Cops vent pay fury
The public are being warned to expect delays in police response times as officers begin an unprecedented work-torule campaign that includes restrictions on attending dangerous jobs if they are not carrying a stab-proof vest. The West
Union battle looms before power price war
The prospect of WA households benefiting from an electricity price war has hit a roadblock after Labor’s dominant union joined a growing blue-collar revolt against Treasurer Ben Wyatt’s proposed energy reforms. The West
Brierty contract setback
Brierty is facing a fresh setback in its battle for survival after work on the company’s biggest contract was suspended because of safety concerns. The West
NBN withholds internet speeds
The National Broadband Network has details of the achievable internet speeds for every home it has connected but refuses to release the information despite widespread confusion among consumers seeking to connect. The Aus
PM keeps coal in the energy mix
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has flagged the federal government financing new power plants, even those fuelled by so-called clean coal, as he launched a fresh assault on power prices which included confirmation of export restrictions on gas to ensure domestic supply. The Fin
Arrium’s Korean fix raises fears
Australian steel industry veteran Ray Horsburgh has questioned why other countries haven’t adopted the Finex steelmaking technology from Korea being proposed for the overhaul of the Whyalla steelworks and warned substantial taxpayer funds could be at risk. The Fin
CFMEU threats to be sent to police
Victorian construction union boss John Setka has threatened to reveal the home addresses of ABCC inspectors, and lobby their local shopping centres and football clubs to ensure their “kids will be ashamed of who their parents are”. The Aus
Appeals red light for power networks
Electricity network operators have hit out at federal government plans to remove their appeal rights, saying their role in recent price rises was limited and that recent court losses by the Australian Energy Regulator showed it had made mistakes that needed to be corrected. The Aus
Labor rejects citizenship changes as ‘bizarre act of snobbery’
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull may have to dilute tougher English language requirements for aspiring Australian citizens after Labor rejected it as ‘‘snobbery’’ and key senator Nick Xenophon raised concerns it was too ‘‘harsh’’. The Fin
The Australian Financial Review
Page 1: Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has flagged the federal government financing new power plants, even those fuelled by so-called clean coal, as he launched a fresh assault on power prices which included confirmation of export restrictions on gas to ensure domestic supply.
The competition regulator’s concerns about Tabcorp’s $11 billion merger with Tatts Group have been dismissed and labelled as ‘‘not of significance’’ after the deal was given the green light by the Australian Competition Tribunal.
Page 2: The Reserve Bank of Australia is escalating its vigilance over the property market and record-high household debt, as its concerns over financial stability overshadow rising internal confidence that a recovery in the labour market is starting to gain strength.
Page 3: Professional director James MacKenzie has resigned from the board of plaintiff law firm Maurice Blackburn and signed up as an adviser to the hedge fund likely to emerge with control of its primary rival.
Page 6: Natural gas buyers have seized on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s commitment to impose LNG export controls as offering a ‘‘cause for hope’’ after 18 months of soaring energy bills, but exporters are warning of ‘‘real and significant costs’’ for investors and communities.
Page 8: Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull may have to dilute tougher English language requirements for aspiring Australian citizens after Labor rejected it as ‘‘snobbery’’ and key senator Nick Xenophon raised concerns it was too ‘‘harsh’’.
Page 15: Australian steel industry veteran Ray Horsburgh has questioned why other countries haven’t adopted the Finex steelmaking technology from Korea being proposed for the overhaul of the Whyalla steelworks and warned substantial taxpayer funds could be at risk.
Page 17: The market has got it wrong on the hit to Santos from the government’s looming LNG export controls, and the policy may in fact have benefits longer term by accelerating the development of resources within its $US18.5 billion ($24 billion) GLNG venture.
One of the class actions faced by takeover target Spotless Group from aggrieved shareholders over announcements made by the company in late 2015 is being discontinued.
Page 19: Westpac Group is tightening criteria used to assess a borrower’s household debt and lifting interest-only interest rates by 34 basis points, after its downgrading by Moody’s credit rating agency.
The Australian
Page 1: The Turnbull government is preparing to back the construction of new coal power stations to prevent a dangerous shortfall in electricity supplies, using “reverse auctions” to replace ageing coalfired generators with new technology already embraced in Japan and China.
Victorian construction union boss John Setka has threatened to reveal the home addresses of ABCC inspectors, and lobby their local shopping centres and football clubs to ensure their “kids will be ashamed of who their parents are”.
The NSW government is shaping up for a bruising fight with rival states, demanding an extra $15 billion share of their “unfair” funding from the GST revenue that Canberra raises over the next four years.
Page 3: The National Broadband Network has details of the achievable internet speeds for every home it has connected but refuses to release the information despite widespread confusion among consumers seeking to connect.
Page 5: Crossbench senator Nick Xenophon has vented his concern at the tougher English language requirements in Immigration Minister Peter Dutton’s overhaul of the citizenship test, pressuring the government to strike a deal to pass the legislation.
Page 19: Electricity network operators have hit out at federal government plans to remove their appeal rights, saying their role in recent price rises was limited and that recent court losses by the Australian Energy Regulator showed it had made mistakes that needed to be corrected.
Page 21: Rio Tinto has snubbed Glencore’s higher offer for its NSW coalmines, instead choosing Yancoal Australia’s improved bid and comparative regulatory certainty over the financing certainty of Glencore’s approach.
Page 22: Chinese conglomerate Citic held detailed talks with Andrew Forrest on potential deals with Fortescue Metals Group before reaching an ill-fated agreement with Clive Palmer’s Mineralogy.
The West Australian
Page 1: The public are being warned to expect delays in police response times as officers begin an unprecedented work-torule campaign that includes restrictions on attending dangerous jobs if they are not carrying a stab-proof vest.
Page 6: Uranium mining projects approved by Colin Barnett will be allowed to go ahead but there will be a ban on new proposals under steps outlined by the McGowan Government.
The prospect of WA households benefiting from an electricity price war has hit a roadblock after Labor’s dominant union joined a growing blue-collar revolt against Treasurer Ben Wyatt’s proposed energy reforms.
Page 15: WA hospitals have been savaged by the corruption watchdog for lax controls over powerful and addictive narcotics that continue to go missing despite repeated warnings to improve security.
Page 16: WA public schools will be hardest hit if the Senate blocks the Government’s education package, with figures showing an extra $1.5 billion in Federal funds destined for the State under threat.
Page 17: Westpac has jolted the nation’s banking system, cutting standard variable mortgage interest rates despite no change in the official cost of money.
Page 18: About half the country’s major Australian Securities Exchange-listed companies in the field are based in WA.
Page 24: Finance Minister Mathias Cormann’s former chief of staff Slade Brockman is shaping as the likely candidate to become WA’s newest senator, with a key rival choosing not to nominate.
Page 33: China’s Tianqi Lithium is already eyeing a $317 million expansion of its proposed lithium hydroxide processing plant at Kwinana in what will be seen as a strong vote of confidence for local miners and aspiring producers of the commodity.
Brierty is facing a fresh setback in its battle for survival after work on the company’s biggest contract was suspended because of safety concerns.
Page 35: Rio Tinto was last night dealing with a fresh corporate scandal after one of the mining giant’s directors was charged over a highprofile British investigation into Barclays Bank.
Page 36: Macquarie Research has been forced into an embarrassing backflip over its outlook for the lithium market.
Page 74: Perth’s second-biggest landlord, Dexus, yesterday declared it was slicing another 11 per cent from its Woodside Plaza valuation.
The State Government has sold the heritage-listed Perth Girls’ School in East Perth for $5 million to a syndicate of local investors, including Multiplex heir Tim Roberts’ Warburton Group.