Morning Headlines

Voters split on low rates and the economy

Voters are polarised over Australia’s chronically low interest rates – mortgage holders are in no hurry to see them rise while retirees say they are being forced to take more risks with their money to get by. The Fin

39-storey tower to rise over Sth Perth

South Perth peninsula’s skyline will be forever changed with the approval of the $300 million Civic Heart project. The West

Anxious wait for Dacian Gold

Shareholders in Dacian Gold are facing a nervous threeweek wait after shares in the gold miner were suspended yesterday ahead of a resource downgrade at its Westralia underground mine. The West

Joyce will run for Nats leadership

Barnaby Joyce is set to contest the party leadership even without the numbers as the hostilities tearing apart the Nationals and destabilising the government reached the point of no return. The Fin

Travel, tourism bear brunt of $28b ASX rout

Investors are prepared to look past the economic effect of the coronavirus on Qantas Airways’ half-year results but will be closely watching how the airline handles the situation and the damages, a fund manager says. The Fin

Treasurer urged to talk down Bellamy’s impact

Treasury dumped all references to potential “benefits” of a Chinese takeover of Bellamy’s for Australian employees of the baby formula maker after the department quashed a planned media release spruiking how many of the firm’s local workers would be better off under the deal. The Aus

Slow build begins for real estate

Perth house prices have lifted slightly with new RP Data Core-Logic figures showing a 0.1 per cent increase in value over January, supporting growing confidence in the housing market. The West

Bandt poised to lead Greens further to left

The Greens are poised to shift even further to the left, with the party’s lone lower house MP, Adam Bandt, the favourite to replace Richard Di Natale as leader, leaving business nervy. The Fin

Doctors at risk handed wrong masks

Surgical masks being distributed to GPs as part of the nation’s coronavirus response are ineffective in preventing transmission of the disease, according to a worldleading expert. The Aus

Respected architect a new contender to lead Perth

Perth architect Sandy Anghie appears ready to have a tilt at the city’s vacant Lord Mayor position which goes to the polls in October. The West

The Australian Financial Review

Page 1: Barnaby Joyce is set to contest the party leadership even without the numbers as the hostilities tearing apart the Nationals and destabilising the government reached the point of no return.

Page 3: Clive Palmer’s failed attempt to disrupt federal politics cost the Queensland billionaire more than $83 million, new data from the Australian Electoral Commission has revealed.

Page 5: Voters are polarised over Australia’s chronically low interest rates – mortgage holders are in no hurry to see them rise while retirees say they are being forced to take more risks with their money to get by.

Page 7: The Greens are poised to shift even further to the left, with the party’s lone lower house MP, Adam Bandt, the favourite to replace Richard Di Natale as leader, leaving business nervy.

Page 8: Federal government spending on public school students has increased more rapidly than spending on private school students, in a reversal of claims made by teachers unions and parent groups.

Page 11: South-east Asian nations are scrambling to offset the impact of the coronavirus as the health crisis begins to threaten financial stability in the region.

Panic-stricken residents have emptied shelves in major supermarkets in Hong Kong, stockpiling meat, rice, cleaning products and soap as fears escalate over a coronavirus epidemic on the mainland.

Page 12: Investors are prepared to look past the economic effect of the coronavirus on Qantas Airways’ half-year results but will be closely watching how the airline handles the situation and the damages, a fund manager says.

The Mongolian prime minister who struck a deal with Rio chief Jean-Sebastien Jacques to restart the $US5.3 billion ($7.9 billion) Oyu Tolgoi mine is disappointed the miner did not publicly stand up for him and the rule of law when he was later thrown in jail by political rivals.

Page 14: Australian Community Media executive chairman Antony Catalano could move to consolidate a handful of real estate properties into one business as he builds an alternative digital property plan.

Page 16: Health-related stocks such as CSL and Ramsay Health Care as well as big supermarkets Coles and Woolworths will fare best in the sharp volatility over the next few weeks as the coronavirus outbreak plays out in the share market, says the boss of Argo Investments.

Page 18: A leading fund manager has said the breakdown in talks between Oil Search and the Papua New Guinea government regarding a $20 billion LNG expansion project could be a ‘‘godsend’’ for investors.

The Australian

Page 1: The China travel ban will cost Australian tourism operators more than a billion dollars a week and force many businesses to close if the quarantine extends beyond a month, according to new industry warnings.

Page 2: British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab will discuss a new renewable energy technology partnership with the Morrison government during a visit to Canberra this week, as he looks to turbocharge his country’s post-Brexit relationship with Australia.

Page 4: The cost of childcare has risen across the country again, while subsidised care services have drastically fallen, according to the latest Productivity Commission report into the sector.

Page 5: The nation’s most prestigious natural history museums are calling for more national action to combat climate change as they prepare to use their world-leading research to help in restoration efforts for native plants and animals devastated by bushfires.

Page 7: Surgical masks being distributed to GPs as part of the nation’s coronavirus response are ineffective in preventing transmission of the disease, according to a world-leading expert.

Page 17: The risk of a significant hit to growth from China’s worsening coronavirus has continued to rip through global financial markets despite extensive support measures from Chinese officials.

Page 19: Treasury dumped all references to potential “benefits” of a Chinese takeover of Bellamy’s for Australian employees of the baby formula maker after the department quashed a planned media release spruiking how many of the firm’s local workers would be better off under the deal.

Page 25: A fast-growing California tech company is music to the ears of WiseTech founder and rich-lister Richard White, who has backed Big Sync Music and is supporting its blockbuster launch into Australia and New Zealand.

The West Australian

Page 3: South Perth peninsula’s skyline will be forever changed with the approval of the $300 million Civic Heart project.

Page 4: No West Australian has tested positive for coronavirus to date but the entire State has been warned to brace for the fiscal fallout of the deadly epidemic.

Page 6: Perth architect Sandy Anghie appears ready to have a tilt at the city’s vacant Lord Mayor position which goes to the polls in October.

Page 16: Perth house prices have lifted slightly with new RP Data Core-Logic figures showing a 0.1 per cent increase in value over January, supporting growing confidence in the housing market.

Page 18: The installation of three shark warning towers along the State’s south-east coast will start this week following the fatal attack on Esperance scuba diver Gary Johnson, pictured, on January 5.

Business: Swish car dealer Nicholas Ngo and his company Luxuride have been rubbed out over schemes to rip-off people whose luxury cars were being sold on consignment.

Australia is set to keep interest rates unchanged today as policymakers continue searching for signs that prior stimulus is encouraging households to spend.

Shareholders in Dacian Gold are facing a nervous threeweek wait after shares in the gold miner were suspended yesterday ahead of a resource downgrade at its Westralia underground mine.

The warring partners in the East Kundana gold joint venture near Kalgoorlie have encountered a new conundrum which is set to drive a wedge further between the two groups.

Wharfies at Fremantle port have been banned from strike action after the Federal Court agreed to grant stevedoring giant DP World Australia an injunction.