Wind up FIFO camps in Pilbara, Nationals tell miners
The nation’s major resources companies could radically cut their costs by ending the boom time practice of paying for flights, meals and camp accommodation for thousands of employees, according to Pilbara MP and former Western Australian Nationals leader Brendon Grylls. The Aus
Hedge funds helping fuel commodities rout
Arrium director and former Rio Tinto strategy chief Doug Ritchie says the dramatic fall in commodities has been exacerbated by speculative bets placed by hedge funds, which has resulted in steeper price falls for iron ore, coal and copper than in previous mining busts. The Fin
Platinum miner under pressure over lawsuit
Zijin Mining-controlled Nkwe Platinum faces fresh scrutiny from minority shareholders over its disclosure that it faces a lawsuit from Perth businessman Tony Sage’s International Petroleum. The West
Treasury against debt tax trade-off
Treasury has advised the federal government against scrapping tax deductions for corporate debt to fund a company tax cut, saying profitable investments will happen in other countries or not at all. The Fin
Google ‘could owe hundres of millions’
Google could owe Australia hundreds of millions of dollars in unpaid tax, independent senator Nick Xenophon said, seizing on revelations that the search engine giant has agreed to pay $265 million in Britain. The Fin
$1900 hit to nurses if shift rates cut
Nurses and midwives would stand to lose more than $1900 a year from their pay, while all nurses, midwives and carers working in acute and aged care would be collectively $359 million a year worse off if their Sunday penalty rates were reduced to Saturday rates, a report has found. The Aus
Labor aims to unify WA’s brand
WA would have a single, overarching branded logo for government, tourism, agriculture, technology and manufacturing under a State Labor policy unveiled yesterday. The West
The Australian Financial Review
Page Treasury has advised the federal government against scrapping tax deductions for corporate debt to fund a company tax cut, saying profitable investments will happen in other countries or not at all.
Page 3: The Australian Council of Trade Unions will convene a summit of 200 officials in a bid to fix declining union membership, telling union leaders they must ‘‘get serious’’ about developing strategies to attract new members.
Page 5: Commercial television networks’ hopes of an election year dividend have been strengthened after the Department of Communications recommended that the Turnbull government cut the free-to-air industry’s $153 million annual licence fees.
Page 6: Google could owe Australia hundreds of millions of dollars in unpaid tax, independent senator Nick Xenophon said, seizing on revelations that the search engine giant has agreed to pay $265 million in Britain.
The Labor Party says the Coalition is avoiding improving the transparency of political donations in its response to the royal commission into trade union corruption.
Page 13: Arrium director and former Rio Tinto strategy chief Doug Ritchie says the dramatic fall in commodities has been exacerbated by speculative bets placed by hedge funds, which has resulted in steeper price falls for iron ore, coal and copper than in previous mining busts.
The renewable energy sector is on the cusp of a $10 billion revival as infrastructure players from around the world get ready to pour funds into new wind farms and solar projects, according to professional services firm EY.
Page 15: The credit rating of energy majors Woodside and Origin Energy may be cut after a decision by Moody’s, the ratings agency, to slash its oil price forecast.
Page 17: National Australia Bank’s first digital wallet out on Monday is backed by Visa, making it the first Australian bank to use a new mobile security system that fights Apple’s bid for a share of the $2.5 billion in fees for credit card transactions.
Page 18: A key transport union has weighed into Brookfield Infrastructure’s proposed takeover of Asciano, calling on the federal government to create a national rail access regime to tackle competition issues.
The Australian
Page 1: Serious doubt that Washington will be willing to provide the US Navy’s most advanced combat systems to Australian submarines if they are built by Germany or France is emerging as a trump card for Japan in the three-way battle to construct the new boats.
Page 2: The Big Bash League is set to hit a six in the boardroom, with its media rights expected to explode to as much as $60 million a year after a breakout season that is revolutionising Australian cricket.
Page 4: Scott Morrison has foreshadowed a likely ambitious election-year contest over the GST with his declaration that only a tax package with a major GST reform can deliver the government’s goal of a growth agenda with serious income tax relief.
Page 5: Nurses and midwives would stand to lose more than $1900 a year from their pay, while all nurses, midwives and carers working in acute and aged care would be collectively $359 million a year worse off if their Sunday penalty rates were reduced to Saturday rates, a report has found.
Page 17: Improving business conditions could offer support to company valuations as investors look to the profit season that kicks off next week to help escape the sharemarket’s worst-ever start to the year.
The nation’s major resources companies could radically cut their costs by ending the boom time practice of paying for flights, meals and camp accommodation for thousands of employees, according to Pilbara MP and former Western Australian Nationals leader Brendon Grylls.
Page 20: Beach Energy is the latest Australian oil and gas company to flag big writedowns and cuts to long-term oil assumptions as the energy outlook worsens, forecasting writedowns of up to $650 million and further spending cuts at its Cooper Basin operations in South Australia.
Page 23: ABC telegraphs budget plea for better funding of regional services The Australian Broadcasting Corporation is understood to be plotting an ambitious bid for fresh funding in this year’s budget to ramp up news services in regional Australia, despite the likelihood of another tough budget amid a bleak fiscal outlook.
The Nine and Ten networks are bracing for a fierce battle to retain their coveted Cricket Australia broadcast rights as the governing body considers pulling forward negotiations on the back of the Big Bash League phenomenon.
The West Australian
Page 9: Every State and Territory leader has signed a declaration in favour of an Australian republic apart from Colin Barnett.
Page 10: In the first public comments by a Barnett Government minister on the threat to Collie from a low-emissions economy, Energy Minister Mike Nahan said thousands of jobs would be on the line amid moves to phase out coal use.
Page 13: WA would have a single, overarching branded logo for government, tourism, agriculture, technology and manufacturing under a State Labor policy unveiled yesterday.
Business: Zijin Mining-controlled Nkwe Platinum faces fresh scrutiny from minority shareholders over its disclosure that it faces a lawsuit from Perth businessman Tony Sage’s International Petroleum.