Morning Headlines

Racing has demands for WA TAB sale

Western Australia’s racing codes will this week tell the state government the structure they want for the $1 billionplus privatisation of the state’s TAB network amid fears some bidders may jeopardise the long-term value of the industry. The Fin

Singtel-Optus to renew Fetch TV contract

Singtel-Optus is set to renew its contract with subscription television provider Fetch TV as it prepares to broadcast the English Premier League in Australia. The Fin

Libs target negative gearing ‘excesses’

The Turnbull government has rejected Labor’s policy to restrict negative gearing to new properties and will move ahead with its own plans to target high end investors by either capping the number of properties that can be geared or limiting the annual tax deductions that can be claimed. The Fin

More asset sales to come after markets

WA Treasurer Mike Nahan says the privatisation of the Canning Vale markets will unlock investment that will allow WA’s horticulture industry to grow. The West

Nib puts heat on surgeons by exposing fees

Surgeons should brace for increased scrutiny after nib said it would be the second player in the $21 billion private health insurance sector to expose the wide variation in price charged for surgeries, leading to shock extra costs for patients. The Fin

Kidman suitor wants more

The Hong Kong-based privateequity fund touted as one of two frontrunners in the race for the Kidman cattle empire has set its sights on a series of even larger deals worth up to $1 billion as it builds an Australian foothold for its global agribusiness aspirations. The Aus

The Australian Financial Review

Page 1: The Turnbull government has rejected Labor’s policy to restrict negative gearing to new properties and will move ahead with its own plans to target high end investors by either capping the number of properties that can be geared or limiting the annual tax deductions that can be claimed.

Page 3: Australia could save billions of dollars if it shifted infrastructure spending away from ‘‘building big things’’ to improving existing infrastructure networks, a new report from the University of Sydney says.

Page 8: Nuclear power advocates are hoping the recommendations of a royal commission by a retired state governor will give fresh impetus on Monday for uranium-rich Australia to develop a nuclear industry, with a focus on high-tech storage of spent nuclear fuel rods and other waste, and small-version, modular nuclear reactors.

Page 9: Telstra has declared its national day of free mobile downloads a success, with twice the usual traffic and no significant problems.

Page 15: Surgeons should brace for increased scrutiny after nib said it would be the second player in the $21 billion private health insurance sector to expose the wide variation in price charged for surgeries, leading to shock extra costs for patients.

Page 17: Western Australia’s racing codes will this week tell the state government the structure they want for the $1 billion-plus privatisation of the state’s TAB network amid fears some bidders may jeopardise the long-term value of the industry.

Page 20: A heavy tide of red ink and prospective delays to new projects are expected to weigh on the results of oil and gas majors that kick off this week with Woodside, which is to release its December-half results on Wednesday.

Singtel-Optus is set to renew its contract with subscription television provider Fetch TV as it prepares to broadcast the English Premier League in Australia.

The Australian

Page 1: Scott Morrison remains committed to tackling “inadequacies’’ in negative gearing, even as he moves to make Bill Shorten’s pledge to limit tax concessions on investment properties to new homes and cut capital gains tax discounts an election battlefront.

Fairfax Media has conducted detailed analysis to estimate how many staff could be cut if the publisher stopped printing its flagship metropolitan newspapers The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age in Melbourne.

Page 4: Tradies and builders could be the face of a deadly new wave of mesothelioma cases to hit Australia, as the head of the nation’s asbestos eradication agency warns the country is set to be swamped with Asian building products laced with the killer material.

Page 6: The states are split over the challenge of sustaining public hospitals and whether efficiency measures can avoid the need for services to be cut when budgets are tight.

Page 17: The Hong Kong-based private equity fund touted as one of two frontrunners in the race for the Kidman cattle empire has set its sights on a series of even larger deals worth up to $1 billion as it builds an Australian foothold for its global agribusiness aspirations.

Santos chairman Peter Coates is planning to shake up the board of the embattled oil and gas company, including undertaking a search for his successor, as it prepares to announce billions of dollars of writedowns at its annual results this week.

Page 18: A private equity consortium led by TPG Capital and The Carlyle Group is expected to announce today a sweetened deal to buy the vet chain Greencross, valuing the business at $769 million.

Local producers of high-quality fruit, vegetables and premium livestock in Australia’s $155 billion agriculture sector are likely to be the big winners from David Jones’ planned push into food retailing with suggestions it will “share the profits” with suppliers.

Page 20: Almost half of Australians are living from pay cheque to pay cheque yet many want to retire early while maintaining their standard of living, says Lara Bourguignon, general manager of corporate superannuation at National Australia Bank’s wealth arm, MLC.

The West Australian

The Federal Government appears intent on targeting rich Australians who use negative-geared properties to minimise tax after Treasurer Scott Morrison criticised a rival Labor plan for not raising sufficient revenue.

Well-paid Australians believe the definition of a middle class is one filled with overseas trips, organic food and a helping hand from government, according to a special insight into how we think about ourselves.

For a patch of about 500 homeowners in Greenwood and residents in the hills suburb Stoneville, patchy internet that can drop out for days at a time is the norm.

WA Treasurer Mike Nahan says the privatisation of the Canning Vale markets will unlock investment that will allow WA’s horticulture industry to grow.

Kojonup farmer Steve Marsh has failed in his bid to take his battle over genetically modified cropping in WA to the High Court.