Morning Headlines

Budget tax cuts tipped

A desperate Morrison government could spend up to $12 billion a year to deliver bigger personal income tax cuts and help it pass the ‘‘fairness’’ test with low-to-middle income voters, according to a new independent budget analysis. The Fin

Former uni boss says climate change key to Julie’s seat

Celia Hammond, who will fight to keep Julie Bishop’s seat of Curtin in Coalition hands, has nominated climate change as a key priority, while dismissing claims her Catholic views will be out of step with voters in the affluent west Perth seat. The West

Shorten promises hospital upgrades

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten will today announce an extra $110 million for hospital upgrades in WA as part of a $1 billion national package as he starts a four-day visit to the State. The West

Brookfield not likely to rival super funds

The chief executive of $670 billion alternative asset giant Brookfield says Australia’s fast-growing superannuation funds are unlikely to compete for the global mega deals that Brookfield is chasing, despite their push to increase levels of direct investment. The Fin

Preschool parents put pressure on politicians

Pressure on the major parties to provide funding certainty for preschool education programs and reform the childcare activity test that punishes vulnerable children the most is mounting ahead of the federal election with a new alliance of 27 organisations calling for change. The Aus

Crisis as Aboriginal suicide rates soar

Aboriginal children and women are increasingly taking their own lives, with the number of suicides among indigenous Australians continuing to soar after a tragic few months across the country. The Aus

Wine Collective eyeing growth as big rival slows

The chief executive of a reinvigorated online wine retailing business formed through the merger of three companies last year says the group is targeting sales growth of between 15 and 20 per cent after a capital injection by West Australian businessman Peter Fogarty. The Fin

Monday ‘perfect storm’ for EDs

Mondays have become the ugly bottleneck of the week for busy hospital emergency departments, as staff struggle to deal with the weekend load as well as an influx of new patients. The West

Bell Group brawl close to a settlement

The State Government is on the verge of settling a $1.8 billion row over the litigation proceeds from Alan Bond’s failed Bell Group. The West

The Australian Financial Review

Page 1: A desperate Morrison government could spend up to $12 billion a year to deliver bigger personal income tax cuts and help it pass the ‘‘fairness’’ test with low-to-middle income voters, according to a new independent budget analysis.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has called for live-streaming to be suspended on social media as politicians around the world condemned big technology companies such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube for failing to stop the spread of video footage of Friday’s terrorist attacks in Christchurch.

Page 2: The Hayne royal commission has confused the government, regulators and finance lobby groups over how to implement its recommendation to make industry codes more legally enforceable.

Page 4: National security authorities have stepped up monitoring far right-wing potential copycat terrorists and their opponents who may be tempted to violently seek retribution in Australia for the anti-Muslim massacre that killed at least 50 people in New Zealand.

Page 6: Politicians around the world have once again seized on the failings of big tech companies such as Facebook and You-Tube over their inability to contain video footage of Friday’s terror attacks.

Page 8: The Morrison government’s looming crackdown on capital gains tax arrangements for Australian expats appears all but dead ahead of the April 2 federal budget, with Assistant Treasurer Stuart Robert indicating the plan won’t be put to Parliament.

Page 12: A construction worker is alleging the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union helped cover up a safety incident at a Multiplex site as part of its close relationship with the builder.

Page 17: The chief executive of $670 billion alternative asset giant Brookfield says Australia’s fast-growing superannuation funds are unlikely to compete for the global mega deals that Brookfield is chasing, despite their push to increase levels of direct investment.

Page 19: Duncan Gibbs is on the cusp of first production at a new big gold mine in Australia, and that is a rare thing these days.

The chief executive of a reinvigorated online wine retailing business formed through the merger of three companies last year says the group is targeting sales growth of between 15 and 20 per cent after a capital injection by Western Australian businessman Peter Fogarty.

Page 20: The federal government is considering regulating initial coin offerings, a niche form of private fundraising for the technologically sophisticated developer community, in a move that could give blockchain-based start-ups an alternative to traditional capital raising.

Page 21: Embattled wealth company IOOF is facing a shareholder class action over its alleged failure to inform shareholders about its fallout with the regulator over the alleged breach of superannuation laws.

The Australian

Page 4: Pressure on the major parties to provide funding certainty for preschool education programs and reform the childcare activity test that punishes vulnerable children the most is mounting ahead of the federal election with a new alliance of 27 organisations calling for change.

The Liberal Party will use the experience of the corporate and voluntary sectors to bolster its complaints-handling processes in the wake of the bitter August leadership spill that triggered bullying allegations.

Page 8: Aboriginal children and women are increasingly taking their own lives, with the number of suicides among indigenous Australians continuing to soar after a tragic few months across the country.

Page 17: Australian companies are studying the implications of China’s new foreign investment law, which was passed by the National People’s Congress on Friday with a goal of encouraging more foreign investment in China.

Page 18: Lion is expected to seek urgent briefings with its Deutsche Bank and Greenhill advisers today as the sale of its troubled drinks and dairy business flatlines following the withdrawal of front runner Coca-Cola Amatil as a potential buyer.

The West Australian

Page 3: Prime Minister Scott Morrison has suggested maverick independent senator Fraser Anning face the “full force of the law” after he punched a teenager who egged him.

Page 15: Mondays have become the ugly bottleneck of the week for busy hospital emergency departments, as staff struggle to deal with the weekend load as well as an influx of new patients.

Teenage girls using e-cigarettes may be dramatically raising their risk of developing breast cancer, an expert has warned.

Page 16: Optus Stadium has secured approval to sell alcohol at Perth’s first AFL Good Friday clash next month.

Page 18: The State Government is on the verge of settling a $1.8 billion row over the litigation proceeds from Alan Bond’s failed Bell Group.

Page 20: The new head of Australia’s curriculum authority says schools are increasingly being seen as the means to solve all social problems.

Page 22: Opposition Leader Bill Shorten will today announce an extra $110 million for hospital upgrades in WA as part of a $1 billion national package as he starts a four-day visit to the State.

Celia Hammond, who will fight to keep Julie Bishop’s seat of Curtin in Coalition hands, has nominated climate change as a key priority, while dismissing claims her Catholic views will be out of step with voters in the affluent west Perth seat.

Business: A wave of new LNG projects may upset a trend to smaller, simpler projects built on tighter margins that the offshore oil and gas industry has adopted to survive since the days of $US100 a barrel oil ended in 2014.

WA's shipbuilding expertise was on display on Friday when CITIC Pacific Mining took delivery of a $4.5 million, 21m aluminium catamaran for use at its Sino Iron project in the Pilbara.

WA dairy farmers will soon have a more level playing field when negotiating contracts with processors, after the Federal Government said that it was developing a mandatory code of conduct.