Morning Headlines

‘I accept 2021 is not my time’

Zak Kirkup has conceded the Liberals will lose the State election — declaring “it’s not my time” but vowing to keep fighting so Labor is held accountable. The West

$90b French subs project could sink

A top-level study of the nation’s submarine program ordered by Prime Minister Scott Morrison will look at how to terminate the $90 billion project with French government-owned shipbuilder Naval Group, amid questions over whether Defence Minister Linda Reynolds will hang on to the portfolio after being admitted to hospital. The Fin

Woolworths: most store visits to become digital

Woolworths chief Brad Banducci plans to widen the supermarket giant’s performance gap over rival Coles by doubling down on e-commerce and using his network of stores to deliver online orders faster to local customers. The Fin

CEOs declare economy is firing again

Business leaders have given their strongest indication yet that the economy has turned the corner as it comes out of the depths of the coronavirus crisis with major consumer-facing companies calling a pick-up in economic activity this year as they look to capitalise on the more buoyant environment. The Aus

ACCC says Facebook and Google must strike more deals

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chairman Rod Sims said Facebook and Google should pay all local news publishers, big and small, to avoid being regulated under the federal government’s media bargaining code. The Fin

WA high-roller ban to crush Crown revenue

Up to 20 per cent of the revenue from Crown Resorts’ flagship Melbourne casino would be wiped out if Victorian regulators follow the broader than expected ban slapped on high-roller gamblers to the company’s casino in Perth. The Fin

Woolies restarts demerger

Woolworths has revived plans to spin off its Endeavour Group hotels and drinks business, which has been buoyed by soaring demand for beer, wine and spirits as consumers turned to drinking at home during the pandemic. The West

Anti-vaxxers wage poll crusade

Anti-vaccination candidates are contesting every seat in the West Australian election in March as activists around the country seize on the COVID-19 immunisation rollout to undermine faith in vaccines. The Aus

‘WA Inc’ Burke’s donations tip for Premier

Brian Burke — the once wildly popular West Australian premier who led the state through the heady 1980s, only to end up jailed in the fallout from the WA Inc era — has warned the McGowan government to take action over the perceived influence of property developers. The Aus

Labor is pledging not to lift gold royalty

The McGowan Government has ruled out revisiting a hike in the State’s gold royalty if it wins a second term at next month’s election. The West

The Australian Financial Review

Page 1: A top-level study of the nation’s submarine program ordered by Prime Minister Scott Morrison will look at how to terminate the $90 billion project with French government-owned shipbuilder Naval Group, amid questions over whether Defence Minister Linda Reynolds will hang on to the portfolio after being admitted to hospital.

Woolworths chief Brad Banducci plans to widen the supermarket giant’s performance gap over rival Coles by doubling down on e-commerce and using his network of stores to deliver online orders faster to local customers.

Breakaway MP Craig Kelly has warned the Morrison government against freezing the superannuation guarantee, saying he would only support such a move if it included a mandated pay rise.

Page 2: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chairman Rod Sims said Facebook and Google should pay all local news publishers, big and small, to avoid being regulated under the federal government’s media bargaining code.

Page 3: Employees who blow the whistle on serious white-collar crime will be eligible for immunity from civil and criminal action under a new policy announced by the corporate regulator – but freedom comes with a catch.

Page 8: Investment plans from more than 70 per cent of ASX-listed companies have slipped 4 per cent this financial year as shareholder demands for better returns take precedence over the government’s plea for companies to invest in new equipment and projects, and build on the economic recovery.

Page 9: Up to 20 per cent of the revenue from Crown Resorts’ flagship Melbourne casino would be wiped out if Victorian regulators follow the broader than expected ban slapped on high-roller gamblers to the company’s casino in Perth.

Page 10: Already in the final chapter of one of golf’s greatest careers, Tiger Woods may have penned a shocking end to that story yesterday (AEDT), when the winner of 15 majors was taken to hospital with multiple injuries after a single-car crash.

Page 11: The Biden administration is nudging Canberra to ramp up its climate change campaign, with the President’s special envoy John Kerry lamenting Australia’s recent history of undermining global efforts to speed up decarbonisation.

Page 13: Australia has ‘‘a huge economic opportunity’’ to attract more tourists, students and skilled workers by keeping borders open after the most vulnerable Australians get the COVID-19 vaccine, Sydney Airport chief executive Geoff Culbert said after delivering a $145.6 million annual loss.

Page 16: Vitamins group Blackmores warned the absence of Chinese tourists and disruptions in pharmacies from May as they play a central role in vaccination programs will lead to lower June-half revenue than in the previous six months.

Page 17: Deals with Google and Facebook will ensure Nine’s publishing business, which includes The Australian Financial Review and The Sydney Morning Herald, will return to revenue growth and keep journalism jobs, chief executive Hugh Marks said as the parent company reported a net profit of $182 million.

Page 19: Consumer groups have jumped on holes in the new buy now, pay later code of conduct, relaunching a blistering attack on the fast-growing sector, saying providers clearly offer credit and must be regulated as such under the national credit act.

The Australian

Page 1: Scott Morrison faces a blow to public confidence in the national vaccine rollout after an investigation was called into how a Brisbane doctor injected two aged care residents with four times the recommended dose of the Pfizer jab without completing his mandatory training.

Brian Burke — the once wildly popular West Australian premier who led the state through the heady 1980s, only to end up jailed in the fallout from the WA Inc era — has warned the McGowan government to take action over the perceived influence of property developers.

Page 2: The architect of the news media bargaining code, ACCC chair Rod Sims, has stared down critics of the legislation, launching a blistering defence of the proposed law and describing the new amendments as “clarifications rather than concessions”.

Page 5: Australians have reduced spending on illicit drugs by billions of dollars amid price decreases and a drop in the use of methamphetamine during the pandemic.

Page 7: Just two people in Australia died from influenza between late April and November last year, and the overall number of recorded deaths across the country was significantly lower in 2020 than in recent years.

Anti-vaccination candidates are contesting every seat in the West Australian election in March as activists around the country seize on the COVID-19 immunisation rollout to undermine faith in vaccines.

Page 11: China’s state-sanctioned media has accused Australia, Canada, Britain and the US of being members of an “axis of white supremacy”, as Beijing steps up its rhetorical attack on members of the Five Eyes intelligence network.

Page 15: Business leaders have given their strongest indication yet that the economy has turned the corner as it comes out of the depths of the coronavirus crisis with major consumer-facing companies calling a pick-up in economic activity this year as they look to capitalise on the more buoyant environment.

The West Australian

Page 1: Zak Kirkup has conceded the Liberals will lose the State election — declaring “it’s not my time” but vowing to keep fighting so Labor is held accountable.

Page 4: A WA Liberal candidate promoted the use of an unproved anti-parasite drug as a coronavirus treatment on the same day more than two million West Australians were placed into lockdown amid fears of an virus outbreak.

A straw poll of hundreds of West Australians casting their ballots in key electorates on the first day of early voting has found overwhelming support for WA Labor — or more specifically, for Premier Mark McGowan.

Page 10: Defence Minister Linda Reynolds will be on medical leave for at least the rest of the week after being admitted to hospital yesterday, hours before she was due to be grilled over her handling of the alleged rape of former staffer Brittany Higgins.

Business: The McGowan Government has ruled out revisiting a hike in the State’s gold royalty if it wins a second term at next month’s election.

Orion Minerals is understood to have easily raised $25 million in a placement to begin early works on its Prieska copper-zinc project and acquire the Okiep copper project in South Africa.

Woolworths has revived plans to spin off its Endeavour Group hotels and drinks business, which has been buoyed by soaring demand for beer, wine and spirits as consumers turned to drinking at home during the pandemic.