Marina Gainulina on Muck Rack

Marina Gainulina

(She/Her)
Sydney
As seen in: Westpac Wire, Grazia USA, Beauticate
Journalist in Sydney ✍️ Find my by-lines in GRAZIA, Mamamia, Beauticate ++
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Articles by Marina Gainulina

Day of Mourning - Remembering the heroes of Bondi

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
Carroll, who works in Westpac’s institutional bank, says he’s had trouble sleeping in the weeks following the attack, but praises the layers of support that kicked in for him and others present that day, including counsellors at work and at his surf club. “The support has been overwhelming,” he says. “Humbling.” The community returned to the beach in the days after the attack, slowly at first. Carroll remembers the beachfront lined with abandoned clothing, left behind as people fled.
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How AMPS’ farmer-led research model is changing the game for Aussie agriculture

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
When Nigel Herring talks about research, he doesn't speak of labs or white coats. Instead, his focus is on those who live and breathe the land. “AMPS Research has always been about farmer-engaged research, practical research activities that change what we do on farms,” says Herring, CEO of AMPS. That simple philosophy of research rooted in reality has shaped AMPS into something rare in Australia’s agricultural landscape - a research organisation that belongs to the people it serves.
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10 silly season scams to watch out for

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
Australians love a festive bargain almost as much as a seafood Christmas lunch. Unfortunately, scammers have cottoned on, too. As the National Anti-Scam Centre warns, Aussies having already lost nearly $260 million to scams this year, with online shopping scams leading the pack. Here’s what’s trending in scam-land and how to stay ahead: 1. Social media shopping ads Those too-good-to-be-true Instagram deals for designer sneakers? They are often a front for counterfeit goods or phishing sites.
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Diversity driving creativity and ingenuity at Westpac’s tech hub

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
When Paul Bari set out to recruit another 30 software engineers for Westpac’s technical hub on the Gold Coast, he had a clear idea of what he was looking for. “I always focus on diversity of thought. That’s what it’s all about. It’s not ‘diversity’; it’s specifically diversity of thought,” says Bari, the chief information officer for Westpac’s consumer banking operations and its multi-year, multibillion-dollar UNITE program.
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METLEN Munna Creek solar farm is powering a sustainable future

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
Australia’s energy story is being rewritten. For the first time, more than half of the nation’s electricity is now coming from renewable sources - a milestone that signals just how far the country has come in a short space of time. It’s a sign of a broader shift in how Australians think about energy, the environment and the future. Behind this transformation is a wave of investment and innovation.
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Scarcity, status and $230k dolls: the economics of collectibles, explained

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
“History never repeats itself, but man always does,” wrote Voltaire in the 18th century. He wasn’t talking about Pokémon cards, but he could have been. It seems that in consumerism, every generation finds its own obsession - from Beanie Babies in the ’90s to NFTs in the 2020s - proving the allure of collectibles is a story as old as capitalism itself.
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Nation’s oldest bank has been a backer of business for 208 years

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
Now recognised by UNESCO as “culturally and historically significant”, the bank’s comprehensive records of the time document the first banking activity in the Australasian New World. In its earliest days, the bank printed notes to replace the unreliable IOUs and rum then widely used as mediums of exchange in NSW – which at the time encompassed passed the territory of both Queensland and Victoria. The bank laid the foundations for the colony’s economy and launched the start of share trading in NSW.
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From marbled meat to mango bots: the bold ideas reshaping regional Australia

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
Australia’s farmers have faced floods, droughts and global shocks. And yet, still they rise. Today, on National Agriculture Day, we celebrate that grit and this year’s theme, Stand with the Land, shines a light on the innovators turning challenges into opportunities, proving that the future of farming is as bold as the land itself. Take the Barossa Valley, where Christie Schulz at Turkey Flat Vineyards decided to do something radical: put premium wine in a can. The result?
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A foot in the door: How two Gen-Z sisters bought their first home in Melbourne

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
For many young Australians, the path to home ownership is a marathon, not a sprint. And getting a foot on the property ladder now often requires a bit of clever and creative thinking. For sisters Hollie, 28, an accountant, and Sam, 24, a law graduate, buying their first apartment in Melbourne was the result of years of planning, sacrifice and teamwork. Why are Gen Z Aussies are buying homes in 2025?
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Female founders mean business

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
Pilates entrepreneur Caitlyn Mefflin and tattoo studio owner Suzuko Ozaki don’t have to be told how hard it can be for women to get finance for exciting new business ideas. They’ve lived though the bank knockbacks and the myriad financing rejections as they strove to bring their business dreams to life. Westpac research shows that female business leaders believe it’s harder for women to get finance than it is for men, according to the bank’s Managing Director, Business Lending, Tamara Bryden.
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Jonima Flowers thrives against cheap imports at Yanderra farm

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
A family-owned Aussie flower farm is blooming in the face of stiff competition from cheap imported blossoms, proving the value of locally produced flora. With the peak body Flower Industry Australia (FIA) estimating half of the flowers sold in Australia are imported, local farms like those owned by the Padovano family are a rose among the thorns.
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Westpac CEO hands down first full year result, says Australia’s economy in a good place but “challenges remain”

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
Westpac says customers are proving resilient despite lingering economic uncertainty as CEO Anthony Miller hands down the bank’s full year result. Miller has reported a $7 billion cash profit, down two per cent on the prior year, with a final shareholder dividend of 77 cents per share. It’s Miller’s first full year result since taking over as CEO last December, and the first to be delivered by new CFO Nathan Goonan.
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$16 billion reasons to Back Australia and shop local

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
What if your weekly grocery shop could help create thousands of jobs, boost the economy and support your neighbour’s small business, all without spending a cent more? New modelling from Westpac economics suggests it’s possible. If every Australian household redirected just $100 of their existing weekly budget towards local products and services, the national economy could benefit from a $16 billion lift in nominal GDP and around 38,000 new jobs.
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How data is brewing better café experiences for Aussies

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
Australians’ love of coffee shows no sign of slowing, even as cost-of-living pressures reshape how we spend. Order ahead platform Hey You has released its inaugural Daily Brew Report, revealing while Aussies are visiting their local café less, customer spending remains strong as they prioritise quality and experience in their daily coffee rituals. According to the report, Australians spent $722 million in cafés in June 2025, a slight decrease of 1.6 per cent year-on-year.
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How the Westpac app helped one dad clean the house - and teach his son to save

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
When Varun Nagappa helped build the Chores feature in the Westpac app, he didn’t expect it would help him get the bins out on time. Nagappa, who leads product delivery in Westpac’s online banking team, was part of the crew behind the bank’s new Family Hub - a suite of tools designed to help parents teach kids about money. But it wasn’t until he trialled the app at home with his nine-year-old son Nico that he realised the feature had another unexpected benefit: fewer arguments about housework.
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How a teacher from Yeppoon became an accidental entrepreneur (with 16 businesses!)

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
When Karla Way-McPhail is asked about the mantra she lives by, she’s quick to quote the film Coach Carter, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure." Her ability to dream big has paid huge dividends.
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SCAM SPOT: Scammed twice - why repeat victims are the new target

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
Have a guess which group of Australians are most likely to be victims of scams. Older people? Young adults? Those in a rush? Surprisingly, it’s none of these. The most likely victims are those who’ve already been scammed once. It sounds counterintuitive, doesn’t it? It’s easy to assume that once bitten, twice shy. But scammers are increasingly cunning, persistent and disturbingly well-organised. They know that someone who’s lost money is often desperate to get it back.
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The hidden powerhouses: How TradieWives are steering Australia's multibillion-dollar trade industry

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
Olivia Tedone still remembers the weight of setting up her business. Surrounded by steel scaffolding equipment, her newborn son in her arms, she and her partner Matt invested everything they had into Tier One Scaffold. "Purchasing our first lot of gear was a really memorable moment," Olivia recalls.
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Australia’s Scam Hotspots 2025: Why your suburb may be a magnet for scams

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
Scammers don't discriminate by location. But if you live in Sydney’s CBD, Liverpool or the outer suburbs of Melbourne like Tarneit and Werribee, you’re in Australia’s scam danger zone. New Westpac data shows that these postcodes top the list for scam reports in the past year, revealing a troubling trend: scammers are striking in high-density and fast-growing areas with increasing precision. Scammers are evolving.
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Inflation surprise: What July’s CPI spike means for young Aussies

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
This matters because the RBA yearns for and tries to keep inflation between 2-3 per cent. A rise in core inflation suggests that price pressures might be spreading more broadly - not just in energy or groceries. What will the RBA do? According to Westpac Senior Economist Justin Smirk, the RBA is likely to hold off on cutting interest rates in September. Instead, they’ll wait for the full September quarter CPI, due in late October. Why?
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No degree, no worries: How the ‘university of hard knocks’ grew a regional giant

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
Arron Hutcheon doesn’t have a university degree. What he does have is a lifetime of experience, a diesel mechanic grandfather’s legacy and a business that’s grown from a single workshop in Coolamon to a network of 20 branches across New South Wales. By the time Hutcheon was old enough to earn pocket money, he was already pumping fuel at his grandparents’ service station in the Riverina region of southern NSW. “I got exposed to businesses at a very early age,” he recalls.
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New innings: Westpac and Cricket Australia announce partnership

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
Westpac has stepped onto the pitch as Cricket Australia’s new Principal Partner, with the bank’s logo to feature on the men’s and women’s team shirts for international matches played in Australia. The four-year agreement is set to shape the future of cricket in Australia from the grassroots through to the elite level, including Test, One-Day, and T20 matches - as well as the Australia A and under-19 squads. The bank also joins the Big Bash League as an Official Partner.
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CEO Anthony Miller on Westpac’s submission to the Economic Reform Roundtable

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
Westpac welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the Economic Reform Roundtable, presenting a forward-looking submission aimed at boosting Australia’s productivity and resilience. CEO Anthony Miller highlights the urgency of reform, pointing to rising costs and pressures on households and businesses.
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Anthony Eats: Must-try restaurants

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
As a proud Greek Australian, there's one language that connects us all: food. It's central to celebrations, it's a bowl of comfort when you're not feeling great, and it's nostalgic, stirring memories of family, friendship, fun and laughter. So, when the opportunity arose to combine my passion for food with my role in supporting hospitality customers grow their businesses, it felt like a dream come true.
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Brothers at forefront of innovation for Australia’s favourite fruit

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
“We started working with Professor Kerry Walsh from CQU when he was working on a camera system that went through the orchard counting flowers and fruit and used GPS to put that on a map to help with forecasting and yield productions,” explains Daniel. “And because he’d developed that camera system, he thought, if we can map it then why can’t we reach out and pick it?
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This award-winning label is weaving Indigenous art into the fabric of fashion

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
This ethos has earned Ngali both critical acclaim and commercial traction. In 2023, the brand became the first Indigenous label to present a solo runway show at Australian Fashion Week (AFW). The show featured not just Francisco’s designs but contributions from 22 other First Nations creatives - models, stylists, videographers, and even artists who hand-painted boots worn on the runway. “That was a milestone,” Francisco says. “It wasn’t just about Ngali.
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Tackling a huge challenge in Aussie shearing sheds

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
“SHED stands for ‘sleep, hydration, exercise and diet’,” says Mudford. “It’s the boring basics but it works. It’s the routine stuff we don’t necessarily want to do, but that will keep our wellbeing balanced. “Mental and physical wellbeing are two sides of the same coin and sometimes we need to look out for physical signs that we’re in a rough spot.
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“Focus on the work, not the paperwork”: Westpac simplifies home loans for self-employed Aussies

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
Tim Nelson is a busy man. Running a home building business on Sydney’s Northern Beaches means juggling job sites, clients and paperwork – recently including a hefty stack of documents to secure a home loan in March. That’s why Westpac’s latest changes to its self-employed home lending process are welcome news for Australians like Tim. This week the bank rolls out a new one-year income assessment option – halving the documentation required from two years to just one.
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July rate cut is now likely but not a shoo-in

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
Westpac Chief Economist Luci Ellis now expects the next Reserve Bank’s rate cut to be in July rather than August, but she does not think it’s the near-100% certainty that the market predicts. This shift in forecast comes after the Consumer Price Index printed at 2.1 per cent in the year to May, softer than Westpac and the market’s median estimate of 2.3 per cent.
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‘Our continent is different’: Re-thinking how we farm Australian soil

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
Cole’s passion for caring for the land and studying the Australian landscape started when she was four years old, living in Far North Queensland where many of her friends were First Nations people. “The First Nations people don’t see themselves as owners of the land, they see themselves as custodians for generations.
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Westpac Economics revises RBA rate cut timeline, next cut still in August but more next year

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
Westpac Chief Economist Luci Ellis is sticking with her call of an August RBA interest rate cut, despite increasing market expectations of a move in July. The team has not changed its view that the RBA will cut twice more this year, with another reduction anticipated in November as well as the one in August. Both cuts are expected to be 0.25 percentage points.
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Lessons in success, from a four-time Olympic champion

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
Ariarne Titmus knows pressure. At just 24, she’s already a four-time Olympic gold medallist and one of Australia’s most decorated athletes. But it’s her mindset, not her medals, that have really won the world over. “I've always been unafraid of chasing big goals. The worst that can happen is you try your best and don't achieve it, but the person you become along the way is more important. “Setting a goal is a skill,” she says.
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"Hello? Anybody in there?" Heroes in the sky save lives as floods devastate parts of NSW

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
The grateful mother later posted on social media, "I really cannot thank you guys enough for bringing my babies safely to me. It was a hell of a few days being there for my community knowing my kids were on the other side of water without me." Three days with snakes Not every rescue was a race against time. Some tested the limits of human endurance. One man survived three harrowing days stranded on his caravan roof, surrounded by floodwater and unwelcome company.
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Westpac deploys real-time AI to take on scammers

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By Ben Young, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson Verified, James Thornhill Verified
| Westpac Wire Verified
Westpac has introduced a new AI-powered call assistant aimed at tackling scams as they happen. Currently in pilot with the bank’s specialist scam and fraud team, the tool is designed to identify signs of a scam during live customer calls and support operators in responding swiftly and consistently. The clever tech can detect indications the customer may be about to transfer money to a scam, based on their phone conversation with the bank.
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RBA delivers second rate cut of 2025, more expected this year

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
The Reserve Bank of Australia has lowered interest rates for the second time this year, bringing the official cash rate down by a quarter of a percentage point to 3.85 per cent. Westpac Economics had anticipated the RBA would deliver the quarter percentage point rate cut as all measures of inflation were firmly within the central bank’s target band of 2-3 per cent.
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Fashion, finance and a family legacy: Zampatti opens Australian Fashion Week

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
It’s an hour until showtime, and one thing is clear: the anticipatory backstage buzz that crescendos with each passing minute does little to fluster Alex Schuman. At least a head taller than the swarm of models around him, Schuman displays a calm confidence amid the excitement – a quality likely honed over a career in finance, politics and now at the helm of a heritage Australian fashion label.
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Meet the vigilante ex-cop who catfishes the catfish

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
For Kylee Dennis, the fight against scammers has always been personal. A 14-year career in the police force came to an end when she traded in her badge for a different kind of stakeout: catching catfish on dating apps. The founder of Two Face Investigations is passionate about stopping romance scams – a mission borne from a close call at home.
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Westpac's Miller hands down first result, urges calm amid global uncertainty

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
Westpac CEO Anthony Miller says the bank is in a strong position to support customers through uncertain times, as he hands down his first half year result as CEO. Miller, who took over from Peter King last December has posted a $3.5 billion net profit excluding notable items, down one percent on the first half of 2024.
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Inflation prints higher than expected but cuts still on the cards

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
Headline inflation has exceeded Westpac Economics estimates, holding at 2.4 per cent for the year, but has not impacted the team’s base case of rates cutting in May. Annual trimmed mean inflation, the preferred measure of core inflation by economists and the Reserve Bank of Australia, has moderated to within the central bank’s target range to 2.9 per cent for the first time since 2021.
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Fiji faces tough tariffs from a position of strength

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
Fiji is facing stronger than expected headwinds following US President Donald Trump’s tariffs, made worse by a slowdown in tourist arrivals from Australia and New Zealand. Although the tariffs were reduced from a shockingly high 32 per cent to 10 per cent following Trump’s 90-day pause, Fiji is nonetheless working through its trade strategies which includes possible alternative markets for the goods it exports to the US. However, the US remains a key export market for Fiji.
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From the battlefield to the boardroom: the legacy of a veteran bank CEO

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
We pause this Anzac Day to reflect on the service and sacrifice of the men and women involved in war, including the 418 Bank of New South Wales (now Westpac) employees who lost their lives in WWI and WWII. Among the bank's 793 staff to enlist in WWI was Thomas Baker Heffer, a New Zealander who joined the bank aged 18. By the time he enlisted in 1915, he was relatively senior in the bank and almost 30, slightly older than most of his fellow volunteers.
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MONEY TALK: Millie Elliott

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
For Millie Elliott, managing her personal finances is all about finding a balance. “I don't know whether I'd call myself a saver or a spender. I think I sit in between - a little bit balanced,” the Sydney Roosters, Westpac NSW Blues Women and Jillaroos prop tells Wire in an interview. She’s not against the occasional splurge, just as long as it’s in moderation. It’s in keeping with her broader approach to make money work for her, rather than letting money dictate her decisions.
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Westpac CEO's customer email: strengthening scam defences and regional presence

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
Dear Customer, It is a pleasure to write to you for the first time as the new CEO of Westpac. Thank you for choosing to bank with us. I want to make sure that you, your family and your business can always count on us. At Westpac we have a dedicated team across the country assisting you every day. We’re privileged to serve you and continue our long-standing 200-year history of helping customers. We understand that the high cost of living has been challenging over the past few years.
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SCAM SPOT: Hobbying investors are a rich target for scammers

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
In some relationships, and particularly in the older generations, it could be that the man manages finances. But most of us make better decisions when we use someone as a sounding board. Everyone of every sex should independently have a good sense of how their money is being invested. Ask what is being invested in, and how they know for sure it is who they think it is. But there is another factor.
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Growth forecasts lower despite Australia’s trade advantages

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
Westpac Economics has trimmed its growth forecast for the Australian economy in response to recent shocks to markets following Donald Trump’s “liberation day” tariffs. Citing a weaker external environment and slower recovery in consumer demand, the team now anticipates a growth rate of 1.9 per cent this year, down from the previous forecast of 2.2 per cent.
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Westpac backs regional Australia with new service centres

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
In a move to bolster support for regional Australia, Westpac has announced the establishment of three new Regional Service Centres in Moree (NSW), Leongatha (VIC), and Smithton (TAS). CEO Anthony Miller made the announcement during a trip to Moree in northern NSW, describing regional Australia as the “lifeblood of the country”. “Regional Australia is pivotal to the nation’s economy. It’s home to a third of the population and contributes 30% to GDP.
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Look through the tariff turmoil, says Westpac economist

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
Australia’s economy remains well positioned to grow near trend this year and next despite short term market volatility following US President Donald Trump’s “liberation day”. That’s the view of Westpac head of international economics Elliot Clarke who says Donald Trump’s recent tariffs are unlikely to have a material adverse impact on Australian growth and inflation through trade. Westpac Economics has also maintained their Australian cash rate forecasts despite the tariffs.
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Westpac doubles commitment to female entrepreneurship with $1 billion fund

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
Amongst many inspiring examples of the female-founded businesses that have already benefitted from Westpac's fund is Dodgy or Not?, an innovative gamified learning platform designed to enhance digital literacy and scam detection. Co-founded by Stacey Edmonds, a former teacher and Deloitte partner, the game uses real scam data and behavioural science to create an engaging educational experience. With funding from Westpac, Dodgy or Not?
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Papua New Guinea’s NRL push to bolster economic growth

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By Ben Young, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson Verified, James Thornhill Verified
| Westpac Wire Verified
Rugby League is a national obsession in Papua New Guinea and the award of a team franchise to compete in Australia’s NRL from 2028 will come as a major economic boost for the country, as well as helping to deepen its ties with Australia. The Hunters NRL team was a major topic of conversation among delegates at the CEO100 business summit in the capital Port Moresby in March, contributing to a broader sense of optimism towards the PNG economy.
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LUCI’S CALL: Cost-of-living dominates pre-election budget

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By Ben Young, James Thornhill Verified, Marina Gainulina, Sarah Williamson
| Westpac Wire Verified
Cost-of-living was the big theme in Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ budget – his last before a federal election due in May. We already knew that the electricity rebates introduced last year were going to be extended by six months, but the big surprise was the announcement of additional tax cuts. The bottom tax bracket will be lowered from 16 per cent to 15 per cent in 2026 and to 14 per cent in 2027. While it’s a modest adjustment, it will still make a bit of a difference to many lower income households.
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