The best news travel sector’s had ‘all year’
Overseas holiday bookings are expected to soar if the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is approved by the federal government and made available to Australians in early 2021 as plummeting numbers of COVID-19 cases lead to a boom in bookings for domestic trips. The Fin
BHP fends off $9b Samarco lawsuit
BHP defeated an attempt to start a £5 billion ($9 billion) class action lawsuit in England related to the 2015 Samarco dam disaster in Brazil when the judge ruled that running parallel lawsuits in two countries would become a ‘‘white elephant’’ of cost and complexity. The Fin
Vaccine boost to take time
The dramatic breakthrough in Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate has raised hopes for the end of the pandemic, boosting global markets and injecting confidence into the economy, but medical experts warn its use in Australia may not be widespread any time soon. The Fin
Labor to back foreign influence bills
Two key pieces of legislation aimed at curbing Chinese influence in states, universities and foreign investment will become law after Labor agreed to wave through the bills even if its amendments are rejected. The Fin
SA to charge EVs for road use
South Australia will make electric vehicle owners pay road user charges, taking a national lead in the task of overhauling how roads are funded as more petrol-powered vehicles leave the roads. The Fin
Nutrien pledges $50m farmer support
Canadian fertiliser giant Nutrien says it has the balance sheet needed for Australian farmers to grow and keep up with technology as well as the global footprint to overcome any supply bottlenecks out of China. The Fin
Airline spend soars but agents struggle
Spending on airline travel soared in WA days after the McGowan Government revealed it was bringing down its hard border, new data shows. The West
Online retailers hit by bricks and mortar
The prospects of a COVID-19 vaccine ready to roll out as early as next year has reminded investors there is a world of traditional retailers heavily sold down since the pandemic hit, triggering a multibillion-dollar pivot away from online retailers and tech stocks. The Aus
Growers demand Pacific travel bubble to save crops
Growers are demanding the Morrison government urgently introduce a Pacific travel bubble to fast-track the arrival of seasonal workers, saying their worst fears are being realised with crops ploughed into the ground. The Aus
Palmer and Premier to test resolve
Clive Palmer’s lawyer has told a court he is not optimistic the mining magnate and Mark McGowan can resolve their defamation battle in mediation. The West
The Australian Financial Review
Page 1: The dramatic breakthrough in Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate has raised hopes for the end of the pandemic, boosting global markets and injecting confidence into the economy, but medical experts warn its use in Australia may not be widespread any time soon.
Page 3: Two key pieces of legislation aimed at curbing Chinese influence in states, universities and foreign investment will become law after Labor agreed to wave through the bills even if its amendments are rejected.
Page 5: Prime Minister Scott Morrison won’t take action against senior ministers Alan Tudge and Christian Porter, saying the pair had not breached ministerial standards despite a bruising investigation into conduct in Canberra.
Page 6: The Reserve Bank could upgrade economic growth forecasts again regardless of an early vaccine as the easing of COVID-19 restrictions contributes to a jump in confidence and a faster recovery than previously thought.
Quarantine periods for interstate and international travellers could be cut to seven days and drive about $66 billion of economic benefit without raising the risk of COVID-19 transmission if travel volumes were stable, a new model shows.
Page 8: South Australia will make electric vehicle owners pay road user charges, taking a national lead in the task of overhauling how roads are funded as more petrol-powered vehicles leave the roads.
Page 10: Mitch McConnell, America’s second-most powerful figure, has dangled the prospect of a limited pandemic stimulus bill by year-end, but again pushed back against the more than $US2 trillion ($2.8 trillion) package being sought by the Democrats.
US President Donald Trump fired Defence Secretary Mark Esper on Monday (Tuesday AEDT), upending the military’s leadership at a time when his refusal to concede the election has created a rocky and potentially precarious transition.
Page 14: Overseas holiday bookings are expected to soar if the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is approved by the federal government and made available to Australians in early 2021 as plummeting numbers of COVID-19 cases lead to a boom in bookings for domestic trips.
Page 16: BHP defeated an attempt to start a £5 billion ($9 billion) class action lawsuit in England related to the 2015 Samarco dam disaster in Brazil when the judge ruled that running parallel lawsuits in two countries would become a ‘‘white elephant’’ of cost and complexity.
Page 17: NAB has signalled it will not make any more big concessions in the fees-for-no-service case, offering only a handful of additional admissions in a new court filing.
Page 18: Canadian fertiliser giant Nutrien says it has the balance sheet needed for Australian farmers to grow and keep up with technology as well as the global footprint to overcome any supply bottlenecks out of China.
The Australian
Page 1: Joel Fitzgibbon has quit the Labor frontbench after a blistering shadow cabinet row with Anthony Albanese, in a move that amplifies internal divisions on climate change and threatens to destabilise the Opposition Leader.
Page 2: Indigenous Australians Minister Ken Wyatt has chosen to publicly disagree with one of the Morrison government’s most senior Indigenous policymakers at a speech in her honour, arguing against the claim by Closing the Gap co-chair Pat Turner that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have not been treated as equal partners in the design of a voice.
Page 4: Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack has accused Labor of “abandoning regional and rural Australia” by appointing a city-based MP to the role of opposition agriculture and resources spokesman.
Page 7: The emergency income support provided through the COVID-19 recession risks undermining the jobs recovery, Scott Morrison has warned, as business groups said employers were struggling to fill vacancies despite unemployment at an almost 20-year high.
The Morrison government’s $4bn JobMaker hiring credit is likely to pass parliament this week, despite Labor arguing that the legislation is “woefully inadequate” and pushing for eligibility requirements to be widened.
Growers are demanding the Morrison government urgently introduce a Pacific travel bubble to fast-track the arrival of seasonal workers, saying their worst fears are being realised with crops ploughed into the ground.
Page 15: The prospects of a COVID-19 vaccine ready to roll out as early as next year has reminded investors there is a world of traditional retailers heavily sold down since the pandemic hit, triggering a multibillion-dollar pivot away from online retailers and tech stocks.
Page 16: Low interest rates appear to be prompting more companies to reassess their debt position, with Incitec Pivot on Tuesday telling the market it would be buying back its long-term bonds.
The West Australian
Page 1: A bold call to change the lyrics of the national anthem to better acknowledge Australia’s Indigenous history has been put forward.
Page 4: Christian Porter has admitted to his failure at being a “good husband” — something he says he will have to “make amends for over time to my kids and the one person who deserved so much better of me”.
Labor’s shadow resources minister Joel Fitzgibbon quit the frontbench yesterday, saying the party had strayed too far from its “traditional roots”.
Page 7: Clive Palmer’s lawyer has told a court he is not optimistic the mining magnate and Mark McGowan can resolve their defamation battle in mediation.
Page 8: The love affair between Donald Trump and Fox News appears to be well and truly over after the TV network cut away from a briefing by his press secretary as she peddled his wild claims about voter fraud.
Page 11: The humble backyard swimming pool is making Perth homeowners between $25 and $140 an hour, with residents hiring them out through an app described as the Airbnb of pools.
Page 18: Harvey looks set to lead the WA Liberals to the next election but MPs were yesterday told they faced a difficult campaign and the focus would be on saving incumbent seats.
Business: Spending on airline travel soared in WA days after the McGowan Government revealed it was bringing down its hard border, new data shows.