Eric Johnston

Two developments in the past week should be enough to unsettle anyone with a stake in Australia’s economic future. As high-profile banker Ahmed Fahour puts it: “Australia is sleepwalking into a financial disaster.”

The unlikely story of a small ASX-listed company with sky-high ambitions is also a bittersweet tale for smart Australian manufacturing.

A big four bank boss has spoken up about the need to get more energy flowing across Australia. This should not be a surprise for many given for more than a decade now bank bosses have openly talked about the rush of financing going into renewables.

Commonwealth Bank’s Matt Comyn reckons the Albanese government’s tax changes have added to the “cumulative effect” of problems that have been weighing on Australia’s housing market – prompting a sharp drop-off in the pace of new loan applications.

The billions in data-centre investment flowing into Australia have become too big to ignore, even for the Prime Minister who wants to keep the boom going without the growing pains. By planting the new Office of AI inside his own department, Albanese has signalled he understands just how important, and politically explosive, artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure will soon become. He wants to keep a tight rein on it.

Joe David has heard all the barbs. From tin cans to tin roofs, the soft metal that he chases is hardly the stuff of mining glory. It’s literally the dullest metal out there, but lately it has started to get pretty exciting.

The dramatic plunge in specialist business bank Judo contains a dark message for the big boys. The boom in business lending has a nasty sting in the tail.

The three telcos and government-owned NBN Co were left reeling when the regulator rang to notify them of its final pricing decision – a token $20m reduction to renew spectrum licences essential for carrying mobile signals.

As the economy is about to head into a rough patch, the bank regulator has put itself on high alert.

Behind the numbers in National Australia Bank’s latest update is a warning that should get the Treasurer and regulators deeply worried: the big four bank that is most plugged into business now believes there’s an almost one-in-two chance Australia will fall into a biting recession later this year.