Morning Headlines

Why NW mining jobs are on the Trump and ScoMo agenda

Donald Trump could become a jobs saviour for WA with revelations he and Prime Minister Scott Morrison will discuss the “enormous opportunities” for the US to import rare earths from our north-west when they meet in Washington next month. The West

New Downer strategic review considers mining divestment

Downer Group will look to accelerate its transformation into an urban services provider as part of a new strategic review that is expected to consider the sale of its contract mining business. The Fin

Casino’s crown slips further

Weak visitor spending has again held back Crown Resorts’ Burswood gaming and entertainment complex, exacerbating the impact of another sharp fall in VIP high-roller revenue. The West

Beijing could wipe off half of our economic growth: Goldman Sachs

GDP growth could be reduced by 50 per cent in a worst-case scenario of China reducing its demand for Australia’s exports, according to a report by Goldman Sachs. The Fin

Fixed rate falling to new lows under 3pc

Australians are now being offered what are possibly the lowest fixed mortgage interest rates in history, with banks dropping rates below 3 per cent. The Aus

Muzzling travel via taxpayer

Travel payments for WA MPs are set to be overhauled amid a corruption investigation of allowances for State politicians following Premier Mark McGowan’s demands for more transparency. The West

Treasurer scrutinising China investments

The Morrison government is facing tough foreign investment regulatory decisions on China-linked investments in local companies, including Rio Tinto, Crown Resorts and other firms. The Fin

Discrimination rises as gender pay gap falls

Discrimination against women in the workplace is increasing even as the gender pay gap is narrowing, according to a new study by KPMG. The Fin

‘We will pay’: AMP beefs up adviser review

AMP has embarked on a massive review of its entire army of advisers going back to 2008 as it attempts to bring forward compensation to customers for services the company charged for but never delivered. The Fin

Crown gets ‘gold star’ in fight against money laundering

An emotional Crown Resorts executive chairman John Alexander has declared the casino giant’s anti-moneylaundering systems have been given a “gold star” by an independent expert, and said the allegations about the company’s governance are taking a toll on staff. The Fin

The Australian Financial Review

Page 3: Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he expects Cardinal George Pell will be stripped of his Order of Australia honours, after the former Archbishop of Melbourne lost his appeal on sex offences on Wednesday.

Page 4: The university sector fears the government could be pressured by the United States to crack down even harder on its collaboration with China, following a series of measures being proposed by US Republicans, one of which directly implicates Australia.

GDP growth could be reduced by 50 per cent in a worst-case scenario of China reducing its demand for Australia’s exports, according to a report by Goldman Sachs.

Page 5: The Morrison government is facing tough foreign investment regulatory decisions on China-linked investments in local companies, including Rio Tinto, Crown Resorts and other firms.

Page 8: Private health insurers will need to cut $1 billion in costs over the next three years and reduce premium forecasts by 20 per cent to keep the sector viable, a report claims.

Page 9: Employers have warned that a landmark Federal Court decision will increase the cost of personal leave for anyone working longer than eight hours a day and disrupt a widespread industry practice.

Page 10: Discrimination against women in the workplace is increasing even as the gender pay gap is narrowing, according to a new study by KPMG.

A Perth blockchain company suing The Australian Financial Review won an international business competition judged by entrepreneur Richard Branson after hiring the contest’s founder.

Page 11: A Netflix-style subscription service that allows Millennial car buyers to obtain a new set of wheels for just 30 days before handing the vehicle back for a different one is being trumpeted as a potential salvation for car dealers facing tough times.

Page 15: AMP has embarked on a massive review of its entire army of advisers going back to 2008 as it attempts to bring forward compensation to customers for services the company charged for but never delivered.

An emotional Crown Resorts executive chairman John Alexander has declared the casino giant’s anti-money laundering systems have been given a “gold star” by an independent expert, and said the allegations about the company’s governance are taking a toll on staff.

The a2 Milk Company boss Jayne Hrdlicka says the easy revenue gains made in Australia and via daigou personal shoppers are a thing of the past and the milk and baby formula maker is building capacity for the long haul in China.

Page 16: Downer Group will look to accelerate its transformation into an urban services provider as part of a new strategic review that is expected to consider the sale of its contract mining business.

Page 18: Carsales shares jumped nearly 13 per cent to $15.84 on Wednesday as the boss of the online car advertising site said more people had been buying second-hand cars as they retreated from a weak new-car market.

Page 19: One of the largest building products suppliers in Australia is bracing for a 20 per cent contraction in the housing construction market in 2019-2020 despite some tentative signals that sentiment might be starting to improve.

Page 21: BHP is likely to be penalised by investors if it approves a $US5.7 billion ($8.4 billion) expenditure on Canada’s Jansen potash project, but any selldown would be a buying opportunity, according to Janus Henderson fund manager Tal Lomnitzer.

The Australian

Page 2: Australia’s peak business group in Vietnam has urged the government to look to the Asian “powerhouse” to recruit university students and expand trade opportunities.

Page 4: The union behind Bill Shorten’s rise to power in Labor politics has been threatened with a formal investigation after vastly exaggerating its membership numbers, and then refusing to hand over internal audit figures.

Page 8: Donald Trump has backed away from action on gun control following talks with the National Rifle Association, saying mass shootings are primarily the result of mental illness.

Page 18: The sale process for the mothballed Rocklands copper mine of former punters’ favourite CuDeco has formally kicked off.

Page 20: More Australian leisure travellers are opting for Singapore or Paris over Los Angeles, Chicago or New York, according to leading travel agents, who say the dropping Australian dollar is starting to affect travel decisions.

Page 21: Australians are now being offered what are possibly the lowest fixed mortgage interest rates in history, with banks dropping rates below 3 per cent.

Page 27: The local sharemarket followed Wall Street’s lead to finish firmly lower as concerns about global growth and trade tensions continued to weigh on investors.

The West Australian

Page 1: Donald Trump could become a jobs saviour for WA with revelations he and Prime Minister Scott Morrison will discuss the “enormous opportunities” for the US to import rare earths from our north-west when they meet in Washington next month.

Page 3: Travel payments for WA MPs are set to be overhauled amid a corruption investigation of allowances for State politicians following Premier Mark McGowan’s demands for more transparency.

Page 6: Friction is building inside WA Labor over a promise to build a new port in Kwinana amid a push by a community group to table a Parliamentary petition opposing an outer harbour.

Page 7: Virtual reality could help people in regional and remote areas in real-life emergencies.

Page 15: A Perth council has defended spending thousands of ratepayers’ dollars on hiring a hypnotist for an invitation-only function last month.

Page 18: The WA Police Union has sensationally likened the McGowan Government to a “schoolyard bully” as it tries to negotiate a better pay deal for the State’s 6000-plus cops.

Page 20: The McGowan Government has been accused of burying contaminated dirt in sensitive locations to avoid paying millions of dollars for it to go in landfill.

Business: Weak visitor spending has again held back Crown Resorts’ Burswood gaming and entertainment complex, exacerbating the impact of another sharp fall in VIP high-roller revenue.

Shares in Iluka Resources slumped more than 10 per cent yesterday after the mineral sands miner warned of lower than expected zircon sales and prices in the second half as well as higher operating costs.