China envoy urges unity on trade
Beijing’s ambassador has urged Australia to work closely with China in defiance of US President Donald Trump’s tariff war as fresh friction in bilateral ties emerged over a Chinese research ship sailing through Bass Strait. The Fin
Hedge funds intensify Healthscope fears
The arrival of international hedge funds in the contest for Healthscope is increasing concerns among doctors and landlords that the country’s second-largest private hospital operator could be broken up, creating a healthcare crisis in the middle of a federal election campaign. The Fin
Korean giant strikes out at gas intervention
The largest South Korean investor in Australia and one of the world’s biggest buyers of LNG has attacked political intervention in the domestic market and questioned whether it can rely on multi-billion dollar deals it has struck with local producers to buy energy. The Fin
Woolies closes price gap on Aldi
Supermarket giant Woolworths slashed its prices in March, meaning the gap between its groceries and those at discounter Aldi fell to its lowest level in two years amid pressure on market share and from politicians and regulators. The Fin
Dutton’s bid to be home loan ranger
Peter Dutton will direct the financial regulator to ease onerous home lending rules that are considered to be locking Australians out of the market and creating a class of “mortgage prisoners”, as the Liberal leader goes in to bat for young buyers who don’t have access to the “bank of mum and dad”. The Aus
ALP’s ‘private power price claim’
Anthony Albanese is refusing to say why he is sticking with his key climate targets despite jettisoning the modelling that underpinned them, as Labor was accused of privately assuring industry that electricity prices will fall over the next decade while failing to make the same promise publicly. The Aus
Homebuyers busy after rate cut
Property prices have increased for the second consecutive month after home buyers took advantage of the modest increase in borrowing power delivered by the February rate cut. The Aus
PM brings Labor party to Perth
Anthony Albanese’s second run at government will be officially launched in WA, with the Prime Minister dubbing the State a “central focus” in his bid for re-election. The West
Property price rises stagnate
Perth’s property values are now growing at half the national average — signalling the end of its five-year run as the darling of the Australian housing market. The West
Labor pushes the boat out on ferry plan
The Government has put out a tender for five electric vessels as part of a planned extension of the Swan River ferry service. The West
The Australian Financial Review
Page 3: The details of a multimillion-dollar annual payment made by Rio Tinto to the Indigenous owners of Juukan Gorge will remain a secret after federal regulators accepted an argument from the foundation established to oversee the money that transparency would put a price on cultural heritage.
Page 5: About 1.3 million low-paid workers will pay a higher rate of concessional tax on their superannuation than they will on their income under the Albanese government’s new tax cuts, prompting calls to extend the compensation scheme designed to avoid such a disparity.
Page 6: West Australian Premier Roger Cook has warned his federal counterparts against reviving any green reforms that would hurt his state’s mining sector after the prime minister promised to pursue a revised model of Labor’s controversial Nature Positive environment laws.
Page 9: The Albanese government is promising further workplace reforms that lead to higher wages, as it targets Peter Dutton’s plan for public sector job cuts and a return to office by comparing them to Elon Musks’s Department of Government Efficiency under Donald Trump.
Page 10: Former EY partner Peter White “lined his and his friend’s pockets” with secret commissions from clients by failing to disclose relationships he had with companies he used for facilitating illegal tax schemes, the Australian Tax Office alleges.
Page 14: The Reserve Bank of Australia says the ASX is not complying with important standards that are meant to prevent system failures in an escalation of regulatory concern about the sharemarket operator’s governance.
Page 14: Superannuation funds named as the worst offenders by the corporate regulator for not paying death benefits promptly to families of deceased members are also charging the highest administration fees.
Page 17: The chief executive of one of the country’s biggest health insurers, HCF, says the hospital system must deal with soaring costs even if it means fewer beds, as she warns against private equity being allowed to buy into healthcare.
Page 17: The chief executive of Nine Entertainment has voted in favour of selling real estate sales platform Domain – the media giant’s biggest single asset – to US property giant CoStar, paving the way for the deal to proceed.
Page 19: Advertising executive turned television star Todd Sampson is leaving the Qantas board, as the airline’s new chairman John Mullen ramps up his push to overhaul the company’s governance and bring in new directors.
Page 26: The Australian sharemarket tumbled yesterday as investors brace for Donald Trump’s largest slew of tariffs yet, which could trigger a meaningful economic downturn.
The Australian
Page 4: The Electrical Trades Union will run a $2 million advertising campaign in 12 marginal electorates, including Peter Dutton’s seat of Dickson, attacking the Opposition Leader’s “underpowered overpriced” nuclear policy.
Page 15: Crown Resorts chief executive David Tsai has called for a level regulatory playing field across the gaming sector, warning that new restrictions targeted solely at casinos will stymie investment.
Page 17: Australia’s biggest super funds are promising to clean up their acts in the wake of a scathing review that’s uncovered widespread failures in their handling of claims from customers dealing with the death of a loved one.
Page 17: Australia should focus on bolstering much-needed gas production rather than carving off supplies from the country’s LNG industry, which is already a major supplier to the domestic market, according to the head of Shell Australia.
Page 18: Banking major ANZ has brought forward the start date of its new chief executive Nuno Matos, who will not take on the top job on May 12.
The West Australian
Page 7: Public servants have nothing to fear about a sweeping departmental overhaul, Roger Cook has declared, as he vowed no jobs would be cut.
Page 7: Roger Cook has resumed talks with rugby league’s NRL over a deal to relocate a Sydney team to Perth, suggesting that the Federal Government should help fund a new stadium.
Page 17: Fortescue has backed a Swiss startup hatching plans to make environmentally sustainable plane fuel from green hydrogen and methanol, adding the aviation sector to Andrew Forrest’s growing decarbonisation list.
Page 17: Rio Tinto is reportedly keen to ride on the coattails of a deal in the Congo that could unlock a big piece of the world’s largest hard rock lithium deposit and save stranded shareholders of AVZ Minerals.
Page 18: Dyno Nobel is set to test a new “green” explosives delivery truck at Fortescue’s Solomon iron ore hub in the Pilbara.
Page 31: Chinese-linked investors have finally complied with a Federal Government order that they sell shares in the strategically important rare earths play Northern Minerals.
Page 31: WA biotech company Neurotech has secured the backing of the European Commission for its oral cannabinoid drug therapy aimed at treating Rett syndrome, a rare genetic disorder affecting the way the brain develops.
