Red tape 'cools China zeal' – The West; Business warns IR reform crucial – The Fin; Labor's Future Fund withdrawal – The Aus; Renewables at risk from cuts – The Fin; Barnett threat to Griffin exports – The Aus
Red tape 'cools China zeal'
Chinese business leaders have warned of an investment strike over a decision by Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan to impose a two-stage foreign approval process for exploration and mining. The West
Business warns IR reform crucial
Business groups have challenged the federal government to put industrial relations reform on the agenda at a looming jobs forum to address the pressure on manufacturing, as new figures highlight the nation's lacklustre productivity growth. The Fin
Labor's Future Fund withdrawal
Labor is planning to withdraw hundreds of millions of dollars from the Future Fund in an unprecedented move that will help the government meet its promise of returning the budget to surplus in 2012-13. The Aus
Renewables at risk from cuts
The West Australian government's commitment to renewable energy has been called into question with industry angry at a proposal to halve incentives for some of the state's big wind-power projects. The Fin
Barnett threat to Griffin exports
West Australian Premier Colin Barnett has told Indian energy giant Lanco Infratech that he will prevent coal exports from the company’s newly acquired Griffin Coal mines if it moves to abandon a key domestic supply contract. The Aus
THE WEST AUSTRALIAN:
Page 6: Replacing Julia Gillard with Kevin Rudd would take Labor from confronting a landslide defeat to a potentially election-winning position, according to a new poll that shows the Prime Minister's approval rating has slumped to a new low.
Page 7: Former Fire and Emergency Services Authority boss Jo Harrison-Ward pleaded with Public Sector Commissioner Mal Wauchope a month before she was sacked to address inaccuracies in the report the government used to oust her.
Page 12: The travel habits of Western Power executives have come under scrutiny amid revelations they racked up $1.3 million in taxpayer funded overseas and interstate journeys in 2010-11.
Page 14: Labor MP Ben Wyatt has called on Lands Minister Brendon Grylls to explain why he or his department did not due diligence before granting 10ha of crown land in Newman to a company with no track record as a developer.
Page 16: Work has begun on Perth's most expensive and complicated road upgrade project – and most of it is being carried out under the cloak of darkness.
Page 17: The state government's yearly take from parking meters at five public hospitals will jump 73 per cent over three years as the Health Department more than doubles daily staff parking fees by 2014.
Page 19: The WA government says it will consider any Commonwealth proposal for a national crackdown on dangerous dog breeds but has been unable to say when long-planned changes to tighten WA's dog laws will happen.
Business: Chinese business leaders have warned of an investment strike over a decision by Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan to impose a two-stage foreign approval process for exploration and mining.
Cooper Energy shareholders will decide on October 14 which leadership team to entrust with the break-up of the Perth oil and gas company.
Employers and governments need to arrest the escalating decline in Australia's labour productivity performance before the country falls further behind its developed nation counterparts, a report has warned.
THE AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW:
Page 1: Business groups have challenged the federal government to put industrial relations reform on the agenda at a looming jobs forum to address the pressure on manufacturing, as new figures highlight the nation's lacklustre productivity growth.
Qantas Airways' plan to tap growth in Asia through a new premium carrier based offshore may not be realised until early 2013, with the company still locked in talks with prospective partners and government bodies in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
Hundreds of farmers are holding back their properties from this year's spring selling campaign as strong commodity prices provide hope of another good farming season while liquidity constraints keep traditional buyers out of the market.
Page 4: Energy laws should be changed to stop electricity distribution companies “cherry-picking” determinations by the Australian Energy Regulator, which allows them to pass on higher costs to consumers, a report says.
Page 8: The Australian Taxation Office's new computer system is picking up potentially problematic claims at record rates but accountants say they are working overtime dealing with investigations it has triggered – and often for free.
The West Australian government's commitment to renewable energy has been called into question with industry angry at a proposal to halve incentives for some of the state's big wind-power projects.
Page 14: Myer chief executive Bernie Brookes will seek board approval next month for an increase in capital spending to upgrade the retailer's e-commerce and customer engagement capabilities.
Thai coalminer Banpu is poised to launch a friendly takeover bid for Mongolian-focused explorer Hunnu Coal, valuing the company at about $375 million.
Page 15: Woodside Petroleum's “peace deal” with the unions on industrial action is expected to help smooth negotiations with liquefied natural gas customers for its Pluto and Browse projects, but several hurdles still remain in the way of final sales agreements.
Page 17: Barrick Gold may pursue a larger expansion of its Lumwana copper mine in Zambia than envisioned by previous owner Equinox Minerals and is considering ways of exploiting the uranium contained in the deposit.
THE AUSTRALIAN:
Page 1: Julia Gillard’s bid to resurrect her Malaysia Solution for asylum-seekers faces defeat after the opposition last night attacked it on four separate criteria and the Greens warned the Prime Minister against an ‘‘unholy alliance’’ with the Coalition to revive offshore processing.
Labor is planning to withdraw hundreds of millions of dollars from the Future Fund in an unprecedented move that will help the government meet its promise of returning the budget to surplus in 2012-13.
Page 2: Legislation establishing the carbon tax will enshrine Australia’s international commitments to limit global warming to 2C and give the new Climate Change Authority discretion to set an overall limit by 2050 on greenhouse gas emissions.
Wayne Swan has launched a stinging attack on the Coalition over the establishment of a parliamentary budget office, accusing the opposition of trying to undermine the new agency and protect its election costings from scrutiny.
Julia Gillard has resisted union and caucus demands for a manufacturing inquiry by announcing a jobs forum to address the challenges of the two-speed economy, the high dollar and the outlook for Australian manufacturers.
Page 3: A key independent has warned the government against any media inquiry with narrow terms of reference that smack of politics.
Page 7: Prestige auction houses are accepting nearly twice the usual number of repossessed vehicles, raising the prospect that buyers can pick up their dream car for a song.
Page 9: On the 10th anniversary of the deadliest terror attack on the US, President Barack Obama thanked Australia for its ‘‘extraordinary’’ support on September 11 and in the decade afterwards.
Business: Australian stocks are likely to slump today, as world markets grow increasingly fearful the eurozone cannot deal with its debt crisis and the US has problems kick-starting its ailing economy.
Tiger Airways is believed to have appointed a former Virgin Blue executive as its new Australian boss.
Queensland is predicting its burgeoning coal-seam gas export industry could triple the price of southern states’ domestic gas, marking a huge increase in the forecast effect of Gladstone’s planned LNG plants.
The major Australian banks have welcomed Labor’s decision to cut the retail deposit guarantee from $1 million to $250,000, despite one of the big four initially arguing for a lower cap.
Labour productivity has fallen to its second-lowest level in 15 years, sparking warnings that the nation’s economy will suffer unless businesses get up to speed before the resources boom goes bust.
West Australian Premier Colin Barnett has told Indian energy giant Lanco Infratech that he will prevent coal exports from the company’s newly acquired Griffin Coal mines if it moves to abandon a key domestic supply contract.
The major Australian banks’ reduced reliance on volatile global funding markets and the unprecedented consumer savings rate have prepared the institutions for the introduction of tough global regulation.
Australian mining services companies are expanding into Chile as a gateway to extend their reach into the competitive South American resources region, with Brazil the key target.
The head of Rio Tinto in Mongolia has issued a stern warning to the local politicians agitating for a greater share of revenue from the country’s emerging mining industry, saying that Mongolia’s economic transformation could stall on the back of any further legislative uncertainty.
OZ Minerals chief Terry Burgess says the acquisition-hungry miner is unlikely to consider buying Rio Tinto and Anglo American’s Palabora copper mine in South Africa, despite the operation fitting OZ’s stated acquisition criteria.
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD:
Page 1: Labor would vault to an election-winning lead if it brought back Kevin Rudd as leader, according to the latest Herald/Nielsen poll.
Page 2: Senior police are concerned the public is becoming desensitised to alcohol-related violence after three serious incidents at the weekend, including a man who allegedly went on a drunken rampage in a stolen taxi.
Page 3: Sydneysiders face steep rises in water bills, despite making big reductions in the amount of water they use.
World: Americans will pause to reflect on a decade of grief, fear and renewal that has followed the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington, which killed close to 3000 people, cost trillions of dollars and forever put the US on alert.
Business: Fears of a Greek debt default and a worldwide recession are likely to see the Australian sharemarket open about 1.7 per cent lower this morning, futures traders predict.
Sport: It was bound to happen, of course, but it will not make it any easier. Wayne Bennett will either end Darren Lockyer's career, or the Brisbane five-eighth will prematurely end the Dragons coach's time with his present club. The prospect is delicious if you're not one of the two stars who will collide at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night.
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH:
Page 1: The boss of Craig Thomson's union, Labor Party vice-president Michael Williamson, was accused of spending thousands of dollars on his union credit card for personal items including bedding, perfume, shoes and electrical goods in the 1990s.
Page 2: They say that on September 11, 2001, the world stopped. Yesterday - exactly 10 years on - it stopped again.
Page 3: A Taliban suicide bomber driving a truck attacked a NATO combat post in Afghanistan, wounding 89 people, including 50 US soldiers.
World: Troops from a Spanish warship stormed a pirate skiff and rescued a French hostage missing from her yacht, but found no trace of her husband, the EU anti-piracy mission said.
Business: It's little wonder that Australians are finding it tougher to make ends meet, with new statistics showing household incomes have dropped for the first time in 14 years.
Sport: Wayne Bennett and Darren Lockyer will meet for the final time this Saturday - and a lot more than premierships will be at stake.
THE AGE:
Page 1: Replacing Julia Gillard with Kevin Rudd would take Labor from confronting a landslide defeat to a potentially election-winning position, according to an Age/Nielsen poll that also finds a slump in the PM's approval to her lowest ever.
Page 3: The coalition government pushed ahead with its controversial alpine grazing trial despite receiving a key department's warning that no scientific, social or economic evidence existed to support it.
Page 5: Pressure is mounting for the Baillieu government to release new rules for campaign funding as another Liberal fund-raising group operating in breach of electoral laws is outed.
World: Egypt has warned of harsh measures to quell civil unrest after protesters stormed Israel's embassy, forcing the ambassador to flee and prompting Washington to say it was deeply concerned.
Business: Fears of a Greek debt default and a worldwide recession are likely to push the Australian sharemarket about 1.7 per cent lower on Monday morning, futures traders predict.
Sport: Carlton was celebrating its first finals victory in a decade on Sunday night and coach Brett Ratten appears to have settled his future, but the Blues have moved quickly into another phase after ticking off their stated aim for the season.
THE HERALD SUN:
Page 1: Blues skipper Chris Judd has led his team to a 62-point demolition of Essendon.
Page 3: Brazen criminals have stolen dozens of items from police stations and about a fifth of the crimes remain unsolved.
Page 5: US President Barack Obama has paid tribute to Australia's steadfast and heartfelt support on the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
World: The area covered by Arctic sea ice reached its lowest point this week since the start of satellite observations in 1972, German researchers said.
Business: It is the 10th anniversary of the famous face-off between a petite but gutsy female company director and her Goliathan chairman at insurance company NRMA, which landed him in court.
Sport: Carlton broke a decade-long finals drought and quashed speculation about coach Brett Ratten's future with its devastating 62-point victory against Essendon at the MCG.
THE CANBERRA TIMES:
Page 1: Detention centre operators, a training company, a NSW government department and an IT firm are the big winners from the federal government's immigration policies.
Page 2: Emissions targets costing ACTEW about $15.5 million.
Page 3: Ecological concerns hold up new college in Gungahlin.
World: Ten years on, US remembers 9/11.
Sport: Wallabies warm into form with win over Italy.
THE COURIER MAIL:
Page 1: Julia Gillard faces a showdown with a group of rebel backbenchers vowing to oppose plans to rescue her asylum-seeker swap deal with Malaysia. Art experts say your child's art belongs on the fridge, not in galleries.
Page 2: Trent Dalton named journalist of the year at the Queensland Media Awards.
Page 3: More than 60 Brisbane council employees have been caught for various offences including misusing council equipment, downloading porn and impersonating a police officer.
World: A ferry accident off Zanzibar which killed at least 193 people was caused by overcrowding, according to survivors.
Business: Small Queensland miners are ramping up exploration efforts on the back of booming commodity prices.
Sport: Three weeks after letting down his Wallabies teammates, James O'Connor is forgiven, having scored off the bench in the team's 32-6 World Cup win over Italy.
