Premier vows to join mine tax challenge – The West; Mining job bonanza creates building void – The West; Another nail in BHP, Rio joint venture – The Fin; Union blasts Westpac over WA job cuts – The West; Toodyay legal bid begins – The West
Premier vows to join mine tax challenge
Premier Colin Barnett has accused Canberra of trying to hide a loophole in its mining tax and has pledged to support any resources companies which mount a High Court challenge. The West
Mining job bonanza creates building void
The mining boom is luring skilled workers away from building infrastructure, threatening a shortfall of "many thousand" by 2012, the Civil Contractors Federation has warned. The West
Another nail in BHP, Rio joint venture
The proposed $US116 billion Pilbara iron ore joint venture between Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton has edged closer to collapse after the European Commission on Friday told the miners it had "serious concerns" about the plan. The Fin
Union blasts Westpac over WA job cuts
The Finance Sector Union has condemned a move by Westpac Bank to cut 120 jobs from its Asgard operation in Perth, sending a third of the positions offshore or interstate. The West
Toodyay legal bid begins
Toodyay bushfire victims will launch a Supreme Court bid for up to $30 million in damages from Western Power after voting to forge ahead with legal action. The West
THE WEST AUSTRALIAN:
Page 3: Premier Colin Barnett has accused Canberra of trying to hide a loophole in its mining tax and has pledged to support any resources companies which mount a High Court challenge.
West Australians have acquired a taste for Lamborghinis, snapping up the Italian luxury sports cars at a faster rate than anywhere else in the country.
Page 9: The divide between rich and poor in WA is greater than anywhere else in the nation, a senior member of the Salvation Army warned yesterday, ahead of a report revealing that more than one in 10 Australian children live in poverty.
Page 10: A coalition of business, health and industry leaders is pushing the WA government to the road safety plan Towards Zero, which is largely unfunded despite being endorsed more than 18 months ago.
Page 11: Musicians who ply their trade in Northbridge have joined opposition to the state government plan to widen lockouts at WA nightspots.
Page 13: Colin Barnett would like to give someone the "gift of life" but has not decided whether an opt-out organ donation system should be introduced in WA.
Page 14: The Finance Sector Union has condemned a move by Westpac Bank to cut 120 jobs from its Asgard operation in Perth, sending a third of the positions offshore or interstate.
Page 17: WA's most endangered animals have for the first time been ranked according to their likelihood of extinction.
Page 19: The federal opposition is demanding answers over plans to release hundreds of asylum seekers into the community and warns the scheme could hand a powerful marketing tool to people smugglers.
Toodyay bushfire victims will launch a Supreme Court bid for up to $30 million in damages from Western Power after voting to forge ahead with legal action.
A brawl outside a Northbridge nightclub is the type of incident the government hopes to stamp out with tighter liquor licences and stop and search laws.
Business: The mining boom is luring skilled workers away from building infrastructure, threatening a shortfall of "many thousand" by 2012, the Civil Contractors Federation has warned.
Treasurer Wayne Swan yesterday warned against intervention to stem the country's surging currency, although he acknowledged a stronger dollar was a double-edged sword.
Azumah Resources is set to resume trading today after raising as much as $25 million to help advance its Wa gold project in north-west Ghana.
NBN Co is overwhelmed by the number of households in mainland test sites signing up for an optical fibre connection to the national broadband network.
THE AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW:
Page 1: Australia's richest woman, Gina Rinehart, is in late-stage negotiations to sell at least a partial stake in her Queensland coal business.
The US Federal reserve is considering giving markets a stronger commitment of its intent to keep interest rates lower for longer, alongside a widely anticipated second month of quantitative easing next month.
Page 3: Commonwealth Auditor-General Ian McPhee has issued a stern warning to the federal government to focus more on implementation of its policies after a series of critical reports on key programs.
Page 4: The Reserve Bank of Australia may shed some light tomorrow on its surprise decision earlier this month to keep interest rates on hold, when it releases the minutes of its October 5 meeting.
Page 5: The federal government's approach to climate change issues will be broadened today by the creation of two new sources of independent advice, amid a separate move to widen consultation on water reform.
Page 6: Consumers will miss out on medicine price cuts and planned savings to the Commonwealth are set to be delayed because no agreement has been reached on the timing of a new regime for the pharmaceutical benefits scheme.
Page 13: A recent surge in soft commodity prices has come too late to spare Australia's major supermarket chains from yet another quarter of low food price inflation.
The proposed $US116 billion Pilbara iron ore joint venture between Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton has edged closer to collapse after the European Commission on Friday told the miners it had "serious concerns" about the plan.
Page 15: Houston-based Oil States International is hoping to capitalise on Australia's booming mining industry, lobbing a $651 million bid for mining accommodation and services provider the MAC Services Group.
Page 40: Australian banks are overhauling their funding strategies with a new emphasis on Asian markets as mounting borrowing requirements force the majors to expand their investor base and tap into vast capital pools across China and other Asian economies.
Page 47: The receivers of Great Southern's timber land assets, McGrathNichol, are being threatened with legal action after ignoring a bid from Victorian farmers, which the farmers claim would reap more for the properties.
Results of property sales in the wine and forestry sectors will help determine the extent of any rebound in the value of rural land, according to agents.
THE AUSTRALIAN:
Page 1: Julia Gillard has threatened to withhold up to $144 million in reform incentive payments from NSW if Premier Kristina Keneally persists with plans to renege on an agreement to deliver uniform national workplace safety laws.
Julia Gillard has warned that withdrawing troops from Afghanistan prematurely could reestablish the region as a safe haven for terrorists, as parliament prepares for a historic debate on the deployment.
Page 2: Sri Lanka's security supremo has called on Canberra to get tough with asylum-seekers amid claims the vast majority return home within a year.
Page 6: Water desalination plants are draining as much electricity as an extra fridge or computer in every household in Australia's biggest cities.
Wayne Swan says the stronger Australian dollar should be left unchecked.
Two new roundtables on climate change will be announced today by the Gillard government as it pushes ahead with its bid to put a price on carbon.
Page 7: The federal opposition will push this week for a judicial inquiry into the $16.2 billion school building program.
The strong dollar and a loophole in the new Resale Royalty scheme has made it more attractive for art dealers and collectors to shop offshore, but artists' advocates want the government to sign a treaty that would slow the practice they say disadvantages their clients.
Business: The boards of several major listed companies are bracing for a backlash against their remuneration reports at upcoming annual general meetings, as investors demand a stronger link between pay and performance.
A month after the ACCC blocked National Australia Bank's pitch for Axa Asia Pacific, major bank chief executives are still reluctant to rule out further meaningful consolidation in the local financial services sector.
The Reserve Bank has been warned not to be lulled into a ''trap'' of believing a rising currency will lessen the need for further rate hikes, as the Australian dollar briefly broke the psychological level of parity with the greenback at the weekend.
The more Coca-Cola Amatil boss Terry Davis says a Foster's Group takeover is off his radar, the less some people seem to believe him.
The Dexus Wholesale Property Fund has sealed one of the biggest industrial property transactions this year, announcing yesterday that it had acquired an industrial portfolio for $231 million.
A further nail in the coffin of the BHP Billiton-Rio Tinto iron ore joint venture was delivered at the weekend with the European Commission stressing its objections to the deal.
