Morning Headlines

Reshuffle puts focus on families

Welfare reform will be at the heart of Tony Abbott’s agenda for the year ahead as he uses a major cabinet reshuffle to sharpen his government’s focus on social policies that can help families and boost the workforce. The Aus

Perth warms to high-density life

Perth people are more supportive of higher-density housing than councils imagine but they do not want Gold Coast-style developments or New York-style high-rises, according to a report. The West

Power costs to soar without deal

Consumers face electricity price rises of more than 10 per cent in two or three years and wholesale electricity prices will double unless a deal is done on the future of the Renewable Energy Target, Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane has warned. The Aus

RAC wants independent chief

The RAC wants WA’s proposed road safety commissioner to report to the Parliament — not a minister — so they can publicly highlight government failings. The West

State’s power subsidies down $500m

The huge taxpayer subsidy paid to shield households from the full cost of producing electricity has been slashed by more than $500 million, Treasurer Mike Nahan says. The West

Kite flies home in Rio reshuffle

Argyle Diamonds managing director Shane Johnson is leaving the Rio Tinto subsidiary after 14 months in the job. The West

The Australian Financial Review will return with a bumper edition on December 27^th.

The Australian

Page 1: Welfare reform will be at the heart of Tony Abbott’s agenda for the year ahead as he uses a major cabinet reshuffle to sharpen his government’s focus on social policies that can help families and boost the workforce.

Page 4: Consumers face electricity price rises of more than 10 per cent in two or three years and wholesale electricity prices will double unless a deal is done on the future of the Renewable Energy Target, Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane has warned.

Page 5: Sediment predicted to flow into Great Barrier Reef waters from onshore dumping of dredge material at Abbot Point has been underestimated by as much as 30 per cent, according to scientific advice to government.

Page 6: Tony Abbott has rewarded Scott Morrison with a new super portfolio placing him at the centre of delivering the Abbott government’s biggest changes and constructing a budget package delivering childcare, welfare, pension and paid parental leave reforms.

Page 15: Santos is looking to sell down its 80 per cent interest in the controversial Narrabri coal-seam gas project in NSW amid speculation it has put the development on a “go slow”.

Swedish furniture giant Ikea has maintained its long-running tradition of paying a small amount of tax from its highly profitable Australia stores after a series of mysterious payments totalling more than $100 million helped shrink its taxable income by one-third.

Some of Australia’s corporate giants have backed proposals including infrastructure upgrades and expanded schemes for work visas to boost the agriculture sector, while a peak business group investigates a blueprint to support agribusiness competitiveness.

Some of Australia’s richest people, including billionaires Gerry Harvey and Andrew Forrest as well as Melbourne’s super-rich Besen family, have snared large holdings in Medibank Private, dwarfing the allocations granted to the mum and dad shareholders.

Page 16: Australia’s fifth biggest dairy company, the Italian-owned Parmalat Group, has ended the year with another major acquisition, buying Victorian dairy exporter Longwarry Foods for $67 million.

Page 18: This month’s big fall in the price of oil should be good news for much of the world’s economy. But so far markets have been telling a different story.

The West Australian

Page 1: Tony Abbott has transformed his ministry in a reshuffle that puts rescuing the Budget and welfare reform at the heart of the Government’s re-election strategy.

Page 3: The RAC wants WA’s proposed road safety commissioner to report to the Parliament — not a minister — so they can publicly highlight government failings.

Perth is in for a cracker of a Christmas, with ideal weather forecast this week. The Weather Bureau has forecast bright and sunny conditions for this week, with temperatures expected to reach a maximum 29C today, 31C tomorrow and 32C on Christmas Eve.

Page 9: The Christian Brothers have reopened 80 previously settled cases in the wake of royal commission hearings held earlier this year into sexual abuse at four WA orphanages.

Page 10: It is earlier and more expansive than originally planned but Tony Abbott has grasped the opportunity of Arthur Sinodinos’ departure to reset his Government with a recast of some main players.

Page 16: The huge taxpayer subsidy paid to shield households from the full cost of producing electricity has been slashed by more than $500 million, Treasurer Mike Nahan says.

Page 17: Energy Minister Mike Nahan has ordered an investigation into revelations that Western Power bought a luxury European car, saying he will demand it be sold “immediately” if they are true.

Page 20: Perth people are more supportive of higher-density housing than councils imagine but they do not want Gold Coast-style developments or New York-style high-rises, according to a report.

Business: Argyle Diamonds managing director Shane Johnson is leaving the Rio Tinto subsidiary after 14 months in the job.