Wilkie threat to Labor's budget plans – The Fin; Jobless rate to surge if Europe fails to avert disaster – The Aus;WA extends its lead in 'three-speed economy' – The Fin; ASIC sticks to its guns in Fortescue appeal – The Fin; New rules threat to livestock exporters – The West
Wilkie threat to Labor's budget plans
Labor's budget agenda is at risk from its split with independent MP Andrew Wilkie as it fought back yesterday against personal attacks on Prime Minister Julia Gillard for a “breach of trust” on poker machine reform. The Fin
Jobless rate to surge if Europe fails to avert disaster
The worst employment market in 20 years will continue in the first months of this year, and a worsening of the European credit crisis could send the jobless rate surging towards 6 per cent. The Aus
WA extends its lead in 'three-speed economy'
Western Australia has consolidated its status as the nation's economic powerhouse but the European debt crisis is casting a pall over the national jobs outlook, leading private sector economists say. The Fin
ASIC sticks to its guns in Fortescue appeal
The corporate watchdog has challenged claims by Fortescue Metals Group that agreements by the company to supply iron ore to Chinese construction firms would not have influenced investors because they were clearly not binding deals. The Fin
New rules threat to livestock exporters
One of the nation's biggest sheep and cattle exporters has warned that the $200 million a year trade with the Middle East could come to a halt within weeks because of the Gillard government's new live trade guidelines. The West
THE WEST AUSTRALIAN:
Page 4: A majority of West Australians want the Perth waterfront to be developed, according to the latest Westpoll.
Page 5: Labor leader-in-waiting Mark McGowan has foreshadowed that he will pick his battles with the Barnett government on contentious law and order issues on their merits as he prepares to take the reins of the party this morning.
Page 9: Tennis Australia has given the state government an ironclad guarantee that the Hopman Cup will stay in Perth if it wins the management rights to the tournament from the sport's international governing body this week.
Page 10: One of the nation's biggest sheep and cattle exporters has warned that the $200 million a year trade with the Middle East could come to a halt within weeks because of the Gillard government's new live trade guidelines.
Page 17: A Bunbury man is fighting for workers compensation over claims he was struck by lightning when he was made to work in a Wheatbelt storm.
Business: Many customers of financial planning firms do not realise the firms are owned by one of the bigger institutions and believe the advice they receive is independent, according to a study of superannuation trends.
A year after the collapse of the Oswal family's WA empire, the fate of their 65 per cent stake in Burrup Fertilisers should be known within a week, with Norway's Yara International and US energy giant Apache Corp in talks to split it between them.
Investors will be hoping for some good news out of today's meeting of eurozone finance ministers after talks between Greece and its private sector creditors were suspended at the weekend, casting doubt on whether they would be concluded in time for ministers to consider the next tranche of aid for Greece.
Reed Resources' plans to restart the Meekatharra gold project are gaining momentum and investors seem to appreciate the new found sense of focus, with Reed shares up 17 per cent in the past month.
THE AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW:
Page 1: Labor's budget agenda is at risk from its split with independent MP Andrew Wilkie as it fought back yesterday against personal attacks on Prime Minister Julia Gillard for a “breach of trust” on poker machine reform.
Newt Gingrich has trounced arch rival Mitt Romney in a bitterly contested South Carolina Republican primary, shaking up the battle for the Republican presidential nomination that just a week ago seemed to be Mr Romney's for the taking.
Page 3: The fallout from the live export crisis that shook the federal government last year has spread to the Middle East as sheep traders accuse Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig of jeopardising the $200 million market by bungling new regulations.
Page 4: Western Australia has consolidated its status as the nation's economic powerhouse but the European debt crisis is casting a pall over the national jobs outlook, leading private sector economists say.
Page 5: Lavish donations from resource companies angry at the federal government's mining tax have so boosted the West Australian Liberal Party's coffers that it has established a foundation to park some of its money.
Page 8: The corporate watchdog has challenged claims by Fortescue Metals Group that agreements by the company to supply iron ore to Chinese construction firms would not have influenced investors because they were clearly not binding deals.
Page 15: The chief executive of Kerry Stokes' mining equipment business, WesTrac, says the company is not rushing to complete a potentially lucrative deal to sell Bucyris machinery in Australia and China.
Always on the lookout for another money-making venture, Perth mining entrepreneur Tony Sage has added his name to the list of parties contemplating building a railway to service iron ore minees in West Africa.
THE AUSTRALIAN:
Page 1: Andrew Wilkie has warned Labor will pay a high price for its pokies reform betrayal, vowing to pursue ‘‘warmer’’ relations with the Coalition, to vote against key budget measures and even to bring down the government if it acts improperly.
Newt Gingrich yesterday turned the Republican presidential campaign upside down with a decisive victory in the South Carolina primary.
The worst employment market in 20 years will continue in the first months of this year, and a worsening of the European credit crisis could send the jobless rate surging towards 6 per cent.
Page 3: Multinational food producers have demanded a mining ban on farmland and criticised foreign takeovers of agribusiness, as Australia’s food imports surge.
Page 4: Western Australia’s opposition leader-in-waiting wants Julia Gillard to ‘‘shred’’ an upcoming report on the carve-up of GST revenue if it does not recommend his state receive a bigger share.
Page 5: The $36 billion National Broadband Network project will fail to adequately provide for regional and rural areas because of shortcomings in the rollout and mobile coverage, a submission to a federal inquiry warns.
Page 6: Red tape connected with proposed national workplace safety laws will drive up the cost of a new home by tens of thousands of dollars, the construction industry has warned.
Business: Finance is facing more serious issues than any other industry this year as the eurozone crisis, weak credit demand and foreign competition enforce major structural change, a key report says.
BHP Billiton’s $US80 billion ($76bn) plans to build a giant US shale gas business are looking less attractive after a continued slump in North American gas futures brought widespread cuts to price and earnings forecasts.
Telstra could sign a key commercial agreement with the NBN Co as early as this week, paving the way for the telco giant to sign up customers to the $36 billion National Broadband Network.
As online DVD rental company Quickflix prepares to unveil a big distribution deal with a leading US television network this week, the company’s founder is betting 2012 will be the year when online streaming of TV and movies really takes off.
Economists believe Australia’s inflation rate is continuing to slow, raising the prospects of an interest rate cut, and that the cooling world economy will become a more significant factor in local monetary policy.
Talks between Greece and its private sector creditors over a debt writedown plan appeared to stall at the weekend as the banks’ top negotiator left Athens amid signs of fresh disagreements over how much Greece would pay its bondholders in the future.
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD:
Page 1: Up to 750,000 drivers in NSW will be forced to pay at least $150 more for petrol each year when the government bans regular unleaded petrol in July.
Page 2: The operation to arrest the founder of the online file-sharing service Megaupload and close the website down has left users worldwide in limbo.
Page 3: State departments are spending close to half a billion dollars a year on contractors to get around a hiring freeze and permanent job cuts.
World: (China) For someone facing 17 hours crammed in an overcrowded and unventilated train, Xu Shiyou is remarkably upbeat.
Business: Crucial talks over a Greek debt writedown failed to come to a conclusion at the weekend.
Sport: Bernard Tomic's Australian Open dream is over.
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH:
Page 1: The NSW attorney-general has ordered the Law Reform Commission to find ways of keeping criminals out of the state's bulging jails.
Page 2: Embattled Labor MP Craig Thomson has undermined Julia Gillard's reason for breaking her pokie promise.
Page 3: Japanese banks could snatch $100 billion of the Australian home loan market by undercutting local lenders that fail to pass on rate cuts.
World: (London) A crew member who worked on two of the word's most luxurious cruise liners is being investigated by police over allegation he indecently assaulted child passengers.
Business: Australian shares are expected to open flat to weaker today in the absence of strong leads from the US and Europe.
Sport: Bernard Tomic earned $109,250 for his fourth round fairytale at the Australian Open, but no amount of money can buy the tennis lesson he received from Roger Federer.
THE AGE:
Page 1: Prime Minister Julia Gillard's broken promise on pokie reform staves off backbench revolt.
Newt Gingrich injects new life in Republican presidential race by upsetting favourite Mitt Romney in primary.
Burnoffs fall short of reduction target and expose towns and suburbs to extreme bushfire risk, says leaked document.
Page 3: Australia needs to be ready with another economic stimulus when Europe goes up, says economist.
World: Republican party in two minds as Newt Gingrich beats Mitt Romney in South Carolina primary.
Finance: Coles uses Australia Day and patriotism to brand its products.
Sport: Lleyton Hewitt down but not quite out as he prepares to take on defending champ Novak Djokovic.
THE HERALD SUN:
Page 1: Lleyton Hewitt faces big challenge in Novak Djokovic.
Page 2: Prime Minister Julia Gillard's pokie trial will be $98 million down the drain, say clubs. Jetstar's low-fare war with Tiger will intensify with another 48,000 seats available from today.
Page 3: Day at the beach ends in tragedy.
World: White House hopeful Newt Gingrich upset former frontrunner Mitt Romney in the weekend's key South Carolina primary.
Business: A state-by-state analysis has revealed that Victoria is stuck in second gear behind an accelerating Western Australia.
Sport: Kim Clijsters beats ankle sprain and four match points to defeat Li Na.