Labor gas policy raises Japan fears
The former head of one of Japan’s biggest energy companies says any disruption to the supply of Australian LNG would have a ‘‘huge impact’’ on millions of people across the country, as the Kishida government prepares for high-level talks with the Albanese government on energy security and investment. The Fin
Investment bankers brace for bonus cut
Bankers are resigned to another year of weak bonuses as a global glut in deal making across mergers and acquisitions and capital markets slims fees at investment banks. The Fin
Qantas fallout spreads to Telstra’s board
Telstra’s investors should vote against the re-election of Maxine Brenner to the telecommunication group’s board because of “material failures” in her oversight at Qantas, an influential proxy advisory firm has told clients. The Fin
Uncertainty the only thing that’s certain
The market is back to grabbing at glimmers of bad news as hints of good news. The ASX and the Australian dollar crawled off their 11-month lows yesterday, mainly due to monthly jobs data suggesting a hot US jobs market looked to have cooled a little in September. The Fin
Green cash to seduce Pacific
Anthony Albanese is moving to lock in the support of Pacific nations for Australia’s bid to host the world’s biggest climate summit in 2026, with a commitment to resume funding for the UN’s controversial Green Climate Fund. The Aus
Unions seek to expand IR reform
Key unions are urging the Albanese government to expand proposed “same job, same pay” laws and give casuals the right to seek permanency after just three months in a job. The Aus
Albo’s casulaties
More than half of WA businesses are worried about taking on casuals under proposed new industrial relations laws amid widespread fears the regime will damage their operations. The West
The $450K job that no one wants
The condition of WA’s child mental health sector is so dire that hospitals are failing to fill roles despite offering a small fortune, while private psychiatrists refuse to take on new patients. Eleven recruitment pools are open for psychiatrists to work in public hospitals across the State with pay packets up to $456,000. The West
The Australian Financial Review
Page 3: The superannuation industry has warned the government it cannot use Australians’ retirement savings as a ‘‘fix-all for aged care funding’’, saying its $3.5 trillion asset pool ‘‘can’t be the go-to solution’’ for broader problems.
Page 3: The Matildas’ record-breaking FIFA Women’s World Cup campaign has contributed to a near $1 billion recovery in the brand value of Optus, almost erasing the catastrophic falls after last year’s cyberattack.
Page 4: Senior ministers are scrambling to plug a funding hole that could be as deep as $20 billion for new and upgraded warships, with inflation, the falling value of the dollar, cost blowouts and an inherited budget shortfall forcing them to confront hard decisions over the navy.
Page 5: A sharp fall in imports of goods such as industrial equipment and high-tech machinery could signal that businesses are finally scaling back investment in response to high interest rates.
Page 8: The Australian Workers’ Union has warned that the Albanese government’s proposed ‘‘same pay’’ laws for labour hire will act as a clear disincentive for employers to make enterprise agreements, echoing concerns from the business community.
Page 12: Bell Rock Capital Management, the major Whitehaven Coal shareholder campaigning against the proposed purchase of two BHP mines, says it believes UBS has given the transaction an ‘‘excessive valuation’’.
Page 15: The ASX says it will not allow Magnis Energy Technologies to trade on the exchange after auditors raised concerns about the company’s finances.
Page 15: BHP says electric vehicle manufacturers are not yet willing to pay a ‘‘green premium’’ to recognise the sustainability credentials of nickel mined in Australia, at a time when surprising large volumes of Indonesian nickel have dragged down prices for the metal to a two-year low.
Page 17: Heavyweight proxy advisers have given the green light for a takeover of lithium explorer Essential Metals, as activity in the sector heats up with Gina Rinehart building a significant stake in Liontown Resources.
Page 21: With iron ore prices finally beginning to cool after a shock 20 per cent rally in the third quarter, strategists and analysts are starting to re-evaluate their outlook for the commodity that has already defied expectations this year.
Page 21: Oil was trading near $US84 a barrel after signs of weakening demand and concerns about a slowdown in global economic growth sparked the steepest one-day plunge in more than a year.
Page 24: Tasks that young lawyers traditionally cut their teeth on are about to be hugely disrupted by digital automation, and female graduates will suffer the most as a result, new research has found.
The Australian
Page 2: Retailers are “cautiously optimistic” that spending in the all-important pre-Christmas period starting next month will be on par with the year before — provided the Reserve Bank holds fire on interest rates.
Page 3: The ABC’s Four Corners program will prominently feature footage of a protest shot outside the home of Woodside Energy boss Meg O’Neill, despite the incident being widely condemned and triggering an internal review that indicated the public broadcaster had lied.
Page 7: Australians will soon see a fresh face on their coins after the Royal Australian Mint unveiled the effigy of King Charles III.
Page 15: Most Australian bosses believe the public wants businesses to stay out of social justice issues, and are prepared to stay silent ahead of the voice referendum.
Page 15: Billionaire Laurence Escalante has reaped about $200m in dividends from his Virtual Gaming Worlds, but profit from the online social gaming giant has fallen despite revenue nearing $5bn for the first time.
Page 17: Mining giant BHP says Australia risks going backwards as an investment destination amid uncertainties around royalties, labour policies and fiscal stability.
Page 17: As many as one in four retail jobs will be replaced by AI and automation by 2027, according to a new report that has analysed the ability of new technologies to replace roles across the country.
Page 17: The dire shortage of rental accommodation across Australia is hitting essential workers who are unable to live near their jobs, causing the national economy to miss out on $64bn if they were able to live closer, according to a new study.
Page 18: Australian farmers’ incomes are expected to be slashed by more than 40 per cent as drier conditions and a slump in commodity prices take their toll.
The West
Page 5: The end of the multibillion dollar court battle between the Wright and Hancock mining dynasties — centred on the Hope Downs mining tenements — is getting closer.
Page 24: WA is on track for yet another massive Budget windfall, with persistently elevated iron ore and oil prices combined with a weakening Aussie dollar placing a record-breaking surplus in excess of $6 billion within reach.
Page 37: This year is on track to become the hottest year on record, with the global mean temperature so far this year 0.52C higher than average, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.
Page 41: Household spending jumped 4.8 per cent higher compared with the same time last year, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics data on Thursday. WA bucked the national trend, posting a 9.9 per cent increase — largely driven by transport costs, up 22.5 per cent.
Page 41: It’s a golden age for West Australian exports, with the nation posting a 30 per cent lift in its trade surplus to $9.6 billion in August.
Page 42: The peace deal between Chevron and unions could hit a hurdle just weeks after strike action was paused, with workers at Chevron’s Gorgon and Wheatstone site meetings Thursday night and Friday afternoon amid union claims the company is not holding up its end of the bargain.
Page 43: A Sydney firm has been picked as the new liquidator for the collapsed Griffin Coal after a big foreign investor won its shake-up bid.
Page 43: Westgold Resources is on track to achieve its financial year guidance after the miner posted an improvement in its cash position on the back of strong results for the September quarter.
Page 44: Australian bosses are putting less stock into investing in generative artificial intelligence models like ChatGPT than their overseas counterparts, citing concerns around ethical challenges and a lack of regulation.