Crook throws Abbott a lifeline –The West; Gillard mine tax 'to deliver $8bn less than forecast' –The Aus; Barnett looks at legal block to mine plan –The West; Mining boss avoids $45m EPA bond –The West; Green groups battle to overturn gas plan –The Aus
Crook throws Abbott a lifeline
Tony Abbott has won a minute-to-midnight lifeline, gaining the support of Tony Crook after the three "kingmaker" independents warned they could not back the Opposition Leader unless he struck an agreement with the WA Nationals MP. The West
Gillard mine tax 'to deliver $8bn less than forecast'
Revenue from the Gillard government's proposed mining tax faces an $8 billion shortfall, according to a confidential report, raising fears a Labor-Greens alliance would be forced to raise or expand the levy to meet budget forecasts. The Aus
Mining boss avoids $45m EPA bond
Billionaire mining magnate Clive Palmer succeeded in getting a requirement to pay more than $45 million for an environmental bond covering a major iron ore project in the Pilbara overturned after lobbying the State Government. The West
Barnett looks at legal block to mine plan
Colin Barnett has hardened his stance against a possible coalmine at Margaret River, flagging possible legislation to protect the region. The West
Green groups battle to overturn gas plan
Green groups fighting Woodside's $30 billion gas project in the Kimberley hope to overturn a decision to allow the proponents to clear 25ha of land at James Price Point, 60km north of Broome. The Aus
THE WEST AUSTRALIAN:
Page 1: Tony Abbott has won a minute-to-midnight lifeline, gaining the support of Tony Crook after the three "kingmaker" independents warned they could not back the Opposition Leader unless he struck an agreement with the WA Nationals MP.
Page 4: Australians have been promised a "feisty" parliament that will better represent local communities under sweeping changes agreed to by the major parties in their bid to woo support from the independents.
Setting up a detention centre in WA could be the first order of business for the Federal government, no matter which side of politics manages to win power.
Page 5: Colin Barnett says a decision by the British Government to scrap its top trade post in WA is baffling as Perth prepares to host its first Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting next year.
Fourth-generation British wine merchant and international show judge John Avery has warned that small Australian wine producers will continue to find it difficult to compete in the British wine market.
Page 6: The Water Corporation is set to extract an extra 44 billion litres of water from the depleted Gnangara Mound in the next few months, according to the Greens.
Page 7: A fresh row has broken out over the old Wool Store in Fremantle after the City of Fremantle's planning committee knocked back plans to demolish the heritage-listed building.
Page 9: Qantas is putting on a special midnight flight to bring the Fremantle Dockers home to ensure the maximum recovery time if the team overcomes a fired up Geelong at the MCG semifinal on Friday night.
Page 11: WA Police hand out more than 200 panic buttons a year to people deemed living under immediate threat of serious crime.
Page 12: Tenants are enjoying big rent reductions for top-end homes, with prices falling up to 40 per cent in some exclusive pockets of Perth.
Page 13: Billionaire mining magnate Clive Palmer succeeded in getting a requirement to pay more than $45 million for an environmental bond covering a major iron ore project in the Pilbara overturned after lobbying the State Government.
Page 14: Colin Barnett has hardened his stance against a possible coalmine at Margaret River, flagging possible legislation to protect the region.
Page 16: The strong Australian dollar, weaker overseas economies and sluggish international travel to Europe and the US have resulted in huge discounts on popular overseas tours and destinations.
Page 17: A surge in so-called Ponzi schemes in WA has left dozens of investors up to $100 million out of pocket.
Supermarket giant Coles will be the first national retailer to sell only hormone-free beef, but some farmers claim it will not be any healthier or tastier.
Business: One of Australia's last surviving managed investment scheme operators, Willmott Forests, has joined former rivals in receivership, owing creditors about $520 million.
Adamus Resources, which plans to pour first gold from its Ghana mine early next year, has abruptly replaced its chief executive at the same time as trying to raise up to $20 million.
Japan is shaping up as a potential backer for the handful of Australian rare earths development projects after its government failed to convince China to ease export quotas.
WA firm Galvin Engineering has finally broken through at the national family business awards, taking out a gong on its fifth attempt.
THE AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW:
Page 1: A minority federal government is set to be named today after three independent MPs struck a deal with the two major parties on parliamentary reform amid deep Coalition fears it had lost the historic contest to resolve the nation's hung parliament.
Macquarie Group has forecast a 25 per cent decline in first-half profit, dealing a further blow to investors after signalling that its top three businesses are all under pressure because of weak global markets and investor uncertainty.
Woolworths, the accidental heavyweight of Australian property, is to sell more than $900 million of its shopping centres and development projects.
Page 3: The Reserve Bank of Australia is expected to leave interest rates steady when it meets today but data released yesterday has left economists divided over the likelihood of more rises this year.
Page 4: Most large businesses will get a letter from the Australian Taxation Office this month with good news" their 2010 tax returns are unlikely to be reviewed.
The US company that designs the nuts and bolts sold at Bunnings Warehouse is embroiled in a dispute with the Australian Taxation Office over a $435 million alleged tax avoidance scheme.
Page 6: The outlook for job creation is expected to dim for the first time this year as uneven growth and retail uncertainty deter employers from hiring.
Skills shortages are back to annoy the Australian resources industry but this time project developers and contractors are fighting back by limiting growth and replacing workers with machinery.
Page 7: Australian Industry Group chief executive Heather Ridout has warned that the tight labour market is pushing up wages, in part because the states are competing to attract qualified workers.
Page 11: West Australian Police and the state's consumer protection commissioner yesterday issued a joint warning about sham investment schemes that often entrap vulnerable elderly people.
Page 12: Coalition leader Tony Abbott has offered tax breaks for the bush in a last-ditch bid to win the support of the independents and convince them his party has the best regional policies.
Page 13: Small business advocates have accused Labor of being in thrall to large firms and unions and warned that small businesses would fare better under a Coalition government.
Page 15: The Greens have vowed to use their new prominence and power to seek the removal of upfront tax breaks for managed investment schemes - a goal that is likely to win support from rural independents.
Page 17: The Coalition has accused Treasury of selectively using an independent study and ignoring other parts of the document to rule the opposition made a $900 million costing blunder on its plan to axe the national broadband network.
Julia Gillard has only $6 million in the bank to shell out on the country independents in any last-ditch bid to convince them Labor should be entrusted to form government.
Page 21: British Airways chief executive Willie Walsh says he is keen to resume merger talks with Qantas if the Australian airline's CEO, Alan Joyce, has a change of heart regarding the merits of a tie-up.
Page 22: Doug Ritchie, Rio Tinto's chief executive for the company's energy group, believes the fundamentals underlying thermal and metallurgical coal in the Asia-Pacific region are strong, despite a recent fall in quarterly prices.
The outlook for BlueScope Steel and OneSteel is expected to remain volatile despite a dip in raw material prices in the December quarter.
Page 46: Broker Mortgage Choice will offer its own home loan products to compete with major banks by early November in a move to bolster margins and diversify revenue.
Page 53: Bankwest is suing valuer Landmark White over a collapsed land deal in Gosford, NSW, that left it more than $47 million out of pocket.
THE AUSTRALIAN:
Page 1: Independent MPs have flexed their political muscle to force Labor and the Coalition to accept parliamentary reforms as a pre-condition to their verdict on who will form the nation's next government.
Revenue from the Gillard government's proposed mining tax faces an $8 billion shortfall, according to a confidential report, raising fears a Labor-Greens alliance would be forced to raise or expand the levy to meet budget forecasts.
Aboriginal leader Noel Pearson has urged key independent Rob Oakeshott to back Tony Abbott, describing the Liberal leader as a ''once-in-a-generation'' conservative who could lead the way on reconciliation.
The prospect of a Tony Abbott election victory prompted panic among people-smugglers last month, with Indonesian authorities reporting a spike in arrests and a rush of asylum-seekers taking to boats to beat a Coalition crackdown on refugees.
Page 2: State and federal officials have agreed to a new national plan to overhaul public-private partnerships, including fast-tracking projects, to convince the private sector to build more of the nation's roads, schools, hospitals and desalination plants.
Green groups fighting Woodside's $30 billion gas project in the Kimberley hope to overturn a decision to allow the proponents to clear 25ha of land at James Price Point, 60km north of Broome.
Page 4: Labor's pre-election fiscal stimulus and social spending splurge overwhelmingly favoured the electorates held by key rural independents Bob Katter and Tony Windsor.
Business: The troubled model of financing timber plantations through managed investment schemes has claimed another victim, with the collapse of Willmott Forests owing about $120 million.
Macquarie Group has delivered its third profit warning in three months, saying that shockwaves from the global financial crisis are still buffeting its main businesses.
Qantas is poised to return to some routes currently only served by its budget subsidiary Jetstar as the Qantas Group moves to recalibrate its operations to take advantage of a rebound in business travel demand.
Stockland is under pressure to lift its takeover offer for retirement village operator Aevum after an independent expert declared its $266 million cash bid as ''neither fair nor reasonable''.
Woolworths is offloading a $900 million-plus portfolio of shopping centres.
