Today's Newspapers

'Heroics' needed on major projects

One of the nation’s most powerful business leaders has urged the federal government to show more leadership in fixing infrastructure shortfalls, declaring that now is a time for ‘‘policy heroism’’ rather than managing a ‘‘genteel decline’’ in prosperity. The Aus

'Red Herrings' irritate judge

A Supreme Court judge has scolded the lawyers of fallen property tycoon Luke Saraceni for pursuing “red herrings” in a defamation action against KordaMentha, the receivers of his $500 million Raine Square tower. The West

Taxes 40pc of new home cost

Home builders are being swamped by government taxes and fees with research showing more than 40 per cent of the average new house price goes into local, state and federal government coffers. The West

Prospector's case prompts change to law

Wealthy Perth prospector Mark Creasy has triggered a change to the mining laws after he was found to be exploiting mineral tenements in Western Australia's Great Southern region. The Fin

Wireless networks rise as threat to NBN

The company building the National Broadband Network, already under fire for running late, has admitted it faces rising competition from wireless networks offering improved services and prices. The Aus

 

Top Resources Headlines

Lead exports to resume through Freo

Lead exports through Fremantle port could resume within weeks after the state's environmental watchdog gave the operator of WA's only lead mine the all-clear to restart shipments. The West

Prospector's case prompts change to law

Wealthy Perth prospector Mark Creasy has triggered a change to the mining laws after he was found to be exploiting mineral tenements in Western Australia's Great Southern region. The Fin

CITIC Pacific laughs of magnate's latest spray

China's CITIC Pacific has laughed off criticism of its business practices by Clive Palmer, dismissing the latest spray from the mining magnate as the product of his “sense of humour”. The West

Barnett pushes for transparency of native title deals

West Australian Premier Colin Barnett has warned mining companies they need to demand greater accountability from indigenous groups when they strike native title deals. The Fin

 

Top Politics Headlines

'Heroics' needed on major projects

One of the nation’s most powerful business leaders has urged the federal government to show more leadership in fixing infrastructure shortfalls, declaring that now is a time for ‘‘policy heroism’’ rather than managing a ‘‘genteel decline’’ in prosperity. The Aus

PM casts doubt over Barnett promises

Julia Gillard has undermined Premier Colin Barnett's key infrastructure election commitments, saying yesterday that he was not in a position to make any promises related to federal funding for the projects. The West

Concerns grow over super tax rises

Opposition is growing from crossbench MPs and Kevin Rudd's parliamentary supporters to the federal government's apparent plan to increase superannuation taxes. The Fin

We're different in the west, Barnett tells PM

Julia Gillard took the crackdown on migrant workers to the powerhouse state of Western Australia for the first time yesterday, but the reception was not the same as in western Sydney where the government road-tested it this month. The Aus

Labor faces annihilation in marginals

Labor's support among marginal seat voters has crashed in Queensland and Western Australia to levels similar to NSW, exposing it to the loss of all 24 marginal seats it holds across Australia and risking up to 15 more semi-marginal electorates. The Fin

 

Top Property Headlines

'Red Herrings' irritate judge

A Supreme Court judge has scolded the lawyers of fallen property tycoon Luke Saraceni for pursuing “red herrings” in a defamation action against KordaMentha, the receivers of his $500 million Raine Square tower. The West

Taxes 40pc of new home cost

Home builders are being swamped by government taxes and fees with research showing more than 40 per cent of the average new house price goes into local, state and federal government coffers. The West

$4.75m for historic Perth home

Mark Creasy's timber homestead in Perth's upmarket Peppermint Grove has been quietly put back on the market for $4.75 million. The Fin

 

The West Australian

Page 1: A colossal battle is emerging between the liquor industry and health advocates over a push by WA Police to cut pub trading hours and make it an offence for people to be drunk in licensed venues.

Page 3: Home builders are being swamped by government taxes and fees with research showing more than 40 per cent of the average new house price goes into local, state and federal government coffers.

Page 7: Julia Gillard last night extended a public olive branch to WA over the National Disability Insurance Scheme, declaring her “deep regret” the state was not chosen for a test site and praising the Barnett government for its reforms in the sector.

Julia Gillard has undermined Premier Colin Barnett's key infrastructure election commitments, saying yesterday that he was not in a position to make any promises related to federal funding for the projects.

Page 9: A major Pilbara council is in disarray after leaked emails surfaced on Facebook criticising its ability to deliver key infrastructure.

Page 13: Lead exports through Fremantle port could resume within weeks after the state's environmental watchdog gave the operator of WA's only lead mine the all-clear to restart shipments.

Page 14: The superannuation sector has launched a rearguard action against federal government moves to tap super funds to bring the budget back into the black.

Business: A Supreme Court judge has scolded the lawyers of fallen property tycoon Luke Saraceni for pursuing “red herrings” in a defamation action against KordaMentha, the receivers of his $500 million Raine Square tower.

China's CITIC Pacific has laughed off criticism of its business practices by Clive Palmer, dismissing the latest spray from the mining magnate as the product of his “sense of humour”.

Coles and Woolworths are under intense pressure to back down in their milk pricing standoff after the battle for supply forced dairy giant Fonterra to slash its Australian product range.

Goldman Sachs believes weaker share prices could persuade more resource companies seeking to raise cash to look beyond their traditional reliance on equity.

Global grain heavyweight Bunge will begin exports from Bunbury by the middle of next year as the WA industry prepares for the biggest shake-up in its history.

The board of Leighton Holdings has argued it remains independent in the wake of a fight with the company's majority owner Hochtief, which saw three directors quit.

Beadell Resources has been forced back into the capital markets after delays last year in the commissioning of its Brazilian gold mine put it in breach of its debt covenants.

 

The Australian Financial Review

Page 3: Opposition is growing from crossbench MPs and Kevin Rudd's parliamentary supporters to the federal government's apparent plan to increase superannuation taxes.

Page 4: The competition watchdog will respond to complaints against Woolworths and Coles before the end of the year, pledged chairman Rod Sims, who says he is “uncomfortable” that the retailers control 75 per cent of the grocery market.

Woolworths may sell cheese, butter and yoghurt sourced directly from dairy farmers around Australia if its plan to launch a new milk brand developed in conjunction with farmers is backed by consumers.

Page 6: Labor's support among marginal seat voters has crashed in Queensland and Western Australia to levels similar to NSW, exposing it to the loss of all 24 marginal seats it holds across Australia and risking up to 15 more semi-marginal electorates.

Page 10: Wealthy Perth prospector Mark Creasy has triggered a change to the mining laws after he was found to be exploiting mineral tenements in Western Australia's Great Southern region.

Mark Creasy's timber homestead in Perth's upmarket Peppermint Grove has been quietly put back on the market for $4.75 million.

Business Council of Australia president Tony Sheperd has lashed the Gillard government for failing to deliver long-term infrastructure policies to fix ailing productivity and has called for a return to the policy reforms of the Hawke, Keating and Howard governments.

Page 17: West Australian Premier Colin Barnett has warned mining companies they need to demand greater accountability from indigenous groups when they strike native title deals.

 

The Australian

Page 1: Aboriginal leader Noel Pearson has called for a federal takeover of indigenous affairs if the Queensland government fails to fund his radical Cape York Welfare Reform trial, amid evidence the program has cut crime rates, improved infrastructure and services and helped school attendance levels.

The company building the National Broadband Network, already under fire for running late, has admitted it faces rising competition from wireless networks offering improved services and prices.

One of the nation’s most powerful business leaders has urged the federal government to show more leadership in fixing infrastructure shortfalls, declaring that now is a time for ‘‘policy heroism’’ rather than managing a ‘‘genteel decline’’ in prosperity.

Page 2: Labor'sNational Broadband Network will be subjected to scrutiny of its prices and services under a looming decision by the competition regulator that refuses to cement the project’s settings for three decades, as the NBN Co has demanded.

Page 3: Rogue mining union officials wrote letters pledging CFMEU support for their former boss John Maitland’s ‘‘harebrained scheme’’ to construct a coalmine in NSW’s Hunter Valley in direct defiance of a directive to steer away from the ‘‘corrupt’’ plan.

Page 4: Woolworths’ plan to buy milk direct from dairy farmers so as to pay them higher prices has been slammed as a cynical marketing ploy that could ultimately increase business risk for primary producers.

Five years on from the global financial crisis, Australian households are still refusing to open their purse strings, sensibly choosing to save and pay off debt instead, the Reserve Bank said yesterday.

Page 6: Rank-and-file members are abandoning Queensland Labor in droves, further fuelling fears of an electoral wipeout of the Gillard government in the key battleground and damaging plans for a heavily manned grassroots campaign in the state.

Employers are bracing for a slew of union claims to cash in on the Gillard government’s $1.5 billion outlay on childcare and aged care amid accusations the spending was designed to boost union membership.

Julia Gillard took the crackdown on migrant workers to the powerhouse state of Western Australia for the first time yesterday, but the reception was not the same as in western Sydney where the government road-tested it this month.

Page 7: Climate commissioner Tim Flannery has dismissed concerns about possible health effects from wind farm noise, saying illness may be caused by stress or residents being ‘‘sick with envy’’ at not getting payment for turbines on their properties.

Business: TheReserve Bank has sounded a warning bell about declining credit standards in the top-end corporate market due to strong competition from Asian-owned banks.

The competition regulator has largely dismissed Qantas’s argument that its international operations faced ‘‘terminal decline’’ without an alliance with Emirates, even as it yesterday gave the deal final approval.

Underground coal gasification and mining company Linc Energy is looking to raise up to million ($238m) in unsecured convertible notes to develop its diverse range of assets across the globe.

UGL has received mixed reviews on a potential split of its property and engineering businesses.

China's growth needs to sink to about 3.5 per cent before it can claim its long-trumpeted ‘‘rebalancing’’ is truly in progress, says Michael Pettis, one of the most influential China-focused economists in the world.

Nufarm has flagged lower-than expected earnings for the remainder of the financial year, in a move that is bound to spark fears that its recent recovery might be short-lived.

Leighton Holdings’ latest annual report appears to have backed the view of its major shareholder Hochtief that it should have a say in the appointment of new independent directors, contradicting claims made by departed chairman Stephen Johns and two executive directors who resigned on Friday.

 

The Daily Telegraph

Page 1: Asylum-seekers are being offered free childcare and non-essential medical procedures while in detention.

Page 2: Advertisement.

Page 3: Motorists could save up to $200 by not filling up their petrol tanks on Thursdays or Fridays due to the jump in gas prices on those days.

World: Students in Cyprus have marched on the presidential palace in protest at the country's fiscal bailout package.

Business: Qantas shares have surged to their highest levels in a year following a deal with Emirates that was approved on Wednesday.

Sport: Bulldogs star Ben Barba says he's looking forward to getting back on the park on Friday night after a stint out of the game to deal with personal issues.

 

The Sydney Morning Herald

Page 1: Asylum-seeker families could be released into the community as a way to ease the pressure on increasingly strained border protection system.

Page 2: Labor MP Joel Fitzgibbon has voiced concerns about plans to tax the superannuation earnings of wealthy people.

Page 3: Television executive Rodney Hockey was allegedly bullied and intimidated by the owner of WIN Corporation, according to court documents. Scientists have been able to get close enough to a blue whale to attach a scientific monitor to it.

World: Cyprus is trying to figure out how it's going to move forward after the collapse of its banking and finance sector.

Business: The competition watchdog has approved a deal between Qantas and Emirates, and the carriers are now free to launch their alliance.

Sport: A deal that would have given Essendon players under investigation by ASADA a better deal than Sharks players was scrapped after protests from lawyers for Cronulla and the anti-doping body.

The Age

Page 1: Two new captains, two teams claiming to be on the way back to greatness and an expected crowd of 80,000 at the MCG brings to an end one of the most scandalous off-seasons in AFL history. State government documents reveal that there could be a toll on new lanes on the Eastern Freeway.

Page 2: Asylum seeker families could be released into the community to ease pressure on an overwhelmed budget and on the border protection system. Two-day-old baby has lifesaving five-hour surgery to remove an abdominal tumour.

Page 3: A policewoman who secretly dated a Hells Angels bikie while he was on bail for a violent crime has avoided the sack, to her bosses' dismay.

World: Euro bailout wipes out confidence in Cypriot banks amid fears investors will shun the island for years to come.

Business: Regulator gives Qantas the green light for its union with Emirates.

Sport: ASADA lawyers and NRL club Cronulla torpedo a deal for Essendon players to escape doping sanctions while Shark players would be given a minimum six-month ban.

The Herald Sun

Page 1: The parole of convicted killer Steven James Hunter had expired just nine days before he killed Sarah Cafferkey. Footy's back at the MCG tonight.

Page 3: Surgeons use a bone substitute to correct the shape of Chanel's skull so that she can look just like friends. CFMEU brings in a truck check list banning wheel rim damage or worn tyres from building sites, as its war with concrete giant Boral heats up.

World: Four dogs savage to death a UK schoolgirl.

Business: Reserve Bank tells Australians to keep saving and not to splurge their dough as the nation retreats from historic high debt levels.

Sport: Mick Malthouse declares his Carlton side is ready to let rip against Richmond at the MCG.

 

The Adelaide Advertiser

Page 1: One of South Australia's oldest pastoral families has won a David and Goliath battle to keep its farm, after a court ruled that the federal government could not take its land.

Page 3: Almost 80 new genetic risk markers for breast, prostate and ovarian cancers have been identified in a major medical milestone.

World: The US Supreme Court is struggling with the gay mariage issue for the first time in history.

Business: Reserve Bank board member Jillian Broadbent has raised concerns about key opposition policies to axe the carbon tax, the mining tax and bring work to a halt on the National Broadband Network.

Sport: Port Adelaide has defended its decision to hand fullback Alipate Carlile a whopping four-year contract, saying he is critical to its on-field success for the rest of the decade.