Morning Headlines

Budget to benefit from income rise

A five-year slide in the terms of trade and national income, which has dragged down economic growth and hit budget revenues, has come to an end, according to the latest national accounts. The Fin

Diplomat urges China dialogue

A top Indonesian diplomatic strategist has called for more co-operation with Australia in East Asia, including encouraging China to understand that its economy is dependent on other regional countries. The Fin

Labor baulks at contractor tax breaks

Labor will seek to block the extension of tax-friendly superannuation contribution arrangements to 800,000 self-employed Australians because the measure will be too expensive at $8.7 billion over a decade. The Fin

Short sellers target Rio, BHP

Fortescue Metals Group’s stunning recovery has blown away the short sellers and seemingly passed some of them on to rival miners Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton. The Fin

Palmer’s refinery paid golf bills

Clive Palmer’s cash-strapped Queensland Nickel was paying bills for up to five of the tycoon’s golf courses and property developments in the months before it collapsed and cost nearly 800 jobs. The Aus

Investment fall fuels call for reforms

Business investment has continued to fall in the second quarter as the once-in-a-century mining investment boom subsides, sparking fresh calls for parliament to back the government’s agenda of company tax cuts and workplace relations reform. The Aus

All but two city councils fail plan test

Just two of 29 Perth metropolitan councils have been given the tick for planning performance in a highly critical Property Council of Australia report to be released today. The West

Vow to end power monopoly

Households and small businesses in Perth and the South West will be able to choose where they buy electricity for the first time within three years under plans by WA Energy Minister Mike Nahan. The West

The Australian Financial Review

Page 1: A five-year slide in the terms of trade and national income, which has dragged down economic growth and hit budget revenues, has come to an end, according to the latest national accounts.

Dick Smith chairman Rob Murray and his right-hand man, Jamie Tomlinson, harboured a secret desire to get rid of chief executive Nick Abboud months before the electronics retailer collapsed.

Page 4: A top Indonesian diplomatic strategist has called for more co-operation with Australia in East Asia, including encouraging China to understand that its economy is dependent on other regional countries.

Page 7: Labor will seek to block the extension of tax-friendly superannuation contribution arrangements to 800,000 self-employed Australians because the measure will be too expensive at $8.7 billion over a decade.

Page 11: Changes to negative gearing and spending on schools and universities are policies that will stimulate growth, not be a dividend of it, Labor leader Bill Shorten will say on Thursday as he seeks to revive the opposition’s positive message after a horror week dominated by the Dastyari affair.

Page 13: Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse are all predicting the UK economy will prove stronger than economists anticipated in the immediate aftermath of the vote to leave the European Union.

Page 15: The amount of money invested into Asian infrastructure between 2015 and 2025 is expected to be about $US5.3 trillion ($7 trillion), and in 10 years will be worth about 60 per cent of the world’s infrastructure spending.

Page 17: Don’t write the obituaries of Australia’s hobbling media giants just yet. That’s the message from Edgar Lee, a senior portfolio manager of Oaktree, and former Nine Entertainment board member.

China’s ENN Group is under pressure from regulators to justify its recent acquisition of an 11.7 per cent stake in Santos, after the Australian oil and gas producer plunged to a $US1.1 billion ($1.4 billion) loss in the first half.

Page 19: Lithium hopeful Dakota Minerals’ acquisition of a tenement package in Portugal was in part driven by a surprising idea – chief executive David Frances believes Tesla Motors will not exist in a decade.

Troubled Arrium will on Thursday produce the first steel from its Whyalla steelworks for a 600km upgrade of railway lines flowing from a contract announced by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, while prosperous rival BlueScope Steel chases much larger volume work from wind farms.

Allan Gray chief investment officer Simon Mawhinney says a merger of the New Zealand operations of Fairfax Media and APN News and Media was a ‘‘win win’’, but noted Fairfax may have come out slightly ahead.

Page 22: Fortescue Metals Group’s stunning recovery has blown away the short sellers and seemingly passed some of them on to rival miners Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton.

The Australian

Page 1: A burst of government spending has delivered the best economic growth in four years, beating budget forecasts and completing 25 years without a recession, but weak household spending may foreshadow slower growth ahead.

Page 2: Australia’s biggest apartment builder, Harry Triguboff’s Meriton, is expecting more buyers to forfeit their deposits and fail to settle off-the-plan units, saying the strong rate of settlements so far had been underpinned by two years of surging prices.

Bill Shorten says voters’ fears about free trade are not imagined or insignificant and Malcolm Turnbull’s attacks on the “evils of protectionism” come from the lofty position of financial security that is not enjoyed by those who feel forgotten and left behind.

Page 3: Clive Palmer’s cash-strapped Queensland Nickel was paying bills for up to five of the tycoon’s golf courses and property developments in the months before it collapsed and cost nearly 800 jobs.

Page 4: Chris Bowen has defended politicians who accept sponsored travel, gifts and other donations from Chinese donors, arguing that it is imperative that MPs have a sound relationship with Australia’s largest trading partner.

Page 19: Business investment has continued to fall in the second quarter as the once-in-a-century mining investment boom subsides, sparking fresh calls for parliament to back the government’s agenda of company tax cuts and workplace relations reform.

Page 21: Bupa’s former Australian head, Richard Bowden, is returning to the top job, taking the reins at the health insurance giant as affordability concerns hurt membership growth across the sector.

Page 22: Australia’s thermal coal exports are facing a sharp reduction over the next 20 years as the world steps up its attack on carbon emissions.

Page 25: Investors are now paying for the privilege of lending their money to companies, a fresh sign of how aggressive central-bank policy is up-ending conventional patterns in finance.

Surging demand from drivers in the richest countries helped power a big rally in crude this year. But many analysts say that surge is ending.

The West Australian

Page 10: A political attack by Opposition Leader Mark McGowan on the appointment of a former consultant to the Premier to a senior public service position backfired yesterday after Colin Barnett said he first learnt about his former staffer’s new job when he read The West Australian.

Page 11: Just two of 29 Perth metropolitan councils have been given the tick for planning performance in a highly critical Property Council of Australia report to be released today.

Page 18: Households and small businesses in Perth and the South West will be able to choose where they buy electricity for the first time within three years under plans by WA Energy Minister Mike Nahan.

The developer of the $100 million Perry Lakes residential project and Diploma Group are locked in a payment dispute after the builder was ejected from the site.

Page 19: Former Western Mining Corporation boss Hugh Morgan says a small starter mine could be up within a year at a unique Nigerian find that is shaping as one of the most significant nickel global discoveries in decades.

Telstra has announced a round of 120 job cuts, with the telco confirming its Perth office will be hit.