Support for Gillard crumbles – The Fin; PM battles to salvage media laws – The Aus; Rio warns on threats to iron ore price – The Fin; Buckeridge sues council - The West; Forrest's challenge over Aboriginal jobs – The Aus
Support for Gillard crumbles
Some of Julia Gillard's staunchest supporters are losing hope the Prime Minister will lead Labor to the September 14 election, conceding for the first time that Kevin Rudd is a handful of votes away from a majority of Labor MPs and closing. The Fin
PM battles to salvage media laws
Julia Gillard faces a mounting campaign of destabilisation as her internal critics capitalise on caucus anger over the handling of the media law debate and cuts to single parent benefits that some MPs argue are alienating Labor’s base. The Aus
Rio warns on threats to iron ore price
Rio Tinto, Australia's largest iron ore producer, expects the price of the steelmaking ingredient to fall this year, increasing the challenge for companies trying to build new projects. The Fin
Buckeridge sues council
Billionaire builder Len Buckeridge has continued his scorched earth battle with Stirling City Council over claimed delays to approving an Osborne Park building, lodging a Supreme Court writ to recoup at least $60,000 in legal costs plus damages. The West
Forrest's challenge over Aboriginal jobs
Mining magnate Andrew Forrest will issue a challenge to Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott to tackle the bureaucracy’s obsession with ‘‘welfare’’ and confront the ‘‘passive resistance’’ to his plan to get Aboriginal people into jobs. The Aus
TOP RESOURCES HEADLINES
Rio warns on threats to iron ore price
Rio Tinto, Australia's largest iron ore producer, expects the price of the steelmaking ingredient to fall this year, increasing the challenge for companies trying to build new projects. The Fin
Forrest's challenge over Aboriginal jobs
Mining magnate Andrew Forrest will issue a challenge to Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott to tackle the bureaucracy’s obsession with ‘‘welfare’’ and confront the ‘‘passive resistance’’ to his plan to get Aboriginal people into jobs. The Aus
Galaxy to buy Talison ore
Galaxy Resources' much-vaunted plan for a vertically integrated lithium business is in tatters after it sacked 47 workers at its Ravensthorpe mine before taking up a three-year supply contact with rival WA producer Talison Lithium. The West
TOP POLITICS HEADLINES
Support for Gillard crumbles
Some of Julia Gillard's staunchest supporters are losing hope the Prime Minister will lead Labor to the September 14 election, conceding for the first time that Kevin Rudd is a handful of votes away from a majority of Labor MPs and closing. The Fin
PM battles to salvage media laws
Julia Gillard faces a mounting campaign of destabilisation as her internal critics capitalise on caucus anger over the handling of the media law debate and cuts to single parent benefits that some MPs argue are alienating Labor’s base. The Aus
Ernie Bridge sues over asbestos
Former WA politician Ernie Bridge is suing the state government and companies owned by Australia's two richest women for damages, claiming he has developed asbestos-related diseases after being exposed to dust and fibres on visits to Wittenoom during his terms as an MP and minister. The West
TOP PROPERTY HEADLINES
Buckeridge sues council
Billionaire builder Len Buckeridge has continued his scorched earth battle with Stirling City Council over claimed delays to approving an Osborne Park building, lodging a Supreme Court writ to recoup at least $60,000 in legal costs plus damages. The West
Big plans ahead for Burswood
Work has started on the redevelopment plans for a large tract of land on the Burswood Peninsula where light industrial occupiers would make way for a transit-oriented development that would be home to 6,000 residents. The West
Industrial demand drives up sales in Welshpool
Industrial buyers have turned their sights on the traditionally tightly-held Welshpool market, with ramped up demand from the logistics, mining and manufacturing sectors driving more than $50 million in sales in the area in the first half of the financial year. The West
THE WEST AUSTRALIAN
Page 1: Former WA politician Ernie Bridge is suing the state government and companies owned by Australia's two richest women for damages, claiming he has developed asbestos-related diseases after being exposed to dust and fibres on visits to Wittenoom during his terms as an MP and minister.
Page 3: More than one in three families still struggle to pay for childcare despite bigger government handouts over the past decade, a new report says.
Page 6: A member of the independent body overseeing press standards at The West Australian has defended its operation, arguing it gives speedy justice to people who feel they have been wronged.
The head of the Australian Press Council has proposed the government give it powers to investigate media outlets without needing a complaint from a reader.
Page 7: Julia Gillard is fighting a desperate battle to ram her media controls through Parliament, with independent MPs demanding wholesale changes to the federal government's package of Bills.
Page 9: Almost 1,500 patients picked up infections such as golden staph as a result of operations and other procedures in WA hospitals last year, costing more than $10 million to treat.
Page 12: Colin Barnett is expected to end the ministerial career of Murray Cowper today after just nine months and remove Robyn McSweeney from the child protection portfolio she has held since 2005.
The Nationals are set to retain the balance of power in the Upper House after securing five seats to bolster their negotiating position with state government partner the Liberals.
Page 13: Business travellers at Perth Airport face a fight for the plush seats in departure lounges, with the Maritime Union of Australia seeking Qantas Club membership for its offshore workers as part of a new wage deal.
Page 14: The Reserve Bank is increasingly confident that low interest rates are starting to gain traction, with fresh indications consumers are starting to open their wallets.
Page 19: Cane toads are marching across the Kimberley so quickly they could reach Broome in two wet seasons, according to the Kimberley Toad Busters.
Page 26: Two Perth city planners have a plan to greatly increase cycling and cut back on car trips that are under 5km, which they say make up about half of the car journeys in Perth.
Business: Galaxy Resources' much-vaunted plan for a vertically integrated lithium business is in tatters after it sacked 47 workers at its Ravensthorpe mine before taking up a three-year supply contact with rival WA producer Talison Lithium.
A business tinged with nostalgia and much loved by generations of WA holidaymakers has been put up for sale for the first time in 23 years.
Processor Lion will pay WA dairy farmers a bonus to expand milk production from next year in a move that is set to reduce its reliance on supplies tricked in form interstate.
Otto Energy's long-running challenge to explore a highly prospective deepwater block off the Philippines has suffered a fresh setback because of regulatory delays.
Analysts and senior executives at BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto have played down the prospect of Africa's emergence as a competitor for Australian iron ore, saying cost barriers for new players could be too great in an environment of softening commodity prices.
Billionaire builder Len Buckeridge has continued his scorched earth battle with Stirling City Council over claimed delays to approving an Osborne Park building, lodging a Supreme Court writ to recoup at least $60,000 in legal costs plus damages.
Sundance Resources has moved to arrest the downward spiral in its share price, asking for trading in its stock to be halted while it decides whether to persist with Hanlong Mining's takeover aspirations or terminate the drawn-out $1.4 billion affair.
A top Perth doctor and a former Citigroup stockbroker have been left in legal limbo after a hung jury acquitted them on a majority of insider trading charges but failed to reach a verdict on five counts.
Africa is the focus of attention for two final stage initial public offerings this week, with both Swala Energy and Tlou Energy testing investor appetite for oil and gas exploration on the continent.
WA's Building Commission will introduce new standards that improve window safety for children and the evacuation of buildings during a flood.
WA's leading property membership groups will band together to fight the rise of real estate appraisal websites, which they fear could be misleading consumers with inaccurate estimates of a property's value.
Industrial buyers have turned their sights on the traditionally tightly-held Welshpool market, with ramped up demand from the logistics, mining and manufacturing sectors driving more than $50 million in sales in the area in the first half of the financial year.
The City of Joondalup's new five-year economic plan will focus on investment in employment growth to end the freeway commute for more residents in the fast-growing activity centre.
Work has started on the redevelopment plans for a large tract of land on the Burswood Peninsula where light industrial occupiers would make way for a transit-oriented development that would be home to 6,000 residents.
THE AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW
Page 1: Some of Julia Gillard's staunchest supporters are losing hope the Prime Minister will lead Labor to the September 14 election, conceding for the first time that Kevin Rudd is a handful of votes away from a majority of Labor MPs and closing.
Woolworths is considering buying milk directly from farmers, bypassing processors for the first time, and using it in a new brand to help counter perceptions that it exploits dairy producers.
Rio Tinto, Australia's largest iron ore producer, expects the price of the steelmaking ingredient to fall this year, increasing the challenge for companies trying to build new projects.
Page 2: Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has refused to confirm whether NBNCo is on track to meet politically crucial rollout targets for the construction of the national broadband network, after an expected shortfall in the company's forecasts was revealed.
Page 3: Business groups are pressing the Gillard government to dump planned changes to industrial relations laws, arguing that giving more power for the Fair Work Commission to arbitrate agreements will hurt the economy.
Households are on notice that the days of super-low interest rates may be numbered after Westpac Banking Corp became the first major lender in almost two years to raise fixed home loan rates.
Page 6: Prime Minister Julia Gillard has reached a breakthrough on the government's media regulation reform package, Labor sources said.
Page 8: Up to $3 billion in payments from the government's mobile phone spectrum auction will be pushed out to mid-2014, potentially laying the ground for an improved fiscal outlook after this year's abandoned budget surplus.
The federal Coalition has promised the energy sector it will review the renewable energy target within six months of the election if it wins power to determine whether it should be reduced to reflect falling demand.
Page 13: Investors are being warned of rapidly slowing Chinese growth and a looming credit crisis in the world's second-largest economy during private briefings at an annual conference in Hong Kong.
Page 15: Orica, the world's biggest explosives maker, has flagged 400 job cuts at its mining consumables unit Minova, but said it had no plans to sell it even though volumes were down 15 per cent because of tough conditions in the coal market.
Page 16: Investors say gold's attractiveness is likely to continue amid renewed worries over the sovereign debt crisis in Europe – but miners will only benefit if they focus more on returning cash to shareholders and less on costly production growth.
THE AUSTRALIAN
Page 1: Julia Gillard faces a mounting campaign of destabilisation as her internal critics capitalise on caucus anger over the handling of the media law debate and cuts to single parent benefits that some MPs argue are alienating Labor’s base.
In the middle of last week Gillard government ministers were shocked and surprised to see that Kerry Stokes, chairman of Seven West Media, did not support any part of Stephen Conroy’s proposed media reforms and believed ‘‘press freedom’’ was too important to sell.
A new ginger group of up to 10 Labor MPs will meet Wayne Swan ahead of the May budget to push for an overhaul of welfare policy, including an increase to Newstart and allowing single mothers to keep more of their welfare payments when they work.
Page 2: The construction of Labor’s $37.4 billion National Broadband Network is behind schedule by 10 weeks as the companies building the mammoth project struggle against a dearth of qualified workers and ambitious rollout targets.
The Reserve Bank has sharply criticised EU plans to bail out Cyprus by taxing depositors, saying the controversial move could prompt bank runs and undermine financial stability.
Mining magnate Andrew Forrest will issue a challenge to Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott to tackle the bureaucracy’s obsession with ‘‘welfare’’ and confront the ‘‘passive resistance’’ to his plan to get Aboriginal people into jobs.
Page 4: The Gillard government is staring down a joint call by four employer groups for Labor to abandon proposed changes to the federal workplace laws, rejecting business claims that the proposals ‘‘will take the nation backwards and harm jobs’’.
A strategic backflip by the government over teachers’ performance pay yesterday has pushed the 28-month dispute over remuneration and conditions close to resolution.
The new Napthine government is embarking on a regional re-election strategy to win next year by pursuing 10 marginal Labor seats outside the Victorian capital or bordering rural areas.
Page 6: Labor is making a last-ditch attempt to force through its media reforms by redrafting its plan to appoint a high-powered official to oversee the press and rule on mergers.
Foreign Minister Bob Carr moved quickly yesterday to reject claims he no longer supported Julia Gillard, saying reports that he had withdrawn his backing for her were the product of the ‘‘frenzy of speculation’’ that now surrounded the Labor leadership.
Page 7: The former judge who presided over the government’s inquiry into media regulation has told the parliamentary committee examining the vexed issue that even with no evidence of misbehaviour, media regulation was necessary and the current raft of legislation would have a ‘‘relatively minor’’ impact.
Julia Gillard has compared the federal government’s battle to get its proposed media reforms through parliament this week with the experience in Britain, where the three main parties have united behind measures put forward by conservative Prime Minister David Cameron to toughen press standards in that country.
Page 8: Australia and India should lead the formation of a new strategic order in the Indian Ocean, according to a report released today.
Business: Jeff Immelt, the chief executive and chairman of US industrial giant GE, is stepping up the company’s investment program in Australia to leverage not only the liquefied natural gas boom here but to roll out new internet-based maintenance services, which GE contends are driving a new wave of productivity around the globe.
The heat is rapidly coming out of the deposit market despite ‘‘irrational’’ pricing by Commonwealth Bank and National Australia Bank, improving the banks’ funding costs and ability to pass on to homeowners any official rate cuts.
Six months on from the iron ore price slump that sent shockwaves through the mining sector, it’s clear the strong recovery in iron ore prices has by no means healed the scars sustained during those unpredictable weeks.
A Chinese central banker has flagged an interest rate rise could be ordered later this year, as the economy recovers and the risk of a hard landing is reduced.
Seven West Media executive Peter Lewis, named just five months ago by the company’s chief executive Don Voelte as a leading contender to succeed him, will depart the company next month in a surprise move.
ASX-listed World Titanium Resources has solved its project financing needs by bringing in a Chinese partner to develop its Ranobe minerals sands deposit in southwest Madagascar at a cost of million ($289m).
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH
Page 1: Sharks skipper Paul Gallen and suspended coach Shane Flanagan could face a senate inquiry to answer wide-ranging allegations of drug use in sport.
Page 2: Advertisement.
Page 3: Toddlers need a shot to fight the coming flu season and would-be mums would benefit from a booster shot to ward off whooping cough.
World: (Los Angeles) Actress Lindsay Lohan accepted a plea deal in a misdemeanour car crash case that includes 90 days in a rehabilitation facility.
Business: Woolworths is all but certain to lose market share as the supermarket industry creeps towards saturation point, analysts have warned.
Sport: The axe has fallen on Swimming Australia head coach Leigh Nugent following Australia's troubled campaign at the London Olympics.
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
Page 1: Julia Gillard has been forced to step in to try to save her party's ailing media reforms as former leader Simon Crean openly criticised her handling of the matter and a parliamentary committee questioned the human rights implications of the changes.
Page 2: The move to abolish the right to silence in NSW is under threat after a Labor Party decision to vote against the new government laws.
Page 3: A senior military policeman tried to cover up the apparent beating of an Afghan man arrested by coalition soldiers by falsifying entries in a log book, a military court heard on Tuesday.
World: (Beirut) Syrian planes have bombed targets in eastern Lebanon, its national news agency reports.
Business: BHP Billiton's controversial shale division is set to be dragged back into the US court system as two new legal claims target damages payments that could run into the millions of dollars.
Sport: The bottom 10 players in each NRL squad would be made available for rival clubs to approach as replacements for players suspended due to doping violations under a proposal being considered to ensure the game fulfils its television commitments.
THE ADELAIDE ADVERTISER
Page 1: Childcare costs and shortages have driven more than 100,000 women out of the workforce, official data shows.
Page 3: Toddlers and pre-schoolers should receive an annual flu vaccinations as part of the official childhood vaccination program, according to immunisation experts.
World: Finance ministers from the eurozone have asked Cyprus to reduce the burden on small investors from a proposed levy on savings linked to a bailout.
Business: The rate-cutting cycle is showing signs of working, with house prices rising, retail spending on the up and consumer confidence lifting, the Reserve Bank of Australia says.
Sport: Adelaide Crows coach Brenton Sanderson wants a red-hot battle for the ball rather than a war of words to explode with the drug-tainted Essendon at AAMI Stadium on Friday night for the AFL season opener.
