Morning Headlines

Tax and IR reform ‘a risk to jobs’

Mining companies have warned that up to 33,000 jobs are at risk from new taxes and multi-employer bargaining changes, with critical minerals, lithium, copper and other resources projects valued up to $77bn imperilled by increasing investment uncertainty. The Aus

Albanese hits out over union bill

Anthony Albanese has accused opponents of the government’s controversial industrial relations changes of harbouring ‘‘an ingrained ideological objection to workers being paid fairly’’ as he looks to bring renewed energy to attempts to pass the bill before the year ends. The Fin

WA businesses hopeful COVID spike won’t ruin Christmas plans

WA businesses are pinning their hopes on expert predictions that the latest wave of COVID-19 infections will be “short and sharp” and over before Christmas. The West

Skilled worker wage threshold ‘risk to workforce’

Union demands to limit temporary skilled migration to jobs earning at least $90,000 would decimate Australia’s health and education workforce, the Grattan Institute has warned. The Fin

Buy now, pay later may face credit card rules

Moves to regulate Australia’s booming $16 billion buy now, pay later sector could include bringing Afterpay and Zip under existing rules for credit cards, alongside a new sliding ‘‘unsuitability test’’. The Fin

ASX advised to avoid blockchain ‘big bang’

ASX is being urged to keep the faith on blockchain as it goes back to the drawing board to replace the ageing CHESS system, but to follow other markets by finding a focused and distinct use case for the emerging technology, rather than deploying it to rebuild the entire equities clearing system in one hit. The Fin

WesTrac walks Indigenous path

WesTrac boss Jarvas Croome has placed great importance on increasing First Nations representation and engagement within his group’s operations, saying it was key to achieving a diverse and inclusive workplace. The West

Sanderson takes aim at nurse union

Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson has turned up the heat on WA’s nursing union over its pay dispute, accusing it of engaging in an “unedifying spectacle”. The West

Minister vows to bring WA abortion laws into 21st century

WA’s MPs are to get a conscience vote on proposals to make it easier, simpler and safer for women to have an abortion. The West

The Australian Financial Review

Page 1: Anthony Albanese has accused opponents of the government’s controversial industrial relations changes of harbouring ‘‘an ingrained ideological objection to workers being paid fairly’’ as he looks to bring renewed energy to attempts to pass the bill before the year ends.

Page 3: Some of Australia’s largest electricity generators have reclassified their coal mines next to their power stations as a single reporting entity under the federal government’s safeguard mechanism scheme to avoid having to include the mine’s carbon emissions.

Page 6: Union demands to limit temporary skilled migration to jobs earning at least $90,000 would decimate Australia’s health and education workforce, the Grattan Institute has warned.

Page 7: Allowing electricians, painters, plumbers and other low-risk trades to work without a licence while shifting the focus of regulation to the quality of goods and services provided could boost the economy by $5 billion a year, a report has found.

Page 9: Moves to regulate Australia’s booming $16 billion buy now, pay later sector could include bringing Afterpay and Zip under existing rules for credit cards, alongside a new sliding ‘‘unsuitability test’’.

Page 17: The criminals who stole data from Australia’s biggest health insurer, Medibank, have shared a fifth set of files with nearly 1500 medical records, more than doubling the number of records released.

Page 19: ASX is being urged to keep the faith on blockchain as it goes back to the drawing board to replace the ageing CHESS system, but to follow other markets by finding a focused and distinct use case for the emerging technology, rather than deploying it to rebuild the entire equities clearing system in one hit.

Page 23: Some Australian banks and financial institutions are pushing ahead with the adoption of blockchain technologies despite the turmoil engulfing cryptocurrency markets since the collapse of FTX, says rival platform OSL, as it establishes a permanent presence in the local market.

Page 31: International streaming services have wrongly assumed that Australian viewers want only ‘‘Americanesque’’ titles and have underestimated the cost of building up a sustainable local subscription base, the head of pay TV operator Foxtel says.

The Australian

Page 2: Mining companies have warned that up to 33,000 jobs are at risk from new taxes and multi-employer bargaining changes, with critical minerals, lithium, copper and other resources projects valued up to $77bn imperilled by increasing investment uncertainty.

Page 3: Calls are growing for plain packaging laws for vapes and e-cigarettes, more than a decade after similar rules were brought in for tobacco.

Page 4: The Reserve Bank would have increased the cash rate to 4.75 per cent by June next year and heaped “more pain” on households if the Albanese government delivered cash handouts in last month’s budget, according to new Treasury modelling.

The Morrison government increased spending on campaign advertising by 65 per cent to a record $240m during its final year in office, as the Coalition launched a media blitz about economic recovery, Covid-19 vaccinations and emissions policies ahead of the May election.

Page 13: Australia’s buy now, pay later providers would need to obtain a credit licence and meet responsible lending obligations under two of three options put by Treasury to the government for assessment.

Australia’s biggest renewables developer plans to spend $8bn quadrupling solar, wind and battery capacity by 2030 to meet a supply gap as coal exits the power grid.

Page 15: The collapse of global crypt ocurrency platform FTX is beginning to affect local projects and startups, which are reporting steep revenue drops in the past week.

The West Australian

Page 4: A national $10 million summer skin cancer advertising blitz will be launched as research shows Australian men are still not sun smart.

Page 7: WA’s MPs are to get a conscience vote on proposals to make it easier, simpler and safer for women to have an abortion.

Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson has turned up the heat on WA’s nursing union over its pay dispute, accusing it of engaging in an “unedifying spectacle”.

Page 8: A new water police co-ordination base is the centrepiece of an $879,000 project to upgrade the ageing infrastructure in North Fremantle.

Page 14: Premier Mark McGowan has responded to revelations an emergency summit to discuss the Banksia Hill Juvenile Detention Centre crisis had been scheduled for just 90 minutes, promising “if we need longer, we will take longer”.

Page 15: WA businesses are pinning their hopes on expert predictions that the latest wave of COVID-19 infections will be “short and sharp” and over before Christmas.

Page 19: The grim reality of “being poor in Perth” has been laid bare by WA’s largest community service provider, with claims people are already asking for food for Christmas.

Business: WesTrac boss Jarvas Croome has placed great importance on increasing First Nations representation and engagement within his group’s operations, saying it was key to achieving a diverse and inclusive workplace.