Abbott's tax cut for business
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott will vow to cut the 30 per cent company tax by 1.5 percentage points if elected, ensuring the nation's largest companies don't have to pay extra for the Coalition's paid parental leave scheme and delivering all other businesses a tax break. The Fin
Slowdown cuts rates to record
Labor has been forced to defend its stewardship of the economy after the Reserve Bank said weak growth was behind its decision to cut interest rates to their lowest level on record. The Aus
Hockey says GST rise on the table
Raising the goods and services tax – a measure regarded by many tax experts as the Holy Grail of tax simplification – is on the Coalition's agenda. The Fin
Homes to lose water pressure
The Water Corporation will cut water pressure to tens of thousands of Perth homes as part of long-awaited efforts to save drinking supplies and stem leaks and burst pipes in its ageing network. The West
Doubts cast on timing of airport train
The Department of Transport said a rail line to Perth Airport would be “difficult to justify” until the domestic and international terminals were consolidated after 2020, adding weight to claims the Liberal Party brought forward the $2 billion rial project to combat Labor's Metronet announcement during the election campaign. The West
Aussie goldminers 'well placed for price recovery'
The head of investment at the World Gold Council says Australia’s $12 billion industry is better positioned than any other to capitalise on an imminent price boost due to its proximity to China and the wealth of its reserves of the precious metal. The Aus
Pilbara still a viable option, says BC Iron boss
BC Iron chief executive Morgan Ball says the miner is looking to Australia rather than overseas for its growth options, declaring that companies who are ‘‘ smart, patient and commercial’’ can still make money in the Pilbara. The Aus
Monadelphous woos Service Stream
Perth-based engineering group Monadelphous is understood to have met troubled telecommunications contractor Service Stream to discuss the purchase of a stake in the company. The Fin
Identity crisis fears for WASM
High-profile industry leaders have called for a public inquiry into mining education in WA over fears the century-old WA School of Mines is losing its Kalgoorlie identity and, with it, relevance. The West
The West Australian
Page 3: The Water Corporation will cut water pressure to tens of thousands of Perth homes as part of long-awaited efforts to save drinking supplies and stem leaks and burst pipes in its ageing network.
Page 6: Tony Abbott will today pledge to slice 1.5 percentage points from the company tax rate under a $5 billion plan to encourage businesses.
Page 7: The Reserve Bank has made a dramatic intervention into the federal election, cutting official interest rates to their lowest level in 54 years in a bid to salvage the flagging economy.
Page 9: WA primary school students are missing an average of 16 days a year, putting them up to six weeks behind in their learning, a landmark report has found.
Page 11: Gina Rinehart has lost a bid to force The West Australian to hand over information which could reveal a journalist's confidential sources after a landmark Supreme Court ruling found subpoenas issued by the mining billionaire would undermine state shield laws.
Page 13: Doctors have accused the state government of letting down WA children by dodging calls to fund an expansion of the new children's hospital in tomorrow's budget.
Page 16: The Department of Transport said a rail line to Perth Airport would be “difficult to justify” until the domestic and international terminals were consolidated after 2020, adding weight to claims the Liberal Party brought forward the $2 billion rial project to combat Labor's Metronet announcement during the election campaign.
Page 22: The leaders of the Muntadgin Farming Alliance will meet about a dozen Liberal backbenchers in Perth over the next two days to spell out the deepening financial crisis in WA agriculture.
Business: High-profile industry leaders have called for a public inquiry into mining education in WA over fears the century-old WA School of Mines is losing its Kalgoorlie identity and, with it, relevance.
Griffin Coal has missed another deadline for the payment of outstanding superannuation, exacerbating fears about its health.
Indonesia's claim that is has been developing a self-sufficient beef industry by restricting imports of Australian cattle is in tatters.
One of WA's richest land developers, Alan Caratti, was accused yesterday of punching and then wrestling a fuel can off an environmental investigator probing a potentially toxic rubbish fire.
Atlas Iron managing director Ken Brinsden has cast new doubts on the viability of a third-party rail network in the Pilbara, saying finding a big enough iron ore customer to justify a new line would be hard.
After 20 years spent selling and developing some of WA's most valuable real estate, LandCorp chief Ross Holt will leave the post at the end of the year with 12 months still to run on his contract.
Consumers and residential building companies may have to wait another week for the outcome of a year-long inquiry into WA's beleaguered home indemnity insurance scheme, which protects consumers when builders become insolvent.
The Australian Financial Review
Page 1: Opposition Leader Tony Abbott will vow to cut the 30 per cent company tax by 1.5 percentage points if elected, ensuring the nation's largest companies don't have to pay extra for the Coalition's paid parental leave scheme and delivering all other businesses a tax break.
The Reserve Bank of Australia risks unleashing a dangerous surge in house prices after cutting official interest rates during an election for the first time in more than two decades, says a top-rated banking analyst.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd accused Rupert Murdoch of wanting to destroy the Labor government and its national broadband network to protect his Foxtel “cash cow”, escalating already-frayed tensions between Labor and the company, which controls two thirds of Australia's newspapers, News Corp.
Page 3: The Australian Securities Exchange is considering changes to the loophole that allowed Australia's top 100 companies to spend $3 billion buying shares for their executives in the past two years without disclosing them or getting the approval of shareholders.
Page 4: Raising the goods and services tax – a measure regarded by many tax experts as the Holy Grail of tax simplification – is on the Coalition's agenda.
Page 9: Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's attempts to broker a peace pact between business and unions to boost productivity have gone cold since talks broke up last month.
Page 10: Labor's $200 million plan to help local car makers is based on the federal government paying a $3,000 rebate on about 66,600 Australian-made cars over two years.
Page 13: Downer EDI has delivered further proof only the fittest will survive the end of the resources boom, after a forced restructure at the height of the market left it as one of the few mining services companies not going backwards this year.
Page 15: Perth-based engineering group Monadelphous is understood to have met troubled telecommunications contractor Service Stream to discuss the purchase of a stake in the company.
The Qantas-Emirates alliance has strengthened the Australian carrier's offering to Europe but it needs to do more work rebuilding its brand in Asia, corporate travel agents and a brand consultant have said.
Page 16: Atlas Iron managing director Ken Brinsden believes rail and port providers in Western Australia's iron ore-rich Pilbara region have become far more pragmatic about allowing third-party access to their assets.
The World Gold Council does not expect to see goldminers revert to large-scale hedging programs despite the prospect of them facing financial trouble if the gold price keeps sliding lower.
BC Iron managing director Morgan Ball is looking for acquisition opportunities in the Western Australian-based iron ore market and has not ruled out an overseas venture.
The Australian
Page 1: Tony Abbott has promised to cut the company tax rate by 1.5 percentage points for 750,000 companies at a cost of $ 5 billion to help stimulate the economy and offset his paid parental leave scheme.
Labor has been forced to defend its stewardship of the economy after the Reserve Bank said weak growth was behind its decision to cut interest rates to their lowest level on record.
Labor has cemented its border protection deal to settle asylum-seekers in Papua New Guinea but is facing a Coalition challenge to the outcome, as it emerged the agreement was finalised only after the government entered caretaker mode.
The National Broadband Network could face a budget blowout of at least $5 billion after the company building Labor’s flagship infrastructure project re-signed one of its construction partners on the promise of labour wage increases.
Page 2: Union influence has been targeted in Holden’s revised workplace agreement, which employees will vote on next week in a critical decision for the carmaker’s Australian operations.
A Perth judge has dismissed Gina Rinehart’s bid to force journalists to hand over source material for articles detailing her family feud.
Page 4: TheReserve Bank has signalled it is comfortable with the surge in property prices for the time being, amid expectations its decision to cut interest rates yesterday would drive more investors into the housing market on the back of cheaper finance and strong residential rents.
Page 5: Labor has a cash reserve of almost $300 million to unveil on election promises in the next few weeks, amid a growing row over the reliability of the official figures that underpin the political fight on the economy.
Treasurer Chris Bowen has been accused by market economists of trying to ‘‘sugar coat’’ Labor’s record for the election campaign by claiming credit for almost one million new jobs.
Resource employers have warned that shortcomings in the Coalition’s workplace relations policy risk an Abbott government losing the chance to restore the nation’s reputation as a place to invest.
Page 6: Labor's carbon price will make only a “minor’’ contribution towards cutting greenhouse gas emissions in the electricity sector, with most abatement driven by the enforceable renewable energy target that is crowding out cheaper investments, a new paper says.
Kevin Rudd has ruled out any changes to media laws if Labor is re-elected as he claimed News Corp executive chairman Rupert Murdoch wanted to see Tony Abbott become prime minister.
Page 8: Peter Reith has urged Tony Abbott to abandon his generous paid parental leave scheme after last week’s $ 12 billion blowout in the budget deficit, as Nationals MPs warned they would cross the floor to vote against the policy if the Coalition won power.
Tony Abbott has accused Labor of preparing to strike another power-sharing deal with the Greens as pressure grows on the Coalition not to give preferences to the minor party in seats where they are within striking distance of the ALP.
Business: Westpac has hit back at rivals eating into the bank’s market share, slashing borrowing rates by more than the Reserve Bank as the mortgage war among lenders intensifies amid a resurgent property market.
The head of investment at the World Gold Council says Australia’s $12 billion industry is better positioned than any other to capitalise on an imminent price boost due to its proximity to China and the wealth of its reserves of the precious metal.
Downer EDI has warned investors there is a high level of uncertainty around revenue this financial year but chief executive Grant Fenn is confident the company is in a strong position to weather the storm.
Leighton Contractors has finalised with Main Roads WA the price, scope and construction methodology for the $ 1 billion Perth airport and freight access project.
BC Iron chief executive Morgan Ball says the miner is looking to Australia rather than overseas for its growth options, declaring that companies who are ‘‘ smart, patient and commercial’’ can still make money in the Pilbara.
Analysts raced to slash earnings estimates after Virgin Australia’s shock profit downgrade on Monday amid mixed views about the airline’s immediate future.