Morning Headlines

Billions for WA in defence boost

Perth will challenge Adelaide as the nation’s ship and submarine building hub under the defence White Paper that promises tens of billions of dollars for WA. The West

Mining giant loses its A credit rating

Rio Tinto has been caught up in ratings agency Moody’s iron ore downgrade frenzy, with the mining giant losing its A credit rating. The Fin

Nahan caps all pre-poll pay deals

Treasurer Mike Nahan will start a major fight with public sector unions in an election year by imposing a revised wages policy that limits annual pay rises to 1.5 per cent. The West

Virgin’s move upmarket backfiring, says Joyce

Qantas chief Alan Joyce is confident of the airline’s continued dominance of Australian skies and has shrugged off rival Virgin’s attempts to capture high-spending corporate clients, saying the move has only benefited its budget carrier Jetstar. The Aus

Turnbull keeps negative gearing curbs on table

Malcolm Turnbull is pushing ahead with the idea of capping the use of negative gearing by the wealthiest investors in a bid to craft a “fair” tax reform that avoids the economic shock he claims Labor’s reform will deliver. The Aus

SEEK boosted by IDP sale, JobStreet buy

SEEK has begun hiring staff for the launch of its education arm in Asia in the first half of 2016, as the jobs classifieds and education business continues to grow its international businesses. The Fin

The Australian Financial Review

Page 1: Australia will significantly expand its military capability with a $450 billion program over the next decade that acknowledges the rise of China has tilted long-standing strategic balances, but Chinese officials said it could threaten the economic relationship with the second-biggest economy.

Page 3: Entrepreneur Dick Smith accused the private equity group that sold the Dick Smith electronics chain in a $520 million public float of destroying the business, which will be shut down by receivers Ferrier Hodgson.

Page 4: Treasurer Scott Morrison has lashed out at barrage of criticism over his decision to allow the sale of a Tasmanian dairy to the Chinese, saying blocking the transaction would have smashed investor confidence at a critical time for Australia.

Page 15: The 1000 staff working for Blackmores have been promised a bonus of 4 1/2 weeks’ pay and shareholders have been rewarded with a near tripling of its interim dividend, after the vitamins maker delivered soaring profit, built largely on huge demand from China.

James Packer’s Crown Resorts has bemoaned an 18-month delay on its $2 billion, six-star hotel and casino in Sydney, which will delay its opening to 2021 and could spark a rise in the budget for building the resort.

Page 17: Rio Tinto has been caught up in ratings agency Moody’s iron ore downgrade frenzy, with the mining giant losing its A credit rating.

Page 25: SEEK has begun hiring staff for the launch of its education arm in Asia in the first half of 2016, as the jobs classifieds and education business continues to grow its international businesses.

Page 32: Uber Technologies is starting its first ever motorcycle taxi service in Bangkok, where perennial congestion leads to rush-hour traffic speeds of just under 10 kilometres per hour.

The Australian

Page 1: Malcolm Turnbull is pushing ahead with the idea of capping the use of negative gearing by the wealthiest investors in a bid to craft a “fair” tax reform that avoids the economic shock he claims Labor’s reform will deliver.

Page 2: John Howard says his long-term treasurer Peter Costello will bring an understanding of the media and business and a capacity to deal with key stakeholders, to his new role as Nine Entertainment chairman.

Page 3: Clive Palmer has boasted that he has five jets even as one is being put up for sale by administrators of his aviation company.

Page 5: A national medical conference that had planned to debate whether all female obstetrics and gynaecology registrars should be offered a five-year birth control device to ensure they did not get pregnant while training will still discuss the topic, but under a different session title.

Page 20: The contest for the Australian arm of British construction company Laing O’Rourke is shaping up as a shootout between the interested buyers in late April.

Page 22: Cinema and theme park operator Village Roadshow has recorded a first-half core net profit after tax of $22 million, lifting EBITDA 12 per cent as a booming box office boosted its exhibition arm.

Page 25: South Africa may well become the biggest roadblock for Anheuser-Busch InBev’s proposed takeover of SABMiller, a $US108 billion ($150bn) deal that would combine the world’s two biggest brewers.

Page 29: Qantas chief Alan Joyce is confident of the airline’s continued dominance of Australian skies and has shrugged off rival Virgin’s attempts to capture high-spending corporate clients, saying the move has only benefited its budget carrier Jetstar.

Page 30: A local technology start-up is channelling the know-how of the Israel military to lure Australian former defence personnel as pilots for its fleet of commercial drones.

The West Australian

Page 1: Treasurer Mike Nahan will start a major fight with public sector unions in an election year by imposing a revised wages policy that limits annual pay rises to 1.5 per cent.

Page 3: Police Commissioner Karl O’Callaghan wants to introduce an armed but lesser-trained category of police officers in plans to ramp up security at public buildings including Parliament House, government offices and high-profile police buildings.

Page 6: Perth will challenge Adelaide as the nation’s ship and submarine building hub under the defence White Paper that promises tens of billions of dollars for WA.

Page 11: The full extent of the massive riverside Ku De Ta restaurant site at East Perth has been revealed with the announcement yesterday that WA catering company Beaumonde will operate the venue’s massive 750sqm function centre.

Page 25: Quinns Rocks in Perth’s north could be the next beach in line for a shark-proof barrier to protect swimmers after Premier Colin Barnett recommitted to funding the barriers.

Page 27: Fewer than half of WA’s biggest companies take steps to close the widening gap between what male and female employees earn.

Business: Ausdrill is targeting the disposal of more businesses which have been struggling through the mining downturn.

Yeeda Pastoral Company boss Jack Burton has predicted the size of the Kimberley cattle herd could increase 10-fold as he prepares to open a new abattoir between Broome and Derby.