Voters lean to company tax cuts
The Turnbull government is trailing Labor badly in the eyes of voters but has a higher-than-anticipated level of support for one of its most contentious policies – company tax cuts. The Fin
Bank lending limits to boost Pepper and co
Leaders of the non-bank lending sector believe additional restraints on the big banks that are designed to temper the housing market and ensure financial stability will boost demand for their shadow loans and reckon they have capacity to pick up some of the slack. The Fin
Private equity returns face complacency risk
The Australian private equity industry’s rapid growth, including assets under management, suggests the industry needs to take ‘‘decisive action’’ to ensure returns are sustained as competition for new investments heats up. The Fin
Spending sinks all hope of surplus
Australia’s federal budget is unsustainable, a report led by the head of the Abbott government’s audit commission warns, casting serious doubt on “somewhat heroic” Treasury forecasts of a return to surplus in four years. The Aus
Poll pact ‘news to Barnett’
Former premier Colin Barnett says the first he knew of a preference deal with One Nation in the lead-up to the West Australian election was when he read about it in the newspaper. The Aus
We risk being left behind on tax: Rinehart
The nation’s richest person, mining and agribusiness magnate Gina Rinehart, has made a fresh plea for the government not to abandon its $50 billion corporate tax cut plan, warning it will leave Australia dangerously behind the rest of the world. The Aus
Human drug trial key to beat Alzheimer’s
A drug to beat Australia’s second-biggest killer, Alzheimer’s disease, will start clinical trials on patients within months. The West
Wyatt faces energy price gap dilemma
New Energy Minister Ben Wyatt wants the price of power to match the cost of providing the service, which is up to 20 per cent above average household bills. The West
Breaking the boom-bust cycle
The Committee for Perth has embarked on a research project aimed at stopping WA’s long history of boom and bust cycles. The West
The Australian Financial Review
Page 1: The Turnbull government is trailing Labor badly in the eyes of voters but has a higher-than-anticipated level of support for one of its most contentious policies – company tax cuts.
Page 4: Opinion is divided over two of the most contentious areas of economic policy – with slightly more voters in favour of maintaining tax breaks for real estate investors and the 10-year plan to cut company tax cuts.
Page 5: The Turnbull government has opened a new front in its push on energy affordability by ordering the competition watchdog to conduct a review into retail electricity prices.
The $2.55 billion Emissions Reduction Fund – the centrepiece of the Coalition’s Direct Action policies – is set to run out of money at next month’s auction.
Page 8: Commonwealth Bank of Australia is encouraging brokers to churn mortgages rather than lose borrowers to competitors which are offering hot incentives to switch lenders, analysis of offers reveals.
Page 15: Leaders of the non-bank lending sector believe additional restraints on the big banks that are designed to temper the housing market and ensure financial stability will boost demand for their shadow loans and reckon they have capacity to pick up some of the slack.
US-based money transfer giant Western Union has long been a target of short sellers betting on disruption, all too convinced the enormous 6 per cent fees it charges customers to move money around the world are unsustainable.
Page 17: Global coal demand is likely to peak in the mid-2020s, but the use of oil is set to continue growing for about 20 years longer despite an expected huge takeup of electric vehicles, according to Spencer Dale, chief economist at oil major BP.
Page 18: The Australian private equity industry’s rapid growth, including assets under management, suggests the industry needs to take ‘‘decisive action’’ to ensure returns are sustained as competition for new investments heats up.
Page 20: The handful of recent mining services deals could provide a catalyst for a wave of merger and acquisition activity in the sector, say analysts and advisers.
The Australian
Page 1: In South Korea last month, US General Vincent K. Brooks, commander of UN and US forces in the country, stood in front of Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and delivered some sobering news.
Australia’s federal budget is unsustainable, a report led by the head of the Abbott government’s audit commission warns, casting serious doubt on “somewhat heroic” Treasury forecasts of a return to surplus in four years.
The Turnbull government has opened talks with Asian investors to build a coal-fired power station backed by its $5 billion northern Australia fund, as half the nation’s voters endorse the use of taxpayer funds to develop the project and improve energy security.
Former premier Colin Barnett says the first he knew of a preference deal with One Nation in the lead-up to the West Australian election was when he read about it in the newspaper.
Page 3: Justin Milne hits back at conservative critics The ABC’s newly appointed chairman, Justin Milne, has dismissed accusations of bias in news coverage, saying the organisation would continue to resist political pressure over its editorial output.
Page 4: The Liberal Party’s chief pollster, Mark Textor, has attacked the nation’s business leaders, accusing them of “retreating further into their bubble” amid heated debate over issues such as tax reform and penalty rates.
Page 17: The nation’s richest person, mining and agribusiness magnate Gina Rinehart, has made a fresh plea for the government not to abandon its $50 billion corporate tax cut plan, warning it will leave Australia dangerously behind the rest of the world.
Rising interest rates for property investors are increasingly posing a threat to the stability of the financial system, according to a growing number of economists and analysts, but the chief executive of the Property Council of Australia Ken Morrison says there’s nothing to worry about just yet.
The Downer EDI share price is expected to remain under pressure this week as adviser UBS continues to sell down the overhang of stock not taken up in the $1.01 billion capital raising.
Woodside Petroleum chief Peter Coleman says the east coast gas crisis is likely to get worse before it gets better and risks damaging the reputation of the whole Australian oil and gas sector in the eyes of the community, investors and LNG customers.
Page 18: The energy crisis gripping eastern Australia promises to test the commitment of Western Australia’s new Labor government to the introduction of a fracking ban and moratorium, amid forecasts the state could experience its own gas shortage within a few years.
Page 19: India could be the next big source of demand for Australian iron ore, according to Fortescue Metals chief executive Nev Power.
The West Australian
Page 3: A drug to beat Australia’s second-biggest killer, Alzheimer’s disease, will start clinical trials on patients within months.
Back in the job she last held 11 years ago in the Gallop government, Police Minister Michelle Roberts admits feeling a slight sense of deja vu.
Page 6: New Energy Minister Ben Wyatt wants the price of power to match the cost of providing the service, which is up to 20 per cent above average household bills.
Page 9: Promising results from the trial of a radical new approach to asthma are offering new hope to the estimated one million Australians struggling to control the disease.
Page 11: Julie Bishop has warned that Islamic State could declare a new caliphate in the southern Philippines as the terror group is forced out of the Middle East.
Page 13: Federal Justice Minister Michael Keenan has defended WA Liberals against complaints they have failed to improve the State’s GST situation, saying they had secured $1.8 billion in extra funding.
Page 57: The Committee for Perth has embarked on a research project aimed at stopping WA’s long history of boom and bust cycles.
Getting hot water is an expensive headache for Perth-headquartered potash producer Agrimin, but the company, which controls WA’s biggest salt lake, believes the outback sun could solve its problems.
