Morning Headlines

Chalmers hints at investment tax breaks

Jim Chalmers has flagged a type of business investment allowance to drive capital towards green energy and advanced manufacturing, as he says the government’s ‘‘made in Australia’’ plan is not primarily about subsidies. The Fin

Labor support slips back to 50:50, poll says

The Albanese government has again lost its lead over the Coalition as voters mark it down over its handling of key issues including the economy, immigration and law and order. The Fin

Spectre of war hangs over shares, dollar

Fears that the Middle East conflict is about to break into a region-wide war pushed up oil prices, presenting a fresh threat to global inflation and dashing investors’ hopes of interest rate relief this year. The Fin

Turning point in long campaigning of Tehran’s leaders

Iran’s direct attack on Israel on the night of April 13 marks a moment of historic change. The Aus

One man’s voice on this day of judgement

At 10.15am on Monday Justice Michael Lee will deliver his verdict in a case that has absorbed more time, money and emotional energy from its central figure than any of them could have imaged. The Aus

Kennedy sees off Greens to keep Cook a deep blue

The Liberal Party has retained the southern Sydney seat of Cook, securing more than 70 per cent of the preferred vote in what was effectively a two-horse, Labor-less race with the Greens. The Aus

Was knife-obsessed monster targeting women?

In the years before he went on a murderous attack through the floors of one of Sydney’s busiest shopping centres, killer Joel Cauchi appeared to have an unhealthy obsession with weapons and women. The West

The Australian Financial Review

Page 3: Departing OECD tax executive and former Labor minister David Bradbury says Australia needs a new review of tax and spending across the federation to seize on the next window of political leadership for difficult reforms.

page 4: Jim Chalmers has flagged a type of business investment allowance to drive capital towards green energy and advanced manufacturing, as he says the government’s ‘‘made in Australia’’ plan is not primarily about subsidies.

Page 5: The Albanese government is seeking to delay aged care workers’ wage rises of up to 13.5 per cent by almost two years due to concerns a large pay jump could fuel labour shortages by attracting workers from other sectors.

Page 14: Japan’s direct investment in Australia is expected to increase this year, but experts warn global competition for capital, policy uncertainty in Australia and red tape over approving deals at the state and federal levels may hold back flows.

Page 16: Home loan borrowers who simply ask for a sharper interest rate are saving more than $2000 in annual repayments without refinancing, giving loyal customers the edge as banks fight to retain borrowers in a climate of crumbling profit margins.

Page 18: Street Talk can reveal the online share trading platform Superhero will today announce the most significant changes to its pricing since its launch in 2020, slashing brokerage fees on Australian share trading to just $2 a trade.

Page 18: Property investor Realside has struck a deal to buy Maddington Central, a shopping centre located 17km from Perth’s central business district, from listed landlord Vicinity Centres for $107 million.

Page 19: Rio Tinto says technology used in the exploration of Mars can help it break a near seven-year mineral discovery drought and dramatically speed up its quest for new copper and lithium mines.

Page 19: Users of TPG Telecom and iiNet email addresses will have to deal with a call centre in the Philippines and a parent company in the northern hemisphere after their accounts were handed over to The Messaging Company, whose ownership appears to have already changed hands.

Page 30: News Corp Australia is planning its biggest restructure in more than a decade as it looks for $15 million in savings to offset a weak advertising market.

The Australian

Page 15: Japanese investment in Australia has hit new records, reaching a high of $133.8bn in 2023, as companies there increasingly see Australia as a growth market, encouraged by closer political ties.

Page 15: The federal government should back regional minerals processing hubs, streamline project approvals and try to attract the world’s biggest battery makers to boost advanced manufacturing, industry experts say.

Page 16: The $9bn Australian fuel refiner and retailer Ampol is believed to be weighing an acquisition of EG’s portfolio of Australian service stations.

Page 16: Woodside’s announcement last week that it had opted not to sell its interest in the Macedon and Pyrenees oil and gas assets in Western Australia left some perplexed.

Page 17: Rising land taxes and higher interest rates are creating a “domino effect”, forcing landlords to hike up rents on their commercial properties, potentially leading to rising business and personal insolvencies, according to Jirsch Sutherland partner Malcolm Howell.

Page 19: The local sharemarket is set to fall sharply on Monday after heavy losses on Wall Street following a mixed start to earnings reporting season and escalating tensions in the Middle East as Iran launched an attack on Israel.

The West Australian

Page 22: The clean-up bill for the famed Argyle diamond mine will be about $270 million more than Rio Tinto originally planned, it can be revealed, but the mining behemoth’s financial commitment to traditional owners is unshaken.

Page 22: A one-time local success story — Face Halo — has gone under, but administrators believe the make-up removal business can be revived.

Page 23: Hundreds of mining lease applications have piled up at the State regulator, sparking concerns the logjam could choke WA’s pipeline of investment.

Page 24: The Australian Taxation Office has confirmed the 2024 superannuation thresholds will rise in line with predictions made in Your Money more than a month ago.