Morning Headlines

Delay fears for kids’ hospital

The Australian Medical Association has aired doctors’ concerns that Perth Children’s Hospital will not open by the end of the year as forecast and called for an end to the “secrecy” surrounding the delays. The West

Landgate cuts to go deeper

WA’s land ownership agency Landgate has axed more than 20 per cent of its workforce and plans more redundancies from its 640 remaining employees. The West

Dark coal future has Collie in fear

Synergy will be ordered to shutter fossil fuel power stations and payments to businesses that turn off their power draw in peak times will be slashed — but there are no guarantees the measures will mean cheaper power. The West

Students face tighter loans

University and technical college graduates could be forced to repay student loans earlier in their careers under an option being considered by the federal government to avoid a $185 billion education loan blowout within 10 years. The Fin

Airport delay builder sues

The construction company undertaking the biggest part of Perth Airport’s revamp has launched a $41 million lawsuit over delays that held up the project for more than a year. The West

Push for online doctor reviews

Consumers should be able to compare and review doctors, their performance and the price of procedures in the same way customers use online comparisons to buy banking and telecommunications products, says a new blueprint for a consumer-led health industry. The Fin

Singapore Airlines boosts stake in Virgin

Singapore Airlines has lifted its stake in Virgin Australia amid uncertainty over the future ownership of the Australian airline. The Fin

Racing puts $821m into WA: study

WA’s racing industry has delivered a timely reminder of its value to the State economy, with a study revealing it generated a whopping $821 million last year. The West

The Australian Financial Review

Page 1: Federal Labor leader Bill Shorten has proposed that government invest alongside industry to ensure Australia still has the capability to make steel after one of the two remaining steel mills went broke.

Page 3: The Coalition government looks unlikely to introduce an immediate cut in the 30 per cent corporate tax rate in next month’s budget and may delay any reduction for some years.

Page 4: University and technical college graduates could be forced to repay student loans earlier in their careers under an option being considered by the federal government to avoid a $185 billion education loan blowout within 10 years.

Page 5: The top 3 per cent of workers could be in trouble this budget with persistent whispers in Canberra that the tax rate on superannuation contributions will be doubled for people who earn more than $180,000 a year.

Page 10: As union leaders despair over their shrinking membership, one organisation, the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, is defying the shift of workers away from organised labour.

Page 11: Consumers should be able to compare and review doctors, their performance and the price of procedures in the same way customers use online comparisons to buy banking and telecommunications products, says a new blueprint for a consumer-led health industry.

Page 13: The Bank of Queensland increased mortgage interest rates for the first time independent of the major banks because it expects funding costs to stay high for some time due to fears over global growth and Australia’s outlook.

Fortescue Metals Group chief executive Nev Power is confident that iron ore prices have stabilised and that China can deliver on its economic growth targets.

Page 23: Singapore Airlines has lifted its stake in Virgin Australia amid uncertainty over the future ownership of the Australian airline.

The Australian

Page 1: Ambitious spending programs will wipe more than $400 billion from the budget bottom line over the decade ahead in a disturbing trend that will deepen the nation’s public debt unless political leaders take tougher action to pay for their promises.

Page 2: There are “real risks” to the financial sustainability of the $22 billion National Disability Insurance Scheme and its legislation should be changed to avert a cost blowout, according to the program’s senior bosses, who have never before publicly conceded its precarious design.

Page 19: Would-be private equity raiders are shaping up as the big winners from Arrium’s descent into administration, with the groups tipped to enjoy a stronger negotiating position following the collapse of the steelmaker and iron ore miner.

Page 20: Suitors for Woolworths’ loss-making hardware chain, Masters, along with its smaller but profitable DIY business, Home Timber & Hardware, have been given until May 2 to lodge bids as the supermarket group attempts to draw a line under its disastrous foray into the sector.

The West Australian

Page 3: The Australian Medical Association has aired doctors’ concerns that Perth Children’s Hospital will not open by the end of the year as forecast and called for an end to the “secrecy” surrounding the delays.

Page 6: Synergy will be ordered to shutter fossil fuel power stations and payments to businesses that turn off their power draw in peak times will be slashed — but there are no guarantees the measures will mean cheaper power.

Page 11: WA’s racing industry has delivered a timely reminder of its value to the State economy, with a study revealing it generated a whopping $821 million last year.

Page 19: WA’s land ownership agency Landgate has axed more than 20 per cent of its workforce and plans more redundancies from its 640 remaining employees.

Business: CBH remains open to the idea of a user-pays funding model for country roads as it prepares to cut its grain receival network from 202 to 100 sites.

Northern Star Resources says it has confirmed a long-held theory its Kundana gold mine group is sitting above a major gold deposit, saying drilling shows three deposits at the system meet up at depth, forming a 2km long ore system.

The construction company undertaking the biggest part of Perth Airport’s revamp has launched a $41 million lawsuit over delays that held up the project for more than a year.