Morning Headlines

Telstra dials up a radical overhaul

More than 11 million Australians will have to change their mobile phone plans after the country’s biggest telecommunications provider launched a major overhaul of its services. The West

Northern Star ponders move on $3bn Super Pit mine

Australian listed gold producer and explorer Northern Star is understood to be actively looking at buying the $3 billion Super Pit mine in Western Australia. The Aus

Fortescue says $2.3b trumps Aboriginal voice in Parliament

Andrew Forrest’s Fortescue Metals Group has no intention of joining Rio Tinto and BHP in backing an Indigenous voice in Parliament, saying it prefers to focus on practical ways to tackle disparity. The Fin

The great rates rip-off

An investigation by The West Australian can today reveal that 20 of 23 metropolitan councils are jacking up or looking to increase rates higher than they should despite cost-of-living pressures and unemployment problems in their areas. The Fin

WTO must end ‘unfair’ China trade

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will call for urgent reform of the World Trade Organisation today by recognising the legitimacy of many of the United States’ grievances with China and declaring international trade rules are no longer capable of dealing with Beijing’s behaviour. The Fin

Coalition slams Labor on tax cut rollback option

The government has accused Labor of failing to learn the lesson of the election after shadow treasurer Jim Chalmers confirmed Labor could go to the next election promising to roll back the stage three tax cuts that are already law. The Fin

NDIS hurdles torn down for kids under six

Children up to six years old will get access to National Disability Insurance Scheme plans within 50 days, new NDIS minister Stuart Robert has pledged, as he attempts to turn around long wait times and intervene early to deliver crucial support. The Aus

Top Huawei exec takes swipe at NBN

A senior Australian executive at Chinese telecommunications equipment maker Huawei has taken an extraordinary swipe at the national broadband network, saying it has failed in its core objective of providing ubiquitous high-speed internet and cannot afford to make the future upgrades required. The Fin

WA Treasury calls on MIRA to re-think bid for Landgate

Street Talk understands WA Treasury representatives have recently bunkered down for talks with their up-for-grabs land information authority Landgate and its most likely suitor Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets, to try to unpick the mess and map out a path forward. The Fin

A giant step away from Homeswest

A $50 million skyscraper planned for Northbridge East will help activate the area and marks a change in social housing, providing high-quality, modern apartments for low income earners. The West

 

 

The Australian Financial Review

Page 1: Prime Minister Scott Morrison will call for urgent reform of the World Trade Organisation today by recognising the legitimacy of many of the United States’ grievances with China and declaring international trade rules are no longer capable of dealing with Beijing’s behaviour.

Former Fair Work Ombudsman Natalie James has called out the complexity of the workplace relations system, saying it needs to be examined in the wake of huge underpayments among major employers.

Page 3: Most new retirees in Australia have enough savings to be self-funded rather than being reliant on the age pension, new research shows.

Page 4: Beijing’s rising authoritarianism and complaints of meddling in Australia’s democracy have seen public sentiment towards China turn savagely, according to a top foreign policy think-tank’s long-running poll.

Page 5: The government has accused Labor of failing to learn the lesson of the election after shadow treasurer Jim Chalmers confirmed Labor could go to the next election promising to roll back the stage three tax cuts that are already law.

Page 8: Chef and restaurateur Luke Mangan said a shortage of chefs and waitstaff in the hospitality industry made businesses such as his reliant on foreign workers.

Page 9: A senior Australian executive at Chinese telecommunications equipment maker Huawei has taken an extraordinary swipe at the national broadband network, saying it has failed in its core objective of providing ubiquitous high-speed internet and cannot afford to make the future upgrades required.

Page 10: The technology, science and venture capital industries have leapt on Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s request that they identify regulatory roadblocks to investment, naming cuts to research and development incentives and ‘‘walls’’ against importing talent as the worst job-killers.

Page 15: Discounter Aldi has thrown down the gauntlet to Coles and Woolworths, unveiling an ambitious target to cut plastic packaging by 25 per cent in six years.

Page 19: Renato Mota, the new chief executive of IOOF, wants to reset the troubled wealth group’s business by branching into digital and robo-advice services as a way to bring down costs and add flexibility for customers, while leaving the door open for further acquisitions.

Amazon is considering adding new services and benefits to its Prime membership program to stay ahead of copycat retailers launching subscription-based free deliveries for online orders.

Page 20: Street Talk understands WA Treasury representatives have recently bunkered down for talks with their up-for-grabs land information authority Landgate and its most likely suitor Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets, to try to unpick the mess and map out a path forward.

Page 21: Telstra has signalled it is open to implementing more intensive consumer credit checks, after reports emerged on Tuesday that the telco’s sales tactics towards vulnerable Indigenous Australians had attracted the attention of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

Andrew Forrest’s Fortescue Metals Group has no intention of joining Rio Tinto and BHP in backing an Indigenous voice in Parliament, saying it prefers to focus on practical ways to tackle disparity.

 

 

The Australian

Page 1: Scott Morrison has vowed Australia will not stand by “passively” as China and the US slug it out in a global power contest, and he will act in Australia’s security and economic interests if the superpower relationship continues to deteriorate.

Religious leaders have rallied behind sacked rugby player Israel Folau as financial support for the former Wallaby’s legal battle last night crashed through the $1 million mark via a fresh fundraising site set up by the Australian Christian Lobby.

Page 4: Centre Alliance has signalled it could support the Morrison government’s full personal income tax cuts package as soon as Friday without a deal on gas being locked in, as Labor also leaves open the possibility of backing the flagship $158 billion tax plan in full.

Page 5: Children up to six years old will get access to National Disability Insurance Scheme plans within 50 days, new NDIS minister Stuart Robert has pledged, as he attempts to turn around long wait times and intervene early to deliver crucial support.

Page 6: Australia’s union-backed superannuation industry has made the case for nuclear energy and demolished repeated claims wind and solar are the cheapest long-term option for reliable power.

Page 9: SpaceX launched its heftiest rocket, carrying 24 research satellites, yesterday, a middle-of-the-night rideshare featuring a deep space atomic clock, solar sail, a clean and green rocket fuel testbed, and even human ashes.

Page 21: There’s “conflicting evidence” on whether business has recovered from a bout of election-induced hesitation, but Australia’s second-largest professional services firm is quietly confident of extending a five-year growth streak.

Page 22: Australian listed gold producer and explorer Northern Star is understood to be actively looking at buying the $3 billion Super Pit mine in Western Australia.

Telstra has given its mobile and fixed plans a complete makeover, with the telco’s boss, Andrew Penn, confident that cutting its service options from 1800 to 20 will deliver better options to consumers.

 

 

The West Australian

Page 8: An investigation by The West Australian can today reveal that 20 of 23 metropolitan councils are jacking up or looking to increase rates higher than they should despite cost-of-living pressures and unemployment problems in their areas.

Page 9: The number of deaths from the flu has soared 800 per cent this year to 36, according to alarming WA Health Department figures released yesterday.

Page 18: The City of Perth has admitted it relies too much on parking revenue as it last night agreed to a trial of one-hour free parking to start soon in several areas.

Page 22: State governments are locked in a race to reduce their payroll tax burdens – and WA is being left behind.

Page 25: More than 11 million Australians will have to change their mobile phone plans after the country’s biggest telecommunications provider launched a major overhaul of its services.  

Business: Deloitte is encouraging its male employees to take up to 18 weeks paid leave at the birth of their children, which the global accounting firm offers regardless of whether they are the primary caregiver in their family.

Domino’s Pizza has been hit by a class action lawsuit that claims the Australian pizza giant and its franchises systemically underpaid workers for five years.

A Perth-based company has developed a carbon-rich fertiliser which could lead to Australia’s broadacre farmers selling carbon credits on the carbon sequestration market.

Andrew Forrest’s hydrogen fuel plans are to start small with power generation at a Fortescue Metals Group mine but could grow to include exporting hydrogen and using it to fire his customers’ steel mills.

A $50 million skyscraper planned for Northbridge East will help activate the area and marks a change in social housing, providing high-quality, modern apartments for low income earners.