Morning Headlines

Vocus CEO sets bar high for 2015

Vocus Communications chief executive James Spenceley has set the ambitious goal of becoming bigger in the corporate telco market than SingTel-Optus after it completes a merger with Perth-based Amcom Telecommunications to create a company worth $1.2 billion. The Fin

Apache holds off on assets sell-down

United States oil company Apache appears to have gone cold on the $US3 billion ($3.65bn) sale of its remaining Western Australian gas and oil assets as oil prices plunge, potential buyers struggle and it gets ready to bank proceeds from the sale of its Wheatstone LNG stake to Woodside Petroleum.  The Aus

Woodside-Adani memorandum opens gateway to India for LNG

Woodside Petroleum has struck an accord for an alliance with large Indian energy and industrial conglomerate Adani Enterprises in a move that points to a potential major new market opening up for its liquefied natural gas. The Fin

ACCC vows to go hard on unions

The competition watchdog has vowed to take on the country’s most militant unions, using a case against the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union to ask business to come forward with more evidence of illegal conduct. The Fin

Immediate cuts to Japan goods: Robb

Australian consumers will see cheaper cars, electronics and white goods from this week as the landmark Japan-Australia Free Trade Agreement comes into effect, Trade Minister Andrew Robb promised. The Fin

Modi adamant on FTA deal this year: Robb

Trade and Investment Minister Andrew Robb has held “the first round of substantive discussions towards a free-trade agreement with India”. The Aus

Pluton’s Asian partners in bitter court battle as iron ore miner goes under

In the crystal blue waters of the Buccaneer Archipelago, off Western Australia’s northern coast, sits Cockatoo Island — a long and narrow island distinguished from the dozens of others in the area by a rich band of iron ore running along its southern edge. The Aus

The Australian Financial Review

Page 1: The competition watchdog has vowed to take on the country’s most militant unions, using a case against the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union to ask business to come forward with more evidence of illegal conduct.

Page 3: ANZ Banking Group has broken ranks with the other big four banks to explicitly endorse a national exam for financial planners to help restore confidence in the beleaguered industry.

Page 6: Federal Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane said there is a “chronic oversupply” of electricity in the National Energy Market but has ruled out the government paying for ageing power stations to close down.

Page 7: Australian consumers will see cheaper cars, electronics and white goods from this week as the landmark Japan-Australia Free Trade Agreement comes into effect, Trade Minister Andrew Robb promised.

Page 11: Vocus Communications chief executive James Spenceley has set the ambitious goal of becoming bigger in the corporate telco market than SingTel-Optus after it completes a merger with Perth-based Amcom Telecommunications to create a company worth $1.2 billion.

Page 13: Woodside Petroleum has struck an accord for an alliance with large Indian energy and industrial conglomerate Adani Enterprises in a move that points to a potential major new market opening up for its liquefied natural gas.

Page 15: Australian life insurers will increasingly rely on big data to mitigate underwriting risk, but local companies are lagging behind their international competitors in the race to garner important information about their customers.

Page 16: Oil services companies are bracing themselves for pain as a result of the dramatic fall in the oil price, with analysts warning contractors and suppliers are set to come under significant pressure as producers seek to slash costs and delay investments.

Page 17: BHP Billiton believes it can increase the amount of radioactive waste being stored in ponds at Olympic Dam without seepage rates rising under the new development plan for the famous mineral deposit in the South Australian outback.

Aurizon has welcomed the return of unions to the bargaining table after strike action in Queensland was cancelled as workers and the rail operator try to reach a deal on a new enterprise agreement.

Page 21: Investors will be hoping for another pleasant surprise from Alcoa this week, when the aluminium producer kicks off the quarterly reporting season in the United States on Monday evening.

The Australian

Page 1: A surge in government spending has reignited the fight over the need for budget savings, as a new report outlines a $14 billion jump in outlays in key areas, including welfare bonuses, childcare and family tax benefits.

Page 3: NSW has abandoned a national target for attending to people who need treatment in hospital emergency departments after the federal government cut reward payments.

The supermarket war is hotting up, with eggs the latest weapon in the battle to create differentiation in the minds of shoppers between Coles, Woolworths and Aldi.

Page 5: Trade and Investment Minister Andrew Robb has held “the first round of substantive discussions towards a free-trade agreement with India”.

The peak body representing Western Australian volunteer firefighters has called for safety recommendations made by an official report into the death of a firefighter in 2012 to be activated faster, after another volunteer was caught in a burn-over last week.

Page 15: Television and radio networks may be able to reap more of the advertising cash splash surrounding elections as the federal government considers ending a longstanding blackout period as part of its program to reduce red tape.

In the crystal blue waters of the Buccaneer Archipelago, off Western Australia’s northern coast, sits Cockatoo Island — a long and narrow island distinguished from the dozens of others in the area by a rich band of iron ore running along its southern edge.

United States oil company Apache appears to have gone cold on the $US3 billion ($3.65bn) sale of its remaining Western Australian gas and oil assets as oil prices plunge, potential buyers struggle and it gets ready to bank proceeds from the sale of its Wheatstone LNG stake to Woodside Petroleum.

Page 17: There could be a silver lining for Papua New Guinea LNG producers in recent oil price slides and geopolitical instability, with Japan becoming increasingly interested in security of supply.

The West Australian

 At time of issue, the West Australian was unavailable.