Morning Headlines

Abbott declares war on WA’s ‘$3.8m drag on economy’ potato board

The Abbott Government has declared war on WA’s so-called “spud cop”, with Small Business Minister Bruce Billson saying the Potato Marketing Corporation is a $3.8-million-a-year drag on the State economy. The West

Worsley mulls coal import fix

One of the world’s biggest coal miners, BHP Billiton, is considering importing the fossil fuel through Bunbury Port amid heightened concerns Griffin Coal is struggling to maintain supply to the Worsley alumina plant. The West

Fortescue Metals walking thin red line

Andrew Forrest might have laid out a vision for the iron ore price to get back to $US90 a tonne last week – his now famous proposal for a production capping cartel – but fresh falls in the spot price have taken the price perilously low to the point where Fortescue Metals Group starts losing money. The Fin

Shell delays $100m Browse drilling as crude prices fall

Royal Dutch Shell’s delay of the drilling of a $100 million-plus exploration well off Australia’s north-west coast is the latest example of modified plans in the wake of the plunge in crude oil prices, which sources say have driven some companies to renege on work commitments. The Fin

WA to take a bigger slice of the pie

Western Australia is on track to reclaim a greater share of the GST pool from the other states, without tinkering with the distribution system. The Fin

BHP wants limits on industrial action

The capacity for unions to take legal industrial action should be severely wound back under changes to the Fair Work Act that BHP Billiton says are necessary to restore balance to the workplace relations system. The Fin

Generous super breaks may go

The generous tax treatment of superannuation for the wealthy looks likely to end because a strong consensus has emerged among political parties and the industry that the breaks are unsustainable. The Fin

The Australian Financial Review

Page 1: The generous tax treatment of superannuation for the wealthy looks likely to end because a strong consensus has emerged among political parties and the industry that the breaks are unsustainable.

Page 3: Australia will require airlines to have two crew members in the cockpit at all times as a safety precaution following the Germanwings crash that killed 150 passengers and crew last week.

Page 4: The capacity for unions to take legal industrial action should be severely wound back under changes to the Fair Work Act that BHP Billiton says are necessary to restore balance to the workplace relations system.

Australia’s embattled naval shipbuilding industry will be thrown a lifeline by Defence Minister Kevin Andrews, who will present a plan for continuous construction of warships to avoid periodic job losses and shore up political support across three states.

Page 6: Western Australia is on track to reclaim a greater share of the GST pool from the other states, without tinkering with the distribution system.

Page 15: The board of copper miner PanAust is expected to ask its major shareholder to improve its latest $1.1 billion takeover bid, after shares in the miner traded above the revived offer price on Monday.

After shouldering aside Adidas to become the second-biggest sportswear brand in the US, global sports apparel and footwear retailer Under Armour has Australia in its sights.

Page 17: China Communications Construction Company’s $1 billion acquisition of John Holland from Leighton Holdings is expected to be delayed until the end of April by complications over securing Australian regulatory approvals.

Andrew Forrest might have laid out a vision for the iron ore price to get back to $US90 a tonne last week – his now famous proposal for a production capping cartel – but fresh falls in the spot price have taken the price perilously low to the point where Fortescue Metals Group starts losing money.

Page 18: Royal Dutch Shell’s delay of the drilling of a $100 million-plus exploration well off Australia’s north-west coast is the latest example of modified plans in the wake of the plunge in crude oil prices, which sources say have driven some companies to renege on work commitments.

The Australian

Page 1: The Abbott government’s plan to deregulate university fees is in disarray after the Group of Eight leading universities last night withdrew its support for the reform package, citing policy incoherence and political desperation.

Page 2: Labor’s resistance to any change in the GST is making it impossible to finance policies that would make a real difference to inequality, with Australia’s tax and transfer system already one of the most successful in the world in redistributing income.

Page 5: Graziers are culling livestock, shops and businesses are closing down and at least one town is likely to run dry within months as the drought crisis in Queensland worsens.

Page 8: Pension reforms could be adjusted to ensure that wealthier Australians bear more of the burden as the Abbott government searches for a way to rescue changes meant to save $23 billion over the decade ahead.

Page 19: Slater & Gordon managing director Andrew Grech has hailed the $1.23 billion deal to acquire London-based Quindell’s professional services division as a “transformational opportunity”, brushing aside long-held concerns about the financial position of Britain’s largest personal injury law firm.

Building materials joint venture USG Boral will shift focus to Southeast Asian economies as it searches for growth in its plasterboard business, halting capital investment in the larger Chinese and Indian economies.

The head of the competition regulator says he has no particular concerns about the Abbott government’s proposed changes to media laws but understands the government’s caution over changing anti-siphoning provisions that govern the broadcast of major sporting events on free-to-air television.

Page 21: Jetstar has turned around trenchant opposition to a pilots’ pay deal to gets its second enterprise bargaining agreement over the line in less than a week.

Page 22: The company building the National Broadband Network has switched on its fibre-to-the-basement technology, allowing thousands of apartment-dwelling Australians access to super-fast broadband speeds.

The West Australian

Page 1: The Abbott Government has declared war on WA’s so-called “spud cop”, with Small Business Minister Bruce Billson saying the Potato Marketing Corporation is a $3.8-million-a-year drag on the State economy.

Page 3: The maritime union and a national labour hire firm have been ordered to pay a Perth couple more than $720,000 in compensation after they were refused jobs because they were not union members.

Page 9: The Education Department has revealed the extent of student absenteeism caused by parents taking children out of school to go on holidays when flights and accommodation are cheaper, with figures showing that 10 per cent of absences last year were for vacations.

Page 14: Perth Airport’s track record for delivering timely infrastructure to meet passenger growth and support WA’s economy has not been a happy one. The latest delay of the Virgin terminal pier, which is an extension of the international terminal, is a major blow to the airline that has invested hundreds of millions in its makeover since 2011 with new planes and product.

Page 18: The amount owed in unpaid fines has continued to blow out and has reached nearly $330 million, more than 18 months after tough measures were introduced in a bid to crack down on people who flout their penalties.

Business: One of the world’s biggest coal miners, BHP Billiton, is considering importing the fossil fuel through Bunbury Port amid heightened concerns Griffin Coal is struggling to maintain supply to the Worsley alumina plant.

Carnarvon banana growers knocked flat by cyclone Olwyn will have a $2.5 million payout from their industry fund to help get them back on their feet.

The country’s best-known transcontinental train services are back in Australian hands, with private equity group Allegro Funds buying the company behind the Indian Pacific, the Ghan and the Overland.

The Pastoralists and Graziers Association has attacked a decision by the Freedom of Information Commissioner to release sensitive information on the viability of leases covering vast tracts of WA.