230 TAFE jobs go as colleges cut to five
Up to 230 jobs will be axed as 11 TAFE colleges are collapsed into five under a State Government overhaul of the public training system. The West
5000 extra troops, 12 new subs
An extra 5000 men and women in uniform will be recruited by the Australian Defence Force to run the potent force of new warships, aircraft and army equipment to be commissioned under the imminent defence white paper. The Aus
Cabinet digs in as PM backflips on CGT
Federal cabinet has resolved to stick with the original plan to release the Coalition’s tax policy at the May 10 budget and not be dragged into dribbling out elements of it beforehand in response to growing pressure and flagging polls, senior sources said. The Fin
Oil Search eyes LNG to offset oil slump
Oil Search chief executive Peter Botten says the time is ripe for much closer ties between the company’s two liquefied natural gas projects in Papua New Guinea, to help counter the collapse in oil prices that has clouded the prospects for even the most competitive of petroleum ventures. The Fin
RBA muses on digital Aussie dollar
The Reserve Bank has raised the prospect of issuing a truly digital Aussie dollar supported by blockchain rather than bitcoin, which is too volatile. The Fin
Here comes Wi-Fi in the sky
Qantas passengers will soon be able to access free in-flight Wi-Fi, delivering internet that is as fast as broadband connections on the ground. The Fin
The Australian Financial Review
Page 1: BHP Billiton chief executive Andrew Mackenzie will hunt for cheap acquisitions from distressed rivals using cash saved by cutting BHP’s dividend 75 per cent, its first reduction in 30 years.
Page 4: Federal cabinet has resolved to stick with the original plan to release the Coalition’s tax policy at the May 10 budget and not be dragged into dribbling out elements of it beforehand in response to growing pressure and flagging polls, senior sources said.
Page 6: The Reserve Bank has raised the prospect of issuing a truly digital Aussie dollar supported by blockchain rather than bitcoin, which is too volatile.
Page 7: Australia is treating Chinese tourists like second-class citizens by charging them far more for visas than European and Americans, a top tourism leader says.
Qantas passengers will soon be able to access free in-flight Wi-Fi, delivering internet that is as fast as broadband connections on the ground.
Page 8: In a ‘‘back to the future’’ moment reminiscent of the 1990s tech boom, Chinese coal miner Yankuang Group is establishing an e-commerce platform focused entirely on selling high-end Australian products into fast-growing markets on the mainland.
Page 13: The eight-month takeover battle for ports and rail group Asciano could be ended by an alliance between the two bidders, Qube and Brookfield Infrastructure.
Page 15: Oil Search chief executive Peter Botten says the time is ripe for much closer ties between the company’s two liquefied natural gas projects in Papua New Guinea, to help counter the collapse in oil prices that has clouded the prospects for even the most competitive of petroleum ventures.
The Australian
Page 1: An extra 5000 men and women in uniform will be recruited by the Australian Defence Force to run the potent force of new warships, aircraft and army equipment to be commissioned under the imminent defence white paper.
Page 2: Media companies including Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp and Kerry Stokes’s Seven West Media are dismayed by the government’s reform package, raising the prospect of another clash over contentious changes in an election year.
Page 4: Homeowners outnumber renters in all but seven of the 150 federal electorates, giving Malcolm Turnbull a powerful demographic target for his “vote Labor and be poorer’’ house-price scare campaign against Bill Shorten’s negative gearing changes.
Page 6: Federal approval for the sale of the nation’s largest dairy to Chinese interests has sparked new demands for a limit on foreign ownership of prime farmland.
Page 7: TAB operators are directly lobbying government MPs and ministers over the damage they predict to their businesses if live betting restrictions are liberalised under forthcoming changes to internet gambling.
Page 20: Reinvigorated fuel supplier Caltex has handed down the best result in its history, with the fruits of restructuring efforts and favourable external conditions paving the way for a $586 million capital return to shareholders.
Page 21: Billionaire pokies king Len Ainsworth has cashed out of the company he founded, selling his $473 million stake to Austrian gaming technology giant Novomatic.
The West Australian
Page 3: One of Perth’s most celebrated restaurants, Print Hall, is to close its doors in three weeks and will be refurbished and relaunched as a more affordable midrange eatery.
Page 4: Political parties will be able to instruct supporters to just fill in one box on Senate ballot papers, putting them at odds with the official message from the Australian Electoral Commission.
Page 5: Western Power believes it will be able to shed up to $400 million a year of spending after an operational review, resulting in the first reduction in network tariffs since the electricity market was disaggregated.
Page 7: A computer crime police officer turned cyber-safety educator says Victoria’s revenge porn laws are a “no-brainer” and should be introduced in WA as soon as possible.
Page 9: Up to 230 jobs will be axed as 11 TAFE colleges are collapsed into five under a State Government overhaul of the public training system.
Page 11: Serco has been re-contracted to run medium-security Acacia Prison for another five years but it will be paid about $7 million less each year to do the job.
Page 19: WA councils are increasingly turning public bins, benches and bus shelters into advertising billboards to save money.
Business: Goldfields prospectors have been accused of hijacking proposed changes to the Mining Act, dealing a blow to Mines Minister Bill Marmion’s bid to pass the legislation through Parliament early this year.
CBH chairman Wally Newman will use part of his address at the annual meeting today to defend the board after recent criticism of its ability to guide Australia’s biggest co-operative.
