Climate change raising company liabilities, barristers warn on potential litigation

Evidence that climate change is posing a greater risk to broader economy is putting company directors at greater risk of being taken to court, according to updated legal advice out today. 

Barrister Noel Hutley SC says it's now obvious that climate change is affecting the economy and given recent warnings, companies could face legal action for not acting on the exposure to investors - and that includes anyone worried about their retirement nest-egg. 

Centre for Policy Development chief executive Travers McLeod commissioned the advice and spoke with ABC's Peter Ryan.

Tax Office updates nation's widening income gap - surgeons top list of biggest earners

Australia's richest live near Sydney's northern beaches and earn more than 10 times the income of the nation's poorest, who live in regional NSW, ATO statistics show. 

Sydney's 2108 postcode recorded Australia's highest average taxable income of $230,330. New South Wales was home to the lowest-earning area. Postcode 2308 had an average taxable income of $20,589. 

However, ATO deputy commissioner Louise Clarke tells ABC's Peter Ryan the data does not provide enough information to identify tax avoiders.

Microsoft president Brad Smith: more needs to be done to prevent another Christchurch

Two weeks after the Christchurch massacre, Microsoft president Brad Smith tells The World Today that more needs to be done to prevent to spread of hate material. 

Mr Smith has met with New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern who has demanded tech and social media companies find ways to identity and eliminate hate material. 

Brad Smith spoke in Sydney with ABC's Peter Ryan.

ANZ Bank boss Shayne Elliott concedes shareholders ranked ahead of customer interests in years leading to Royal Commission

ANZ Bank chief executive Shayne Elliott concedes that shareholders had "primacy over customers" in the years leading up to the financial services Royal Commission. 

Speaking at a six-monthly parliamentary grilling, Mr Elliott said bankers guilty of misconduct should be penalised and that tighter lending standards were a potential impact on the broader economy.

Resource companies accused of betting on Paris Agreement failure. Billionaire businessman Rob Millner tells unhappy investors to "sell"

Environmental finance group Market Forces has outed 22 listed resource companies for ramping up fossil fuel investments in the hope that the Paris Climate agreement will fail.

Companies accused of ignoring warnings from investors and regulators include New Hope, Whitehaven and Washington H. Soul Pattinson. 

But billionaire investor Rob Millner, chairman of Washington H. Soul Pattinson, tells ABC's Peter Ryan that investors should sell their shares if they don't like plans to build new coal mines.