ALP pushes tax, frack probes
WA Labor has put itself on a collision course with the oil and gas industry through State conference votes on taxes and fracking. The West
McGowan rolls out rail plan for a second run
Transport Minister Dean Nalder has shrugged off WA Labor’s decision to resurrect its ambitious Metronet rail plan, saying Opposition Leader Mark McGowan is “dreaming” if he believes it is affordable. The West
Call to act on foreign bribes
Some of Australia’s biggest companies have urged the government to do more to combat foreign bribery, with energy giant Woodside Petroleum calling for the scrapping of a defence for “facilitation payments” under Australian law. The Aus
China ‘to walk away from FTA’
Trade Minister Andrew Robb has warned that China will permanently “walk away” from a landmark free-trade agreement if Labor votes it down, with the campaign against the deal threatening to dominate next month’s Canning by-election. The Aus
WA chilling as big miners cut $20b spending
A dramatic $20 billion cut in operational spending by the nation’s three biggest iron ore miners is chilling a WA economy already under stress. The Fin
Ad prices to soar for TV football
The Seven and Nine networks are plotting to hit media buyers with huge price hikes to recover the massive investment in new sports broadcast rights deals, with the average cost of a 30-second TV spot set to soar by one-third. The Aus
The Australian Financial Review
Page 1: The Abbott government has rekindled the prospect of paying for its promised income tax cuts by increasing the GST, earning it the support of the NSW government but the condemnation of the federal opposition.
Page 3: A dramatic $20 billion cut in operational spending by the nation’s three biggest iron ore miners is chilling a WA economy already under stress.
Three major industry groups have launched a campaign to generate public support for the China trade deal as Jacqui Lambie became the fourth senator to voice concerns about the deal, putting more pressure on Labor.
Page 8: Australia needs to shut down old brown-coal power stations, control fugitive carbon emissions and ramp up reforestation programs if it is going to have any chance of achieving new carbon reduction targets by 2030, a RepuTex report finds.
Page 11: Former federal education minister John Dawkins, who resigned last November as chairman of Vocation, said last week he only became involved with the listed private education provider because of ‘‘glowing reports’’ from regulators and fund managers.
Page 13: IFM Investors’ $685 million writedown of its Pacific Hydro renewable energy business has left a dint in superannuation fund members’ returns.
Page 15: A healthy compromise ends stoush Medibank Private has softened its demands of Calvary Health Care over who should pay for certain patient complications and hospital readmissions ending an ugly public scrap that lasted for two months.
Page 16: Popular American Express cards issued by banks may lose their generous rewards points if the Reserve Bank makes good on its plan to regulate Amex for the first time.
The Australian
Page 1: Trade Minister Andrew Robb has warned that China will permanently “walk away” from a landmark free-trade agreement if Labor votes it down, with the campaign against the deal threatening to dominate next month’s Canning by-election.
Page 3: Science students are graduating with barely any practical experience, according to Chief Scientist Ian Chubb, who says a major effort must be made by universities and businesses to improve cooperation.
Page 4: Finance Minister Mathias Cormann has revealed the Coalition’s promised personal income tax cuts will hinge on reducing spending as well as finding alternative revenue sources, raising the spectre of increasing the GST.
The transfer of $2.5 million to Clive Palmer’s flagship company has prompted investigations by the corporate regulator.
Page 6: Australian farmers say hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of business could be jeopardised and the industry’s international reputation damaged if the Labor and union campaign against the China-Australia free-trade agreement delays or cruels the deal.
Page 17: Some of Australia’s biggest companies have urged the government to do more to combat foreign bribery, with energy giant Woodside Petroleum calling for the scrapping of a defence for “facilitation payments” under Australian law.
Page 19: Woolworths could be bracing for an onslaught of opportunistic buyers for its Big W and Masters chains amid mounting market expectations of a sweeping overhaul at the $34 billion retailer.
Page 23: The Seven and Nine networks are plotting to hit media buyers with huge price hikes to recover the massive investment in new sports broadcast rights deals, with the average cost of a 30-second TV spot set to soar by one-third.
The West Australian
Page 4: Transport Minister Dean Nalder has shrugged off WA Labor’s decision to resurrect its ambitious Metronet rail plan, saying Opposition Leader Mark McGowan is “dreaming” if he believes it is affordable.
Page 9: Treatment of early breast cancer is set to to be revolutionised in Australia, as thousands of women get access to an “express” radiotherapy technique tested in WA.
Page 12: Perth is squeezing the rest of WA for its most important commodity — people — with almost four fifths of the State’s 2.5 million residents calling the city home.
Business: WA Labor has put itself on a collision course with the oil and gas industry through State conference votes on taxes and fracking.
Heavy engineering company Civmec has pulled out of a deal to buy an Indonesian fabrication yard from global subsea contractor Technip.
