Dire prediction for iron ore miners – The Fin; Abbott plans to keep carbon compensation – The Aus; ALP says Libs will sell assets – The Fin; Perth plunges in city ratings – The West; Farm exodus as drought sows seeds of despair – The Aus
Dire prediction for iron ore miners
Renowned China economist Andy Xie has claimed that shareholders in debt-laden Australian iron ore miners risk big losses and forecast that prices for the commodity will drop to about a tonne from $150 a tonne. The Fin
Abbott plans to keep carbon compensation
Tony Abbott has promised people will be better off under his plan to dump the carbon tax, revealing a Coalition government would retain some of the tax cuts and pension increases that compensates for its effects. The Aus
ALP says Libs will sell assets
West Australian Labor Leader Mark McGowan has warned voters Premier Colin Barnett will sell off state assets and hand power to controversial Treasurer Troy Buswell if he is re-elected at Saturdays state election. The Fin
Perth plunges in city ratings
Perth sits only above Darwin and Sydney on a list of Australia's liveable cities, according to a survey that has sparked fresh debate over the growing gap between winners and losers from the mining boom. The West
Farm exodus as drought sows seeds of despair
In the past month five West Australian wheatgrowers and their families have abandoned their farms in despair, throwing the banks the keys to their vast cropping properties east of Perth and large debts as they walk out the gate. The Aus
THE WEST AUSTRALIAN
Page 1: Mark McGowan used his official campaign launch to go on the attack yesterday by telling voters a re-elected Colin Barnett would privatise state assets and hand the premiership to Troy Buswell mid-term.
Page 3: Perth sits only above Darwin and Sydney on a list of Australia'a liveable cities, according to a survey that has sparked fresh debate over the growing gap between winners and losers from the mining boom.
Page 4: Julia Gillard has ignored business groups' demands for the government to embrace more foreign workers, asserting that the 457 visa system under the Howard government has got “out of control”.
Page 6: Colin Barnett said yesterday a Liberal Government would not go ahead with plans for a rapid transit bus service to Ellenbrook, seven months after his government awarded a $630,000 contract to design the “priority” public transport project.
Page 7: WA voters will be left in the dark about the impact on the states finances of nearly $840 million of Nationals' election promises after leader Brendon Grylls refused to submit them to Treasury for analysis.
Page 9: A young overseas tourist will be paid to wine and dine their way around WA for six months as part of a multi-million dollar international tourism campaign promising “the best job in the world”.
Page 11: City of Perth planners have rejected a proposed luxury hotel at Elizabeth Quay, deeming its 11 storeys excessively tall and bulky.
Barrack Square traders are considering suing the Barnett government over its Elizabeth Quay project after reporting losses of up to 80 per cent since works began.
Page 13: There are increasing signs the Australian economy has turned the corner with more evidence the Reserve Bank may not have to cut interest rates again this year.
Page 17: Alcohol giant Liquorland has lost a Supreme Court challenge to a decision to reject its bid for a superstore in Maylands after objections it might harm “at-risk” people through increased access to cheap alcohol and harm the amenity of residents.
Business: Fresh questions have been raised about Water Corp's role in a complex bid to bail out Griffin Coal, and the related $1.2 billion sale of Collie's Bluewaters power station, after it emerged it cost taxpayers $30 million.
Rio Tinto chief economist Vivek Tulpule spelt out yesterday why the miner is considering selling its Canadian iron ore unit, pointing to forecasts that the price of the steelmaking commodity would lose a third of its value over the next 18 months.
One of the pioneers of genetically modified crops in WA has hit out at a prime time television campaign that links GM foods to cancer, kidney and liver damage.
A WA food manufacturer has blamed red tape and regulations for her decision to walk away from the local retail arm of her business to focus on wholesale.
Sandfire Resources boss Karl Simich has hit back at industry speculation of operational problems at the DeGrussa copper mine, describing metal recoverability issues that have surfaced during operational ramp-up as short-lived.
The owner of WA's second-biggest wind farm has confirmed it is considering offloading the asset in a bid to cut its bulging $1 billion debt mountain.
Having already slashed $100 million in costs because of the housing, Boral has now announced it ill merge its construction materials and cement divisions.
THE AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW
Page 1: Renowned China economist Andy Xie has claimed that shareholders in debt-laden Australian iron ore miners risk big losses and forecast that prices for the commodity will drop to about a tonne from $150 a tonne.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard has threatened to impose more restrictions on the 457 temporary visa program for skilled migrants, even though the Immigration Department reported a month ago that the scheme was working well and responding to softening demand for labour.
Traders at investment bank UBS attempted to manipulate Australia's key financial benchmark, the bank bill swap rate, according to the banks own investigation.
Page 3: The ACTU will step up the union push for pay rises after a new study found growth in wages has not kept pace with productivity since 2000.
Page 5: The Gillard government has turned its political attack to hip pocket issues as Julia Gillard tours western Sydney, with Labor claiming the Coalition would increase taxes and cut government support to low-income families.
Page 6: Independent MP Rob Oakeshott will only agree to changes to media rules, including ownership restrictions and how large a broadcaster's audience can be, if they are accompanied by a firm commitment on local content.
Page 7: Gina Rinehart's two eldest children, John Hancock and Bianca Rinehart, have vowed to continue to fight their mother despite their half-sister Hope bowing out of a case involving a $4 billion trust.
Page 9: West Australian Labor Leader Mark McGowan has warned voters Premier Colin Barnett will sell off state assets and hand power to controversial Treasurer Troy Buswell if he is re-elected at Saturdays state election.
West Australian Nationals leader Brendon Grylls is refusing to send $840 million in election promises to Treasury for scrutiny because he says they will be funded by the lucrative Royalties for Regions scheme.
Page 10: Farmers will fail to cash in on growing Asian demand for food unless productivity rises and there is a major shift in how Australian produce is marketed overseas, the government's agricultural forecaster warns.
Page 11: Official interest rates are more likely to be higher in 12 months time, according to a group of prominent central banking academics and economists.
Page 15: Telstra has begun detailed contingency planning for potential changes to its $11 billion national broadband network deal, as investors brace for share price volatility in the lead-up to the federal election.
Page 17: Nick Curtis has dismissed concerns over whether he would be able to step back from the executive function at rare earths miner Lynas Corp, saying it had been the board's choice to appoint a new chief executive.
THE AUSTRALIAN
Page 1: Aged-care providers will be forced to agree to workplace relations deals to qualify for $1.2 billion in taxpayer cash under a LaborParty reform that could help unions extend their reach across the sector.
TonyAbbott has promised people will be better off under his plan to dump the carbon tax, revealing a Coalition government would retain some of the tax cuts and pension increases that compensates for its effects.
In the past month five West Australian wheatgrowers and their families have abandoned their farms in despair, throwing the banks the keys to their vast cropping properties east of Perth and large debts as they walk out the gate.
Page 2: West Australian Labor leader MarkMcGowan has begun an intense last-ditch effort to avoid electoral wipeout — including a bus tour of 20 seats in four days — as Premier ColinBarnett and the Liberals moved to a small-target strategy ahead of Saturday’s poll.
Page 3: Six Australian universities are now considered among the world’s top 100, based on the opinions of 17,000 professors from around the world.
Page 4: Falling iron ore prices sapped company profits in the lead-up to Christmas, but failed to dent a modest revival in the number of job ads and home approvals — which makes it even more unlikely the Reserve Bank will cut interest rates today.
TonyAbbott has written to the superannuation industry promising no unexpected detrimental changes to the super system during the next term of parliament, warning confidence had been eroded by speculation about changes.
Page 5: Labor has overseen the biggest yearly increase in overseas workers and families in the past 15 years despite JuliaGillard vowing she would put foreigners at the back of the job queue.
Business: The potential merger of Nine Entertainment Co and Southern Cross Media will deliver cost savings and synergy benefits of $75 million-$100m if it goes ahead as both parties conduct due diligence and negotiations start over how to price the merger.
Australian companies should step up their focus on Southeast Asia as an investment destination, the ANZ’s head of international banking Alex Thursby said yesterday.
China's biggest private coke producer, Meijin, is pushing ahead with plans for a $3bn-plus central Queensland coalmine that will rival the nearby plans of Indian mine developers GVK and Adani.
A group of well-known Perth businessmen, including Argonaut Securities' Eddie Rigg and Charles Fear, has launched a home-grown oil and gas drilling venture, in a twist on the maxim that the guys selling shovels make the most money out of a gold rush.
Market darling Sandfire Resources has delivered a maiden interim profit of $79.1 million, driven by its ramp-up of production from its flagship copper mine.
BP’s chief economist has warned that existing long-term, oil-linked LNG price contracts underpinning Australia’s LNG boom could come under pressure this decade as new Australian supplies move on to the market in the next few years.
Companies will forgo hiring and making investments in the first half of the calendar year as the rising cost of doing business takes its toll.
The pace of online retail sales growth picked up in January as a boost in consumer confidence defied the traditional post-Christmas lull in spending.
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
Page 1: Rugby league's most sensational match-fixing scandal is set to be played out again with three key players behind a massive betting plunge on a Bulldogs and Cowboys match to face a Sydney court on the eve of the NRL season opener.
Page 3: Four thieves attempted to pull off a well-planned but poorly executed heist of a cash-in-transit van outside the busy Broadway shopping centre.
World: Israel has been accused of encouraging racial segregation after a Palestinian-only bus service was started in response to objections by Jewish settlers claiming Arab passengers were "a security risk".
Business: Top Woolworths executives are on the offensive in Canberra, armed with a dossier of confidential research designed to convince politicians the supermarket giant is not as big and bad as everyone thinks.
Sport: It seems Russell Crowe has reconsidered his decision to sell his stake in South Sydney.
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH
Page 1: NSW's top two transport officials are at odds with each other, emails reveal.
Page 2: Women drivers and those living regional are the safest drivers in the state, figures show.
Page 3: Armed robbers charge into Sydney's Broadway Shopping Centre in broad daylight.
World: The Queen has been admitted to hospital with gastroenteritis.
Business: The overall lift in economic outlook may signal the end of this rate cutting cycle, economists say.
Sport: The AFL's biggest name, Lance "Buddy" Franklin, could be paid outside the salary cap if he chooses to leave Hawthorn for the GWS Giants.
THE HERALD SUN
Page 1 Hawthorn superstar Lance Franklin could be paid by the AFL outside the salary cap if he leaves for Greater Western Sydney. Accused killer Adrian Bayley has been charged with raping two women before the alleged rape and murder of Jill Meagher last year. The Baillieu government has plunged deeper into crisis as Liberal MPs admit they are despairing over the premier's handling of the secret police tapes.
Page 2: A leading light in the business, sports and arts communities has been lost after James Strong died, aged 68. An unprecedented out-of-cycle interest rate cut may still be on the cards even if, as expected, the Reserve Bank keeps the official cash rate on hold today.
Page 3: The families of 100 children suffering from mystery illnesses have been given a medical diagnosis by Melbourne researchers using next-generation DNA sequencing. Personalised Medicine, a collaboration between MCRI and the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, will enable researchers to extend the services to clinical testing.
World: The sound of wailing filled the streets of Brooklyn, New York, as a young Orthodox Jewish couple, killed in a horrific hit-and-run car crash but survived by their premature baby, were buried.
Business: James Strong may have taken a light-hearted approach to neckwear, but he grabbed life firmly by the throat.
Sport: Lance Franklin could be paid by the AFL outside the salary cap should he choose to leave Hawthorn for Greater Western Sydney.
THE AGE
Page 1: Bob Brown revisits the pristine scene of the Gordon-below-Franklin dam blockade. Planning Minister Matthew Guy helped to approve applications made by Melbourne property developers who had attended secret dinners with him and the then chief of the Baillieu government's urban renewal authority after paying a Liberal fundraising arm $10,000 each.
Page 2: The federal government's top legal adviser has told Australia's Human Rights Commissioner Gillian Triggs she cannot visit Nauru and Manus Island to assess and act on complaints from asylum seekers about conditions on the islands. Electricity distributor SP Ausnet's failure to prevent a damaged power line from collapsing negligently caused Black Saturday's deadliest blaze, a court has heard.
Page 3: The man accused of the rape and murder of ABC staffer Jill Meagher has been charged with two more rapes earlier last year, including one in which a Dutch backpacker was lured off the streets of St Kilda late at night by the offer of a lift home.
World: Intruders are believed to have arrived by boat and spread out into other villages along the Sabah coast, triggering Malaysia's most serious security crisis in decades, which has left 25 people dead in two shootouts.
Finance: Top Woolworths executives are on the offensive in Canberra, armed with a dossier of confidential research designed to convince politicians the supermarket giant is not as big and bad as everyone thinks.
Sport: The presidents of Sydney and Greater Western Sydney have apologised to Carlton for their extraordinary attack on the club for having criticised the Kurt Tippett deal. Page 1: Bob Brown revisits the pristine scene of the Gordon-below-Franklin dam blockade. Planning Minister Matthew Guy helped to approve applications made by Melbourne property developers who had attended secret dinners with him and the then chief of the Baillieu government's urban renewal authority after paying a Liberal fundraising arm $10,000 each.
Page 2: The federal government's top legal adviser has told Australia's Human Rights Commissioner Gillian Triggs she cannot visit Nauru and Manus Island to assess and act on complaints from asylum seekers about conditions on the islands. Electricity distributor SP Ausnet's failure to prevent a damaged power line from collapsing negligently caused Black Saturday's deadliest blaze, a court has heard.
Page 3: The man accused of the rape and murder of ABC staffer Jill Meagher has been charged with two more rapes earlier last year, including one in which a Dutch backpacker was lured off the streets of St Kilda late at night by the offer of a lift home.
World: Intruders are believed to have arrived by boat and spread out into other villages along the Sabah coast, triggering Malaysia's most serious security crisis in decades, which has left 25 people dead in two shootouts.
Business: Top Woolworths executives are on the offensive in Canberra, armed with a dossier of confidential research designed to convince politicians the supermarket giant is not as big and bad as everyone thinks.
Sport: The presidents of Sydney and Greater Western Sydney have apologised to Carlton for their extraordinary attack on the club for having criticised the Kurt Tippett deal.
THE ADELAIDE ADVERTISER
Page 1: A genomic test that lists all the potential health risks that a newborn baby faces will be available to parents within five years.
Page 3: A supermarket and its part-owner have been accused of breaching food standards more than 50 times by altering food labels and selling out-of-date products.
World: Stoicism is what she is known for and even as the Queen was taken to hospital for the first time in a decade yesterday, she insisted that there must be no fuss.
Business: The combined annual spend on mineral and petroleum exploration in SA passed $600 million for the first time last year, boosted by a record investment in oil and gas exploration.
Sport: Sturt great John Halbert has called on the financially-stricken Double Blues to start merger talks with the Adelaide Football Club.
