-work provisions as a thing of the past but stopped short of seeking an end to working from home, instead ordering public servants to work principally in offices. More than one third of Australian employees usually work from home but that number swells to 60 per cent of managers and people in professional services, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The bureau says 43 per cent who work from home do overtime, compared to one quarter of those who do not.