Morning Headlines

U-turn on boat people not costed

Labor will not reveal how much the Papua New Guinea asylum-seeker plan will cost, but Immigration Minister Tony Burke admitted the initial spend will be high. The Fin

Abbott facing backlash as Libs contemplate defeat

Anger towards Tony Abbott’s senior staff and closest colleagues is mounting in Liberal ranks as rattled MPs concede the risk of an election loss. The Aus

Rudd to push through new party policies

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will stamp his authority on the federal ALP caucus on Monday pushing through a raft of internal Labor Party reforms designed to revive flagging ALP membership, weaken the union stranglehold on the party and strengthen his leadership. The Fin

Treasury to revise down growth

Treasury is expected to revise Australia’s growth rate down and the budget deficit up, in its forecasts for the economic statement to be released by Chris Bowen before the election is called. The Aus

WA economic fall 'overblown'

The WA economy is slowing sharply, a report into the national economy shows, but a surge in resources exports and people splurging on new homes are likely to save it. The West

TCI warns railway risks unjustified

Aurizon's biggest shareholder has warned the company against building a new iron ore rail network in Western Australia's Pilbara region, concerned that falling commodity prices will make it impossible to guarantee returns on the huge investment required. The Fin

Unions combine to take on Rio

Two of WA's biggest unions have put aside three decades of demarcation disputes and formed a new alliance in a bid to boost union power at Rio Tinto's Pilbara operations. The West

MCA all tied up in red and green tape: report

The Minerals Council of Australia has called on governments to stop reviewing red tape and start cutting it, after releasing a study showing regulation has only increased over the past seven years. The Fin

'Ad hoc CSG policy' product of protest

Community concern over coal- seam gas development has forced state governments into making ‘‘ad hoc policy announcements’’ which may not deliver the best outcomes for stakeholders, according to federal officials. The Aus

Retailers battle it out on big data

Wesfarmers is set to ramp up its use of data analytics across its retail and industrial supply chains to provide mutual benefits for the company and its suppliers, and remains on the lookout for potential acquisitions of data mining and other e- commerce businesses. The Aus

The West Australian

Page 1: The Rudd government will approach South Pacific nations to become participants in its plan to send asylum seekers to Papua New Guinea for processing and resettlement.

Page 4: The WA economy is slowing sharply, a report into the national economy shows, but a surge in resources exports and people splurging on new homes are likely to save it.

Australia will help lead a global effort to crack down on multinational companies evading tens of billions of dollars in tax amid fears their practices will cripple cash-strapped nations.

The state opposition says the government kept delays to Fiona Stanley Hospital secret until after the election to avoid criticism for “blatant lack of performance”.

Page 5: Two of WA's biggest unions have put aside three decades of demarcation disputes and formed a new alliance in a bid to boost union power at Rio Tinto's Pilbara operations.

Page 11: With WA's growing population now generating more than eight million tonnes of waste a year, councils say they can no longer cope with waste disposal on their own.

Business: Unions are exclusively targeting Rio Tinto's Pilbara operations in a new alliance that could potentially boost collective power at a time mass redundancies are sweeping across the mining sector.

West African gold hopeful PMI Gold is set to join the bulging list of gold companies taking drastic measures to reduce costs and overheads by today announcing a company-wide overhaul of its operations.

A defiant Aurizon chief executive Lance Hockridge has called for patience with the company's push towards a multi-billion dollar independent freight line in the Pilbara, saying the expensive investment is a long-term proposition that requires measured consideration.

The Australian Shareholders Association has taken aim at Billabong's planned recapitalisation deal, arguing competitive offers for the surfwear icon should be considered.

The Australian Financial Review

Page 1: Labor will not reveal how much the Papua New Guinea asylum-seeker plan will cost, but Immigration Minister Tony Burke admitted the initial spend will be high.

Nine Entertainment Co chief David Gyngell has warned Australia may soon only sustain two profitable, commercial free-to-air television networks, as new digital channels intensify competition among broadcasters and online competition for audiences and advertisers increases.

Page 4: Buildings have cracked, pipes burst and windows have broken in Wellington after a magnitude 6.5 earthquake hit New Zealand on Sunday afternoon.

Page 5: Multinational companies could face tough new tax rules within two years after the Group of 20 backed a plan to stop blatant – but now legal – tax minimisation strategies.

Page 6: Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will stamp his authority on the federal ALP caucus on Monday pushing through a raft of internal Labor Party reforms designed to revive flagging ALP membership, weaken the union stranglehold on the party and strengthen his leadership.

Page 7: Energy companies will build more coal-fired power stations rather than switch to cleaner gas if the carbon price remains low when it floats next year, warns Origin Energy CEO Grant King.

Coalition MPs have dismissed the idea of a leadership switch, saying they are confident of winning the next election even though Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has stolen votes from them.

Page 9: Brisbane was the most expensive city in the world for business travellers last year, and Sydney, Perth and Melbourne also ranked in the top 10, says a study by expense management group Concur.

The Minerals Council of Australia has called on governments to stop reviewing red tape and start cutting it, after releasing a study showing regulation has only increased over the past seven years.

Page 13: Aurizon's biggest shareholder has warned the company against building a new iron ore rail network in Western Australia's Pilbara region, concerned that falling commodity prices will make it impossible to guarantee returns on the huge investment required.

Page 15: Orica's largest Australian shareholder, Perpetual, has raised concerns about the company's balance sheet, extending its criticism of the $1.6 billion acquisitions of Minova and Excel following last week's profit downgrade.

The Australian

Page 1: Labor is racing to close a gap in its new border protection regime as Papua New Guinea warns of putting the ‘‘ brakes’’ on the plan and says that it will not resettle asylum- seekers who are refused refugee status.

Treasury is expected to revise Australia’s growth rate down and the budget deficit up, in its forecasts for the economic statement to be released by Chris Bowen before the election is called.

The nation’s largest transport operator, Toll, has warned that “untenable’’ demands by the Transport Workers Union risked making the company uncompetitive and put jobs in jeopardy.

Page 2: Anger towards Tony Abbott’s senior staff and closest colleagues is mounting in Liberal ranks as rattled MPs concede the risk of an election loss.

Page 3: Community concern over coal- seam gas development has forced state governments into making ‘‘ad hoc policy announcements’’ which may not deliver the best outcomes for stakeholders, according to federal officials.
Page 4: Kevin Rudd will put his Labor colleagues on alert for an imminent election as he assembles the federal caucus in Sydney today to prepare for a ‘‘ tough campaign’’ in the wake of his policy shifts on border protection and climate change.

Page 5: Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O’Neill explained to his nation yesterday that under the deal with Kevin Rudd, the costs of processing asylum-seekers and settling refugees will be met by Canberra on an open-ended basis.

Page 8: Resource employers have expressed concern that Labor has given trade union officials a legal shield for bullying their members and t hat companies could be liable instead.

Business: Wesfarmers is set to ramp up its use of data analytics across its retail and industrial supply chains to provide mutual benefits for the company and its suppliers, and remains on the lookout for potential acquisitions of data mining and other e- commerce businesses.

China has offered its strongest signal yet that it is worried about slowing growth but is committed to financial reform, as it loosened a key control over its banks.

Both the Reserve Bank and Treasury are reviewing the economic forecasts they made in May and considering whether they need to be downgraded.

Mining projects in Australia are being delayed by regulation to a degree that can impede competitiveness, with the extra complication that the laws keep changing and bureaucrats have actually reduced their efficiency, a report says.

A recent rally in Australand’s share price has thrown weight behind speculation that Stockland is considering a takeover of its rival, potentially worth more than $4 billion.

The major differences in growth rates among Australian states caused by the two- speed economy are going to shrink significantly in 2013-14, according to Deloitte Access Economics partner Chris Richardson.