Australian officials link interest rates to housing slowdown, disclose bonus and safety concerns
Treasury secretary Jenny Wilkinson told the Senate that higher interest rates are the main cause of the recent slowdown in Australia's housing market, and Australia Post disclosed a $1.2 million bonus for its chief executive, while Woolworths reported a rise in revenue and lawmakers raised concerns about safety threats to parliamentarians. Earlier, Treasury officials had linked higher rates to a decline in property prices and authorities had warned of threats to politicians, and Woolworths had noted revenue growth.