Fair Work dysfunction needs fixing
Former prime minister Tony Abbott has seized on the shock resignation of vice-president Graeme Watson to accuse the workplace tribunal of being ‘pro union and anti-jobs’ while business groups have called for the Turnbull government to overhaul the commission to address claims of dysfunction and bias. The Fin
Accept industries will die: Sinodinos
The new industry minister has a message for Australians worried about the loss of businesses like car making: new ones will replace those that die. The Fin
Hospital lead issue still troubles WA govt
WA’s Health Department is investigating whether brass fittings are responsible for lead in the water at Perth’s troubled new children’s hospital as one of 16 possible sources of contamination, new documents reveal. The Fin
PM faces internal ructions on energy
Malcolm Turnbull faces internal pressure to toughen the Coalition’s position on energy policy, as Labor, unions and industry groups savage conservative MPs seeking to unwind the government’s climate change commitments. The Aus
Crooked guards exposed
Almost one prison guard a week has been sacked or has quit before they were forced out as part of a crackdown on corruption and serious misconduct inside WA jails. The West
Builton fails, licence at risk
The Building Commission has thrown the book at distressed construction company Builton Group asking it to ‘show cause’ or explain why it should not have conditions imposed on its builder’s registration. The West
The Australian Financial Review
Page 1: Former prime minister Tony Abbott has seized on the shock resignation of vice-president Graeme Watson to accuse the workplace tribunal of being ‘pro union and anti-jobs’ while business groups have called for the Turnbull government to overhaul the commission to address claims of dysfunction and bias.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has promised to make improved housing affordability one of her top priorities, but says she will concentrate on boosting the supply of new homes rather than tax reform.
Page 2: The Victorian government will establish a night court for magistrates to hear bail requests over weekends and after hours as part of a major shake-up of the state’s bail system.
Page 4: Business groups say the government needs to urgently implement its response to the Productivity Commission’s report into the workplace relations system after the scathing criticism of the Fair Work Commission by vice-president Graeme Watson.
Page 5: The new industry minister has a message for Australians worried about the loss of businesses like car making: new ones will replace those that die.
The audit office has said there is little to stop the misuse of payments made to individuals receiving funds under the National Disability Insurance Scheme which now total $1.1 billion.
Page 8: The West Australian government is spruiking the possibility of a $5.6 billion iron ore mine, rail and port project in the Pilbara after signing a state agreement with a company backed by one of New Zealand’s largest businesses.
WA’s Health Department is investigating whether brass fittings are responsible for lead in the water at Perth’s troubled new children’s hospital as one of 16 possible sources of contamination, new documents reveal.
Page 15: Tom Gorman, the departing chief executive of Brambles, says he is ‘embarrassed’ at presiding over a profit downgrade that wiped $3.1 billion off the market value of the logistics and pallets company just a few weeks before he ends his seven-year reign at the helm.
Wesfarmers managing director Richard Goyder says Bunnings’ first pilot store in Britain ‘looks terrific’ but is adamant the new format will not be rolled out until Bunnings is confident it appeals to British consumers.
The Australian
Page 1: Defence intelligence officials will take the unprecedented step of secretly briefing Australia’s political party leaders and administrators to warn them they are vulnerable to the Russian-style cyber-attacks and espionage that rocked the US election.
The $7 billion Australian Foundation Investment Company, one of the country’s largest listed investment groups, has warned of a possible share market “pull-back”, saying stocks have run hard since the November election of US President Donald Trump.
Page 3: Some farmers have been claiming tax write-offs for new swimming pools by describing them as ‘water facilities’.
Page 5: Poor behaviour in Australian classrooms is a contributing factor to sliding standards, a leading education expert has warned.
Page 6: Malcolm Turnbull faces internal pressure to toughen the Coalition’s position on energy policy, as Labor, unions and industry groups savage conservative MPs seeking to unwind the government’s climate change commitments.
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson says she is shocked that a key national infrastructure asset - the Dampier to Bunbury gas pipeline in Western Australia - could soon fall into foreign hands through a $7.3 billion takeover bid by Hong Kong billionaire Li Kashing.
Page 17: Donald Trump’s promise to invest $1 trillion in infrastructure in the US could help boost world commodity prices, particularly those involved in steelmaking such as iron ore and manganese, former BHP chief executive Brian Gilbertson says.
Page 18: Wesfarmers’ upbeat forecasts last week for its resources division may offer the Perth-based conglomerate a larger windfall for its coal portfolio which is up for sale through investment bank UBS.
Page 19: Equity analysts at Macquarie Group have downgraded shopping mall giant Westfield’s stock to ‘underperform’ for the 2017 financial year, with the company not projected to see significant growth until 2018.
Page 20: A bidding war has broken out for beleaguered funds management group Hunter Hall International after Pinnacle Investment Management lobbed a rival bid at a 50 per cent premium to Washington H. Soul Patterson’s offer.
The West Australian
Page 1: Almost one prison guard a week has been sacked or has quit before they were forced out as part of a crackdown on corruption and serious misconduct inside WA jails.
Page 4: Sacked WA senator Rod Culleton risks a confrontation with Parliament House security if he returns to Canberra insisting he remains an elected politician.
Page 8: Health authorities are urging parents to ensure children starting school are up to date with their immunisations, particularly those in areas with low uptake.
One third of state housing properties are not going to those most in need, despite big waiting lists, according to a new report.
Page 12: Nine days from now, Premier Colin barnett will ask the WA Governor to formally trigger the 2017 election.
Page 14: The company behind a $5 billion iron ore mining project for the Pilbara wants a residential workforce rather than fly-in, fly-out workers.
A One Nation election hopeful who was named as the party’s Kalgoorlie candidate will instead contest the seat of Pilbara.
Page 43: The Building Commission has thrown the book at distressed construction company Builton Group asking it to ‘show cause’ or explain why it should not have conditions imposed on its builder’s registration.
A facility is being built in the Goldfields to process oil from wild sandalwood source from the Central Deserts.
Page 44: A headline deal that promised to put new valuations on WA’s emerging lithium sector has fallen over, with Perth-based Birimian canning a plan to sell its Bougouni lithium project in Mali to a Chinese buyer.
Baptistcare WA has appointed Russell Bricknell as its new chief executive, effective from April.
Page 45: WA’s gold miners were a bright spark in an otherwise bleak trading day yesterday, bolstered by a rising bullion price courtesy of post-Trump uncertainty.