Rio makes $9.9b bet on lithium
Rio will spend $9.9 billion consolidating the world’s biggest lithium resources, betting that the commodity – an essential component in electric vehicle batteries – has a profitable future despite its peers renouncing it for surer bets such as copper. The Fin
Top scientist doubted $1b quantum push
The country’s top scientist adviser warned federal officials that she was highly sceptical about US-based company PsiQuantum’s ability to deliver on its promise to build a world-leading super computer in Australia, before the Albanese government signed up to a $1 billion deal backing the plan. The Fin
Four properties raided in ANZ bond sale probe
Federal police officers have raided four properties as part of the corporate regulator’s month-long investigation into the alleged manipulation of a multibillion-dollar government bond sale last year by traders at ANZ. The Fin
Dutton calls Albanese’s bluff on NBN
A move by the government to safeguard the NBN against privatisation has been mocked by the opposition as a clumsy attempt to wedge politics, and questioned by experts who argue it would be difficult to buy a buyer. The Fin
Teachers’ union ban ‘is putting pupils last’
The Australian Education Union has been accused of “putting students last” after imposing work bans on teaching reforms designed to help children learn, in an escalating funding fight with the Albanese government. The Aus
Aluminium sector in call for certainty
The Australian Aluminium Council (AAC( says the country’s competitive position is being undermined by inconsistent and unclear regulatory frameworks as it urges the federal government to include bauxite, alumina and aluminium on the country’s critical minerals list. The Aus
Corporates looking to axe costs with wage cuts, lay-offs
More than 20,000 Australian jobs in the telecoms and financial services sector have been sent offshore over the past 12 months, according to a leading global recruitment agency, while up to 70 per cent of large Australian companies are looking to implement cost-cutting measures including lay-offs and salary cuts. The Aus
Lucrative plan entices teachers to head regional
City teachers will be offered a promotion, and better pay, if they commit to a regional school for three years under a new initiative to address staff shortages in the bush. The West
FIFO airline in another mid-air emergency
A Skippers Aviation plane made an emergency landing on the same day The West revealed the prominent WA fly-in, fly-out airline was facing two separate safety investigations. The West
Merger crackdown on grocery giants
Treasurer Jim Chalmers will on Thursday introduce a Bill setting out new rules requiring any mergers that exceed a broad set of financial thresholds to get approval from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. The West
The Australian Financial Review
Page 3: The first multi-employer agreement to be reached under Labor’s new laws has sparked a union turf war and claims the new bargaining regime deprives workers of a role in negotiations.
Page 4: Labor defector Fatima Payman will lead a political party called Australia’s Voice to the federal election, promising to field candidates in the House of Representatives and Senate whose values align with her own, including on the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Page 5: The explosive growth in the $49 billion national Disability Insurance Scheme is sucking workers out of more efficient industries and risks making Australians poorer unless the care economy become more productive.
Page 5: Anthony Albanese will urge the Philippines and the United States to stand firm against China’s aggression in the South China Sea, using this week’s ASEAN summit in Laos to press security and military co-operation.
Page 15: Almost $600 million has been written off the value of the country’s most popular wine brands – from Jacob’s Creek to Wolf Blass – as the big producers battle to attract younger consumers who are increasingly turning to ready-to-drink spirits.
Page 15: Two former Super Retail executives who are suing the company over the terms of their dismissal have won a fight to retain their legal counsel Harmers Workplace Lawyers.
Page 18: The Environmental Defenders Office has been ordered to hand over within days documents detailing who funded its failed attempt to kill Santos’ $5.8 billion gas project in the Timor Sea.
Page 19: Former Qantas boss Alan Joyce will keep flying at the front of the plane for free until 2046, enjoying millions of dollars in company benefits awarded to him under the airline’s generous executive perks.
Page 22: Australian shares climbed yesterday as a broad rally across consumer and technology stocks helped offset a sell-off in energy and mining companies.
Page 34: The infrastructure boom pushed the total ban of non-residential cranes across the nation to a record 370, while slumping investment in new housing cut residential cranes to a two-year low in the latest real-world barometer of the country’s construction sector.
The Australian
Page 4: The Coalition’s leading nuclear crusaders has declared there is “no reason” the Liberal and Nationals parties will give up pursuing the technology if Peter Dutton loses the federal election because the need for zero-emissions nuclear won’t change.
Page 4: The Australian Human Rights Commission has warned that Labor’s proposed laws to combat online misinformation does not “strike the appropriate balance” between protecting free speech and moderating content, advising that it not be passed in its current form.
Page 6: International student numbers will be capped at 270,000 next year after a Senate inquiry warned of “non-genuine students and unscrupulous providers”.
Page 17: REA Group says more homes coming up for sale should moderate price growth this spring.
Page 17: Chinese-made electric vehicles are needed to slash carbon emissions from passenger cars, with US-style bans and high tariffs “not helpful” in combating climate change, ride sharing giant Uber says.
Page 19: Australia’s major lenders will slash rates on savings accounts to protect margins once the Reserve Bank starts its interest rate-cutting cycle, Morgan Stanley says.
The West Australian
Page 4: Redeveloping Perth’s “eyesore” convention centre will make locals “fall back in love” with the often-derided venue and draw in major events and conferences, Wyllie Group boss Melissa Karlson believes.
Page 4: Premier Roger Cook has labelled embattled developer Ronnie Michel-Elhaj’s claim “God is on his side” an insult to customers who have been left stranded.
Page 5: Former WA Nationals leader Brendon Grylls has declared WA “lazy” and too slow to develop new industry projects, warning urgent State Government intervention is needed to avoid missing out on the clean energy revolution.
Page 14: The University of WA has plummeted on the ranks of a global league table, along with more than a dozen other elite universities across the country.
Page 39: A decision on the reopening of a long-mothballed South West rail link to service the State’s richest lithium mine has been pushed back into 2025.