PM flags business tax reform – The Fin; WA to strip Buckeridge of port works – The Fin; Juniors say Swan's complex laws favour major players – The Aus; IR change no fillip: Treasury – The Aus; Lord mayor rival enlists ad agency – The West
PM flags business tax reform
Prime Minister Julia Gillard has called for focus at next month's tax forum on a business tax system to deliver more flexibility in the economy as the government continues to work on further incentives for investment in infrastructure. The Fin
WA to strip Buckeridge of port works
The West Australian government has moved to strip a consortium led by building magnate and major Liberal donor Len Buckeridge of the exclusive right to build a new bulk cargo port south of Perth. The Fin
Juniors say Swan's complex laws favour major players
Small and mid-sized mine companies say the changes to the Gillard government’s planned mining tax law add to its complexity and prove the levy is designed to favour industry giants BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto and Xstrata. The Aus
IR change no fillip: Treasury
Treasury head Martin Parkinson has warned that changing the government’s industrial relations laws would not fix Australia’s lagging productivity and says a much more far-reaching program of economic reform is needed. The Aus
Lord mayor rival enlists ad agency
Lord mayoral candidate Anne Bontempo has hired one of WA's biggest advertising agencies to help run her campaign as she ramps up her efforts to unseat Lisa Scaffidi. The West
THE WEST AUSTRALIAN:
Page 1: Balga, Mirrabooka, Nollamara and Westminster are WA's criminal hotspots, with figures showing that more than 3 per cent of the state's prison population listed the suburbs as their last address before going to jail.
Page 4: Tony Abbott has rejected Julia Gillard's attempts to salvage the Malaysian solution sunk by the High Court last month.
Julia Gillard has put tax breaks for manufacturers on the agenda as she seeks to help the sector in its struggle against the pressures of the resources boom, the high dollar and cheap imports.
Page 10: Lord mayoral candidate Anne Bontempo has hired one of WA's biggest advertising agencies to help run her campaign as she ramps up her efforts to unseat Lisa Scaffidi.
Page 11: Charging motorists for using roads could reduce peak-hour consumption and improve the take-up of public transport, according to a discussion paper released yesterday by a transport advocate group.
Page 13: A union campaign to lift superannuation contributions to 12 per cent comes amid a threefold jump in the number of West Australians working past the retirement age.
Page 16: Stephen Smith's idea of moving big parts of the defence force to WA could prove an expensive mess that would do little to improve national security, a think tank has warned.
Business: Retailers trying to convince themselves that the downturn in discretionary spending was a short-term feature of the retail cycle had “fundamentally missed the point: and were heading for disaster, Premier Retail warned yesterday.
Rio Tinto's iron ore boss, Sam Walsh, has predicted the Australian dollar will remain high as the mining boom rolls on, prolonging the squeeze on manufacturers.
A series of high-profile event wins has helped the Perth Convention Bureau haul in $87.5 million in delegate expenditure over the past 12 months.
Just three months after spruiking a peace deal with once-dissident directors of Brockman Resources, controlling shareholder Wah Nam International has taken control of the iron ore hopeful's boardroom.
Australian banks have been cutting back their exposure to Europe's troubled economies, pulling billions of funds from Span and reducing lending to France.
Australia Post has underlined the growing popularity and strength of internet shopping, releasing new statistics showing inbound international parcel traffic growth doubled in the past year, forcing the carrier to lift staffing levels by nearly 25 per cent at local gateways.
THE AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW:
Page 1: Prime Minister Julia Gillard has called for focus at next month's tax forum on a business tax system to deliver more flexibility in the economy as the government continues to work on further incentives for investment in infrastructure.
The minority Gillard government faces its first major defeat on the floor of Parliament after the Coalition dealt Labor another severe blow on asylum-seekers by rejecting an offer that would have saved the Malaysia refugee swap deal.
The introduction of a carbon scheme could unlock billions of dollars in clean energy investment, but political uncertainty and ageing transmission infrastructure will stymie efforts to bolster renewable energy.
Page 3: More than 6,100 Qantas Airways passengers are likely to be affected by widespread cancellations and delays.
Page 4: The West Australian government has moved to strip a consortium led by building magnate and major Liberal donor Len Buckeridge of the exclusive right to build a new bulk cargo port south of Perth.
Page 5: Liquidators of Babcock & Brown have drawn a line under efforts to recover losses from the directors of the collapsed investment house after settling a $160 million Federal Court claim.
Page 7; The political uncertainty over the introduction of a carbon price is making it more expensive to fund new power stations in Australia, according to an industry expert.
Page 8: Two new pieces of economic data suggest consumers have not given up hope, despite the gloom.
Page 10: The nation's rich should share more of their wealth through a broad-based land tax and death taxes, according to recommendations made the federal Treasury ahead of the October tax forum.
The latest draft of the federal government's mining tax laws includes important details about how the tax will operate, tax experts say.
Page 12: Confidence in the domestic and international tourism sector has plummeted to global financial crisis levels, and hoteliers, travel agents and tour operators are blaming the high Australian dollar, a shortage of skilled labour and the lack of convention and exhibition space.
Page 13: Fresh from engaging in some international diplomacy, West Australian Premier Colin Barnett used his state's recent bilateral investment agreement with China for domestic purposes yesterday: another attack on the Gillard government's mining tax.
Page 18: Indian infrastructure developer GVK expects to start signing deals in about three months for the sale of minority stakes in the Queensland coal assets it will buy from Hancock Coal, to help spread the estimated $US10 billion cost of the first phase of development.
Page 22: West Australian iron ore hopeful Brockman Resources is satisfied it still has enough mining expertise and experience in place following the resignation of half its board of eight yesterday.
THE AUSTRALIAN:
Page 1: Julia Gillard could be forced to accept onshore processing of asylum-seekers because of a political deadlock over legislation to revive Labor’s Malaysia Solution.
Labor’s primary vote has sunk to a record low of 26 per cent and Tony Abbott continues to lead as preferred prime minister.
An Abbott government would turn Labor’s defence policy on its head, tearing up the ambitious 2009 Defence white paper, slashing by half the expected purchase of 100 Joint Strike Fighters and reassessing plans to build 12 big conventional submarines.
Page 3: Unions continue to ramp up their campaign against Qantas, as more than 6100 passengers face delays or cancellations today because of four-hour strikes by the Transport Workers Union.
Page 4: American aluminium giant Alcoa has warned that Victoria’s two aluminium smelters face a ‘‘significant threat’’ because of the soaring Australian dollar, high input costs and the carbon tax, raising fears of further job losses in the crisis-hit manufacturing industry
Treasury head Martin Parkinson has warned that changing the government’s industrial relations laws would not fix Australia’s lagging productivity and says a much more far-reaching program of economic reform is needed.
Small and mid-sized mine companies say the changes to the Gillard government’s planned mining tax law add to its complexity and prove the levy is designed to favour industry giants BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto and Xstrata.
The states would collect personal income tax under a radical proposal to strip Canberra of a range of powers and encourage greater competition between the states.
Broadband provider iiNET has declared it will not be dragged into a price war with Telstra and Optus when the first retail services on the National Broadband Network go live next month.
Business: Just Jeans parent company Premier Investments has warned of a further deterioration in retail conditions this financial year after reporting an 18 per cent decline in underlying profit for 2010-11.
Target boss Launa Inman has resigned after seven years in the job, following a 27 per cent decline in pre-tax earnings for the past financial year.
Uncertainty about Greece weighed heavily on local equities yesterday, after a weekend decision by European leaders to delay a vote on an j8 billion ($10.7bn) bailout loan.
Almost all the coal in Australia’s next major coalmining area, the Galilee Basin in central Queensland, has already been sold to Indian or Chinese interests, three years before mining is due to start.
Data-hungry consumers and the explosive growth of smart phones will continue to erode the high margins of Asia-Pacific’s telecommunications operators, Moody’s Investors Service has warned .
China’s peak economic planning body has met with Mitsubishi to discuss China’s involvement in the $5.9 billion Oakajee Port and Rail project, according to West Australian Premier Colin Barnett.
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD:
Page 1: Julia Gillard has little option but to resort to onshore processing of asylum seekers after Tony Abbott killed off her Malaysia plan.
Page 2: Crowds came from everywhere to witness Switzerland take on Australia at the Davis Cup.
Page 3: Sydney's new train timetable will include cuts to weekend services and is well short of implementing 135 new express trains promised by the coalition.
World: Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad has held talks with Israel's Defence Minister Ehud Barak in New York as the two sides wrangled over the Palestinian bid for UN membership.
Business: Former Babcock and Brown directors and their auditor will not have to defend a $160 million damages action by the liquidator following a settlement.
Sport: Broncos captain Darren Lockyer is set to defy the advice of his own doctors by playing in Friday night's grand final qualifier against Manly.
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH:
Page 1: A drug user who mowed down a man after blacking out at the wheel of her four-wheel drive was allowed to walk free over his death with a $500 fine.
Page 2: Taxpayers would pay for unhealthy people to work out with a personal trainer under a plan being pushed by doctors.
Page 3: A transport levy similar to Medicare could fund an $85 billion infrastructure program across Australia, a government-backed advisory group says.
World: The birth of Libya's new government has been postponed indefinitely amid disputes over portfolios.
Business: Retail stalwart Launa Inman has resigned from the helm of Target after almost seven years in the job.
Sport: Steve Matai will headline a brutal Eagles welcoming committee for Darren Lockyer this Friday night - but his mother could be a bigger obstacle.
THE AGE:
Page 1: Prime Minister Julia Gillard will be forced to accept onshore processing of asylum seekers after her last-ditch efforts to get a deal with the opposition failed.
Page 3: Secret internal audits have found "unacceptably high levels" of credit card abuse by officials in the Department of Infrastructure and Transport, including one bureaucrat who made cash withdrawals of up to $7000 at a time.
Page 5: The head of Australia's nuclear safeguard authority advised former prime minister Kevin Rudd that no scheme to limit carbon emissions would succeed without the building of nuclear power stations, according to leaked United States diplomatic cables.
World: Britain is coming under growing US pressure to oppose a Palestinian bid for statehood at the United Nations on Friday.
Business: Premier Investments boss Mark McInnes has significantly increased his rhetoric against shopping centre landlords he says are gouging tenants for higher rents while retail sales are going backwards and customer traffic in shops and centres is drying up.
Sport: Collingwood faces a fight to retain premiership forward Chris Dawes, with several clubs circling the talented big man.
THE HERALD SUN:
Page 1: Carl Williams claimed police chief Simon Overland would "give him whatever he wants" for information leading to charges against ex-cop Paul Dale, the Supreme Court has heard.
Page 3: Victorian councils have demanded the state government ban smoking in public outdoor areas.
Page 5: Staring down 35 years' jail, Carl Williams stared up at a blonde in black lingerie.
World: US investigators have recovered memory cards from a video camera on the World War II-era plane that crashed near a grandstand in a deadly fireball.
Business: The retail sector is undergoing sweeping structural changes that threaten to ruin traders who fail to adapt, according to industry heavyweight Mark McInnes.
Sport: Geelong assistant coach Brenton Sanderson will coach his original club, Adelaide, for the next three years.
THE COURIER MAIL:
Page 1: LNP leader Campbell Newman failed to declare his wife's interest in a property that gained high-rise building approval from Brisbane City Council when he was lord mayor.
Page 2: The state opposition has claimed changes were made to an independent report to allow an IT supplier a multimillion dollar contract with Queensland Health.
Page 3: Queensland is on high fire alert with a number of fires burning around the state.
World: Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas has urged Israel to recognise the state of Palestine and not let the chance of peace slip by.
Business: Retailers warned to evolve or prepare to be left behind.
Sport: Wounded Broncos skipper Darren Lockyer says he will make the final decision on whether he plays in Friday's final against Manly.