https://aussieoutrage.com Independent stories on Australian government waste, injustice, the national debt and the cost of living. en-au Mon, 02 Nov 2026 02:23:49 GMT https://aussieoutrage.com/apple-touch-icon.pnghttps://aussieoutrage.com https://aussieoutrage.com/stories/suburban-rail-loop-cost-96-billion https://aussieoutrage.com/stories/suburban-rail-loop-cost-96-billion How much will the Suburban Rail Loop cost? $33.3bn for stage one, says the government, but the Auditor-General says it could top $36bn. Two stages: $96.4bn. Government Waste Aussie Outrage Sun, 01 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://aussieoutrage.com/stories/car-insurance-premiums-up-42-percent https://aussieoutrage.com/stories/car-insurance-premiums-up-42-percent Car insurance premiums in Australia rose 42% in five years and another 8% last year. ASIC found no insurer explained why. What's driving it and how to pay less. Cost of Living Aussie Outrage Wed, 28 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://aussieoutrage.com/stories/coles-down-down-court-case-discounts-not-genuine https://aussieoutrage.com/stories/coles-down-down-court-case-discounts-not-genuine The Coles Down Down court case: a judge found 13 of 14 discounts weren't genuine. No penalty until 2027, Woolworths awaits judgment, and profits are up. Cost of Living Aussie Outrage Wed, 28 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://aussieoutrage.com/stories/rent-prices-australia https://aussieoutrage.com/stories/rent-prices-australia Rent prices in Australia: the median is $713 a week, renters pay a record 34% of income, and a full-time minimum wage worker can afford 0.5% of listings. Cost of Living Aussie Outrage Wed, 28 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://aussieoutrage.com/stories/australia-inflation-rate https://aussieoutrage.com/stories/australia-inflation-rate Australia's inflation rate rose to 4.3% in September 2026, up from 4.0%. Petrol, up 23.6% in a year, and power bills after the rebates ended led the rise. Cost of Living Aussie Outrage Tue, 27 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://aussieoutrage.com/stories/interest-rate-rises-australia-2026 https://aussieoutrage.com/stories/interest-rate-rises-australia-2026 Every RBA interest rate rise in Australia in 2026, why the Reserve Bank raised rates to 4.60%, and what they add to a typical mortgage: about $470 a month. Cost of Living Aussie Outrage Tue, 27 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://aussieoutrage.com/stories/big-build-office-pot-plants-1-6-million https://aussieoutrage.com/stories/big-build-office-pot-plants-1-6-million Rail Projects Victoria spent an estimated $1.64 million on plant hire and maintenance, and the Suburban Rail Loop Authority almost $200,000 more, according to the state opposition. Government Waste Aussie Outrage Mon, 26 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://aussieoutrage.com/stories/commonwealth-games-cancelled-589-million https://aussieoutrage.com/stories/commonwealth-games-cancelled-589-million Victoria pulled out of the 2026 Commonwealth Games to save money. The Auditor-General found walking away cost $589 million with no discernible benefit, and the $6.9 billion figure used to justify it was overstated. Government Waste Aussie Outrage Mon, 26 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://aussieoutrage.com/stories/machete-ban-13-million-bins https://aussieoutrage.com/stories/machete-ban-13-million-bins Victoria set aside $13 million for its machete ban and amnesty bins. The bins cost about $2,400 each. The government still hasn't said where the rest of the money goes. Government Waste Aussie Outrage Mon, 26 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://aussieoutrage.com/stories/metro-tunnel-plaques-70000-replaced https://aussieoutrage.com/stories/metro-tunnel-plaques-70000-replaced Commemorative plaques for the Metro Tunnel were replaced after errors were found in their wording, at a reported cost of about $70,000. Nobody has said who got it wrong or who paid. Government Waste Aussie Outrage Mon, 26 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://aussieoutrage.com/stories/ato-tax-transparency-2024-25-companies-paid-no-tax https://aussieoutrage.com/stories/ato-tax-transparency-2024-25-companies-paid-no-tax The ATO's latest tax transparency report covers every company earning more than $100 million. More than one in four paid nothing. Here's what the numbers show, and why the tax office says it's not always a scandal. Follow the Money Aussie Outrage Sun, 25 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://aussieoutrage.com/stories/big-build-cfmeu-15-billion-corruption-estimate https://aussieoutrage.com/stories/big-build-cfmeu-15-billion-corruption-estimate A senior barrister estimates criminal infiltration of the CFMEU added about $15 billion to Victoria's Big Build. The government disputes it. A premier has resigned, a royal commission is under way, and Victorians vote on 28 November. Government Waste Aussie Outrage Sun, 25 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://aussieoutrage.com/stories/cross-river-rail-cost-blowout-19-billion https://aussieoutrage.com/stories/cross-river-rail-cost-blowout-19-billion Brisbane's Cross River Rail was promised for $5.4bn by 2024. The Queensland Government now puts it at $19.04bn, with first trains in 2029. Labor says the books were cooked. Government Waste Aussie Outrage Sun, 25 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://aussieoutrage.com/stories/east-coast-gas-exported-australians-pay-more https://aussieoutrage.com/stories/east-coast-gas-exported-australians-pay-more Before the Gladstone LNG plants opened, east coast gas cost about $4 a gigajoule. Now it's around $14, and the regulator is warning of shortfalls. Follow the gas, and the money. Follow the Money Aussie Outrage Sun, 25 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://aussieoutrage.com/stories/hunter-class-frigates-27-billion-three-ships https://aussieoutrage.com/stories/hunter-class-frigates-27-billion-three-ships The Hunter-class frigate program was cut from nine ships to six, and close to $27bn is now set aside for the first three. The first won't arrive until 2032. Government Waste Aussie Outrage Sun, 25 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://aussieoutrage.com/stories/inland-rail-cost-blowout-45-billion-parkes https://aussieoutrage.com/stories/inland-rail-cost-blowout-45-billion-parkes Inland Rail's full cost is now $45.6bn, four times the 2015 business case. In May the government stopped it at Parkes, 1,000km short of Brisbane. Government Waste Aussie Outrage Sun, 25 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://aussieoutrage.com/stories/north-east-link-cost-blowout-26-billion https://aussieoutrage.com/stories/north-east-link-cost-blowout-26-billion Melbourne's North East Link was unveiled at $10bn in 2016. It's now $26.1bn, Victoria's most expensive road. The Treasurer said 60% of the rise was the government's own choices. Government Waste Aussie Outrage Sun, 25 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://aussieoutrage.com/stories/power-bills-rebates-ended-prices-falling https://aussieoutrage.com/stories/power-bills-rebates-ended-prices-falling The regulator cut its benchmark price by a few per cent in July. But the government rebates have ended, and the rises of 2022 to 2024 haven't gone anywhere. Here's what's really happening to your power and heating bills. Cost of Living Aussie Outrage Sun, 25 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://aussieoutrage.com/stories/profit-shifting-money-trail-chevron-rio-tinto https://aussieoutrage.com/stories/profit-shifting-money-trail-chevron-rio-tinto Two real cases, one decided in court and one settled with the tax office for about $1 billion, show how multinationals can shrink an Australian tax bill. Follow the money, step by step. Follow the Money Aussie Outrage Sun, 25 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://aussieoutrage.com/stories/snowy-2-0-cost-blowout-25-billion https://aussieoutrage.com/stories/snowy-2-0-cost-blowout-25-billion Snowy 2.0 was sold at $2 billion in 2017. Snowy Hydro's new target cost is $22.2 billion, up to $25 billion, and first power is now 2029. How it blew out. Government Waste Aussie Outrage Sun, 25 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://aussieoutrage.com/stories/bom-website-96-million-one-year-on https://aussieoutrage.com/stories/bom-website-96-million-one-year-on The weather bureau's redesign launched days before a wild storm weekend, confused farmers, and cost 23 times what Australians were first told. Then the same contractor won more work. Government Waste Aussie Outrage Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT