Schools reform shameful: Barnett
Colin Barnett has declared he would be “nuts” to agree to Julia Gillard's education reforms as he launched a blistering attack on the Prime Minister. The West
Labor primary vote slips to disastrous 29pc
Labor's primary vote has fallen below 30 per cent for the first time in almost a year despite Julia Gillard's successful trip to China last week and three weeks of relative calm for her government. The Fin
PetroChina to review stake
PetroChina has revealed it is assessing the feasibility of the Browse liquefied natural gas project after Woodside Petroleum's decision on Friday to scrap its $45 billion-plus development at James Price Point in Western Australia. The Fin
Woodside 'obliged' over $1.5bn social deal
Woodside, its joint-venture partners and the Barnett government are ‘‘morally obliged’’ to pay out a $1.5 billion social benefits package attached to the aborted plan for a gas hub north of Broome. The Aus
Rents and availability on the rise
Perth rents have continued to rise, with the latest Real Estate Institute of WA figures revealing an overall median rent jump of almost 12 per cent on the same time last year to $470 a week. The West
Top Resources Headlines
PetroChina to review stake
PetroChina has revealed it is assessing the feasibility of the Browse liquefied natural gas project after Woodside Petroleum's decision on Friday to scrap its $45 billion-plus development at James Price Point in Western Australia. The Fin
Woodside 'obliged' over $1.5bn social deal
Woodside, its joint-venture partners and the Barnett government are ‘‘morally obliged’’ to pay out a $1.5 billion social benefits package attached to the aborted plan for a gas hub north of Broome. The Aus
Norilsk WA takes big spanking
Russian mining giant Norilsk Nickel has taken another hit to its Australian assets, announcing further writedowns as it prepares to close its remaining WA mine. The West
Bad weather dries up iron ore and coal shipments
Australia's largest miners are poised to report weaker iron ore and coal shipments in the March quarter due to bad weather in Western Australia and Queensland. The Fin
Sundance vows no retreat in Cameroon
The chief executive of Australia’s Sundance Resources has assured the Cameroon government it will continue with its iron ore project in the West African nation, despite the collapse of talks with China’s Hanlong Group. The Aus
Top Politics Headlines
Schools reform shameful: Barnett
Colin Barnett has declared he would be “nuts” to agree to Julia Gillard's education reforms as he launched a blistering attack on the Prime Minister. The West
Labor primary vote slips to disastrous 29pc
Labor's primary vote has fallen below 30 per cent for the first time in almost a year despite Julia Gillard's successful trip to China last week and three weeks of relative calm for her government. The Fin
Buswell blames unions for high costs of business
“Exhorbitant and ridiculous” claims for pay and conditions by the Maritime Union of Australia contributed to WA's new and unwanted reputation as a high-cost place to do business, Treasurer Troy Buswell claimed yesterday. The West
Uni chancellor fears for standards after funding cut
Cuts to tertiary funds will make it harder for the Gillard government to meet key targets to boost universities, University of WA chancellor Michael Chaney says. The West
Top Property Headlines
Rents and availability on the rise
Perth rents have continued to rise, with the latest Real Estate Institute of WA figures revealing an overall median rent jump of almost 12 per cent on the same time last year to $470 a week. The West
Anger over state plan to double Gracetown
A battle to preserve Gracetown as one of the South West's most idyllic coastal towns is heating up after the state government's development agency moved a step closer in its bid to double the size of the secluded hamlet. The West
Leighton arm to pay back $800m
The esteemed global executive hand-picked by Spanish construction giant ACS to resurrect Leighton’s embattled Middle Eastern operation has vowed that the worst is over for the joint venture and that the business will be able to repay more than $800 million in debts to the Australian construction giant. The Aus
The West Australian
Page 1: Colin Barnett has declared he would be “nuts” to agree to Julia Gillard's education reforms as he launched a blistering attack on the Prime Minister.
Page 3: Parents' faith in flu vaccinations for children was shattered by the fast-tracked rollout of a vaccine in 2010 that permanently brain damaged one WA child and gave 250 others serious reactions, a WA Health Department official says.
Perth Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi says she will name and shame eateries that fail to offer good service after using social media to attack hospitality at a Perth cafe at the weekend.
Page 5: WA's top judge has warned that the state's highest court could be hit by a backlog of cases unless a new judge is appointed to fill a position that has been vacant for more than six months.
Sightseers will be able to fork out $70 to enjoy an hour gliding along the Perth foreshore after the state government yesterday permitted Segway tours on shared paths.
Page 6: The fallout from Woodside abandoning the Kimberley LNG hub descended into bitter recriminations yesterday, with Aboriginal elders complaining of betrayal, the state government blaming unions and industry warning of higher domestic gas prices.
“Exhorbitant and ridiculous” claims for pay and conditions by the Maritime Union of Australia contributed to WA's new and unwanted reputation as a high-cost place to do business, Treasurer Troy Buswell claimed yesterday.
Page 7: A highly-respected Aboriginal woman who became the face of the pro-James Price Point gas hub feels betrayed by Woodside, her own people and protesters who waged war on the project.
Page 8: Cuts to tertiary funds will make it harder for the Gillard government to meet key targets to boost universities, University of WA chancellor Michael Chaney says.
Page 11: Indonesia's Lion Air, which had a passenger jet miss a runway and crash into the sea while landing in Bali, has aspirations to fly to Perth and within Australia.
Notoriously media-wary billionaire Gina Rinehart was seen holding court at one of Perth's annual high-profile social events yesterday, despite security measures intended to shield her from photographers and other guests.
Page 12: Perth rents have continued to rise, with the latest Real Estate Institute of WA figures revealing an overall median rent jump of almost 12 per cent on the same time last year to $470 a week.
Page 13: It is safe to venture into Northbridge, according to Police Minister Liza Harvey, ahead of a trial of street ambassadors in the popular nightspot.
The cafe sector is forecast to keep growing in the next five years as coffee drinkers take their love affair with caffiene to a new level, according to IBISWorld research.
Page 14: A battle to preserve Gracetown as one of the South West's most idyllic coastal towns is heating up after the state government's development agency moved a step closer in its bid to double the size of the secluded hamlet.
Business: Russian mining giant Norilsk Nickel has taken another hit to its Australian assets, announcing further writedowns as it prepares to close its remaining WA mine.
Credit Suisse says divestments by global miners and increased consolidation loom as major influences on the Australian resources scene over this year.
Gold stocks face punishment today after bullion's biggest one-day loss in more than a year reinforced signs that the metal's 12-year rally is finally running out of puff.
With all attention on its confirmation of Friday that the Browse project would not be developed at James Price Point, Woodside has quietly thrown its hat in the ring to build an LNG export terminal on Canada's west coast.
The European Union will tell its counterparts in the Group of 20 that a shaky economic recovery needs renewed commitment to budget cuts and other structural reforms.
The Australian Financial Review
Page 1: Labor's primary vote has fallen below 30 per cent for the first time in almost a year despite Julia Gillard's successful trip to China last week and three weeks of relative calm for her government.
Western Australia and Queensland pose the biggest obstacle to a comprehensive deal between Julia Gillard and the states on school funding, causing the Prime Minister to extend by more than two months the deadline for her $14.5 billion package.
Federal government plans to help pay for increased school funding by capping tax deductions for self-education could deter professionals from investing in MBA courses, warn graduate schools and tax experts.
Page 3: The Fair Work Commission has rejected attempts by construction firm Bechtel to keep the Maritime Union out of the $20 billion liquefied natural gas project on Queensland's Curtis Island, amid threats of an escalating industrial dispute.
Page 7: Public schools will be the big winners under Prime Minister Julia Gillard's $14.5 billion plan to put Australia among the top five countries for reading, maths and science.
Page 8: The Business Council of Australia says Labor's cuts to university funding are a “blunt instrument” that will hit the sector hard, and called for a comprehensive audit of government spending.
Page 11: A second former head of Ford Australia has predicted the demise of local car manufacturing.
Page 13: The powerful superannuation funds behind the $5.1 billion purchase of two NSW ports have warned the pace of privatisation in Australia is lagging the rapid accumulation of superannuation capital, forcing them to invest in infrastructure assets coming up for sale in markets from Europe to the US.
The head of Dairy Farmers' Milk Co-operative has warned Coles that it will need to be “really, really good boys” if it wishes to end criticism over selling milk at $1 a litre, despite the supermarket's tie-up with rival co-operative Murray Goulburn.
Page 15: Offshore investors have been cashing in on Telstra's strong share price, selling nearly $3 billion in share in Australia's biggest telco over the past 18 months.
Australia's largest miners are poised to report weaker iron ore and coal shipments in the March quarter due to bad weather in Western Australia and Queensland.
Page 16: PetroChina has revealed it is assessing the feasibility of the Browse liquefied natural gas project after Woodside Petroleum's decision on Friday to scrap its $45 billion-plus development at James Price Point in Western Australia.
Leighton Holdings' controlling shareholder, Germany's Hochtief AG, has moved to ease concerns that it will exert more influence over the Australian construction company after the resignation of its chairman and two other directors last month.
The Australian
Page 1: Julia Gillard will face her state and territory counterparts on Friday in a showdown over school funding reforms, with three of the largest states yesterday rejecting the initial offer to help boost funding by $14.5 billion over the next six years.
Universities across the country have united to condemn the Gillard government’s weekend cuts, which will rip $2.3 billion out of higher education and student support.
Woodside, its joint-venture partners and the Barnett government are ‘‘morally obliged’’ to pay out a $1.5 billion social benefits package attached to the aborted plan for a gas hub north of Broome.
Page 2: Confidential Liberal Party polling has exposed diving support for federal Labor in key Victorian seats with once unwinnable electorates for Tony Abbott turning against the ALP as voters reject Julia Gillard.
Page 4: The Gonski education package involves a significant increase in long-term public spending although the government has structured it to minimise the short-term damage to the budget.
Labor's $14.5 billion overhaul of school funding would provide $9271 for every primary school student and $12,193 for each secondary school student with additional loadings paid to those schools classified as disadvantaged.
Page 5: The nation’s two most populous states have vowed to negotiate with the Gillard government on education reform but the $14.5 billion plan has been savaged as a ‘‘mirage’’ by Queensland and a ‘‘terrible deal’’ for Western Australia.
Tony Abbott has committed to making improved state and federal relations a key election issue after Queensland Premier Campbell Newman slammed the commonwealth’s education announcement as typical of the sad state of intergovernmental relations.
Page 6: The company behind Australia’s largest mainland LNG development, the Darwin based Ichthys development, has reaffirmed its commitment to the $34 billion project and declared it is ‘‘well placed’’ to resist spiralling cost pressures.
Business: The esteemed global executive hand-picked by Spanish construction giant ACS to resurrect Leighton’s embattled Middle Eastern operation has vowed that the worst is over for the joint venture and that the business will be able to repay more than $800 million in debts to the Australian construction giant.
Skyrocketing costs combined with falling capital productivity for resource projects are dragging down Australia’s overall economic performance, a new report has revealed.
The Bank of Japan’s monetary tsunami threatens to reach Australia and force the Reserve Bank to consider how it should deal with the Australian dollar taking a sharp jump higher.
Australia's ambition of becoming a major food bowl for Asia is facing significant challenges and urgent attention is needed to address a lack of productivity in the farming sector, according to the local head of agribusiness giant Monsanto.
The global chairman of Boston Consulting Group says the top brief from clients is finding ways for companies to enter the international stage, and demand for this has kept his firm growing at 12 per cent a year since the financial crisis.
The chief executive of Australia’s Sundance Resources has assured the Cameroon government it will continue with its iron ore project in the West African nation, despite the collapse of talks with China’s Hanlong Group.
The Sydney Morning Herald
Page 1: Paul Hogan is accusing his former tax adviser of taking off with $US34 million ($A32 million) he helped Hogan hide in offshore tax haves. Prime Minister Julia Gillard is facing hostility from some coalition states over her announcement of $14.5 billion in education funding. A new Fairfax-Nielsen poll shows support for the Gillard government has slipped.
Page 2: A young man out on his bucks' night has died in an accident at a Sydney pub. A Canadian astronaut has been tweeting images from space, including of the Great Barrier Reef.
Page 3: More on the Paul Hogan page one story.
World: More questions are being raised about the safety of Indonesian aircraft after a plane crashed in Bali.
Business: Two big insurers are brawling over fees charged by comparison sites ahead of potential public listings.
Sport: Western Sydney Wanderers coach Tony Popovic is happy his team is meeting Central Coast Mariners in the A-League grand final.
The Daily Telegraph
Page 1: A man has fallen to his death during a bucks night at a pub in Sydney over the weekend. Prime Minister Julia Gillard is promising $5 billion in funding to boost to NSW schools.
Page 2: Two more asylum seeker boats have been intercepted in Australian waters. A woman whose cousins died in a house fire has appeared on The Voice television show.
Page 3: A federal program that was supposed to reward high performing schools has been watered down.
World: China and the US have promised to work together to try to defuse nuclear tensions on the Korean peninsula.
Business: It looks like the Aussie sharemarket is in for a frustratingly slow recovery from the global financial crisis.
Sport: The Western Sydney Wanderers are a chance of selling out Allianz Stadium for their clash against the Central Coast Mariners on Sunday.
The Age
Page 1: Support for the federal government has slipped further with the latest Nielsen poll putting support for Labor at 29 per cent, two percentage points down on the last poll. An increasing number of people are driving solo in peak-hour traffic, incurring fines for using bus and transit lanes, yet the state government has scrapped a $5.4 million plan to set up 110 car pooling schemes, an internal document shows.
Page 2: Prime Minister Julia Gillard's partner Tim Mathieson escaped serious injury after he hit a roundabout too fast on a motorcycle he was riding for a charity event.
Page 3: Crocodile Dundee star Paul Hogan has accused his once trusted tax adviser of absconding with the $US34 million ($A32 million) he helped Hogan hide in offshore tax havens.
World: More questions have been raised about the safety of flying in Indonesia as an investigation was launched into a Lion Air plane that crashed into the sea in Bali.
Business: Australia's biggest health insurer, Medibank Private, and largest insurance broker, iSelect, have engaged in a brawl over fees charged by comparison sites as both companies prepare for potential public listings.
Sport: Richmond has declared it will continue to embrace the high expectations of its finals-starved fans ahead of Saturday's blockbuster against Collingwood.
The Herald Sun
Page 1: The conservative states have expressed concern over the federal government's $14.5 billion schools funding announcement. Undefeated this year, the Tigers are off to their best start to the AFL season since 1995.
Page 3: A rapist charged with a recent murder was free on parole at the time of the alleged offence. Police are looking for a motorcyclist following a hit and run. A Melbourne mother is looking for the Good Samaritan who helped her rescue her son when his pram rolled into the Yarra river. There will be free public transport to help people attend the Anzac Day dawn service next week.
World: The mother of a six-year-old boy killed in the Newtown school shooting in the US has made a plea from the White House for action to combat gun violence. Poland has unveiled a statue of the late Pope John Paul II, said to be the largest in the world of the Polish pontiff.
Business: Rapid-fire cost cutting in Australia's iron ore and coal industries spurred a long-needed productivity burst in the three months to December, a report says.
Sport: A stunning 15-goal-to-six second half set up a 55-point win for the Hawks over Collingwood.
