Morning Headlines

Grain boom at risk as miners poach CBH train driver recruits

Farmers and miners in resources-rich Western Australia are in a tug of war over train drivers that is affecting the state’s reputation as a reliable supplier of wheat and other grains to hungry export markets. The Fin

Dutton: More US troops

Defence Minister Peter Dutton has proposed expanding the US Marine presence and hosting more American warships in Australia, as he warns the nation must prepare for whatever threats loom ‘‘on or below the horizon’’ amid growing tensions with China. The Fin

Unions demand post-jab paid leave

Unions have urged the Morrison government to fund up to four days’ paid vaccination leave for all aged-care and disability support sector workers. The Aus

Boral scoffs at Stokes’ lowball, opportunistic offer

Boral chief executive Zlatko Todorcevski says the group’s 80,000 shareholders “deserve better” than a lowball and opportunistic offer from the Kerry Stokes-controlled Seven Group, designed to increase its influence over the company without paying fair value. The Fin

Land stock runs short

Land ripe for development in Perth could run out in as little as four years in some areas, according to a report. The West

Uber’s ‘incredible’ payout to avoid legal precedent

Uber paid a ‘‘life-changing’’ $400,000 to a driver so she would drop a legal challenge that could have forced the company to overhaul its business model and pay its workforce minimum pay and conditions. The Fin

ACCC to let Woolworths swallow PFD

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chairman Rod Sims says he will keep a closer eye on the $120 billion food sector after clearing the way for Woolworths to take control of PFD Food Services despite concerns about the effect on competition. The Fin

Judge forces Premier & Palmer mediation

Mark McGowan and Clive Palmer are set to meet face-to-face after a judge ordered them to make a genuine attempt to settle their defamation battle outside of court. The West

Businesses go on a spending spree

Australian companies are spending up big ahead of the end of the financial year as business conditions continue to recover from last year’s COVID-fuelled slump, according to the country’s biggest bank. The West

WA activity puts staff squeeze on audit firms

Auditors at a leading mid-tier accounting and advisory firm are fending off advances from competitors in the lead-up to the busy audit season, which comes in the wake of “strong” capital-raising activities in the resources sector. The West

The Australian Financial Review

Page 1: Defence Minister Peter Dutton has proposed expanding the US Marine presence and hosting more American warships in Australia, as he warns the nation must prepare for whatever threats loom ‘‘on or below the horizon’’ amid growing tensions with China.

Page 2: Uber paid a ‘‘life-changing’’ $400,000 to a driver so she would drop a legal challenge that could have forced the company to overhaul its business model and pay its workforce minimum pay and conditions.

Page 9: Crown Resorts executive chairman Helen Coonan still has not launched an internal investigation into the arrests of 19 employees in China for illegally promoting gambling, despite telling the Bergin inquiry last year she thought ‘‘a good look back’’ was worthwhile.

Page 14: Popular video-sharing app TikTok and China’s WeChat messaging app could still face a full ban in the US under a new executive order by the Biden administration which, security experts say, Australia should consider following.

Page 16: Boral chief executive Zlatko Todorcevski says the group’s 80,000 shareholders “deserve better” than a lowball and opportunistic offer from the Kerry Stokes-controlled Seven Group, designed to increase its influence over the company without paying fair value.

The government seriously needs to consider becoming a ‘‘lender of last resort’’ to coal-fired power stations as mainstream bank funding dries up, an energy industry leader has advised, pointing to the risk of sudden plant shutdowns that could cause price spikes.

Page 18: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chairman Rod Sims says he will keep a closer eye on the $120 billion food sector after clearing the way for Woolworths to take control of PFD Food Services despite concerns about the effect on competition.

Page 21: Rio Tinto can expect Mongolia to continue pushing for a better deal over the $US6.75 billion Oyu Tolgoi copper project after a landslide presidential election result, but experts say a strong performance by a globally minded tech entrepreneur could be a sign the nation’s combative political culture is evolving.

Farmers and miners in resources-rich Western Australia are in a tug of war over train drivers that is affecting the state’s reputation as a reliable supplier of wheat and other grains to hungry export markets.

The Australian

Page 1: All six of the navy’s Collins-class submarines will be completely rebuilt to extend their life for another decade, under an ambitious, high-risk plan to safeguard the nation’s submarine capability in the face of growing Chinese hegemony in the region.

More than 150 leading Australian writers, researchers and thinkers have signed an open letter to Scott Morrison protesting at the government’s inaction in a decade of underfunding at the National Archives of Australia.

Page 2: Unions have urged the Morrison government to fund up to four days’ paid vaccination leave for all aged-care and disability support sector workers.

Page 4: The nation’s top infection control experts have advised healthcare workers to wear airborne protection when working in environments that place them at high risk of contracting Covid-19, in a major overhaul of guidelines that followed weeks of negotiations among top doctors.

Page 7: The Morrison government’s steep fee rises for some university courses will have a trivial impact on graduates, costing them less than $1 a day, according to economist Bruce Chapman, the architect of Australia’s HECS system.

Page 9: Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong says China’s “substantial presence” means countries like Australia will have to work with it, whether it be on interests that align or where mutual co-operation is necessary.

Page 15: After years of talks, up-market Country Road and online retailer The Iconic have finally entered into a partnership.

Conservation groups have ramped up calls for a moratorium on further industrial development on the Burrup Peninsula in Western Australia in the wake of revelations no monitoring of the ancient rock art in the area has been conducted for five years, and that the state government secretly sacked a contractor hired to design a new monitoring system.

Page 18: By 2040, all aircraft could be powered by green energy such as hydrogen and electricity, as the aviation industry strives to reverse its image as an environmental vandal.

Page 21: Australia’s universities are offering more than 600 six-month courses this year as part of the federal government’s special measures to help people re-skill or upskill during the pandemic.

Page 22: Small to medium businesses are in a “never before seen position” to borrow at rock bottom interest rates as the bank battle to grow market share in the sector heats up.

The West Australian

Page 8: One of WA’s most senior doctors this week warned the risk of developing blood clots after receiving an AstraZeneca jab for those aged 50-69 years “is now 5-8 times higher than we thought it was seven weeks ago”.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison made a brief visit to Singapore last night where the two countries agreed to start work on a plan for a travel bubble.

Page 9: Mark McGowan and Clive Palmer are set to meet face-to-face after a judge ordered them to make a genuine attempt to settle their defamation battle outside of court.

Page 11: Land ripe for development in Perth could run out in as little as four years in some areas, according to a report.

Business: El Salvador has become the first country in the world to formally adopt Bitcoin as legal tender after President Nayib Bukele said Congress approved his landmark proposal.

Australian companies are spending up big ahead of the end of the financial year as business conditions continue to recover from last year’s COVID-fuelled slump, according to the country’s biggest bank.

Australia’s biggest grain exporter expects to pump about $250 million a year into its Wheatbelt network of bins and other infrastructure in coming years and is increasing fees to help cover the costs.

Auditors at a leading mid-tier accounting and advisory firm are fending off advances from competitors in the lead-up to the busy audit season, which comes in the wake of “strong” capital-raising activities in the resources sector.