‘Chinese AI security risk like Huawei’
Security analysts have urged the Albanese government to impose stringent controls on the use of Chinese developed artificial intelligence after start-up DeepSeek challenged Silicon Valley’s dominance of the technology arms race. The Fin
Living standards stuck until 2030: Deloitte
Living standards will not recover to pre-pandemic levels until 2030 despite record federal and state government spending, according to an analysis by Deloitte Access Economics, which further complicates Anthony Albanese’s bid for re-election. The Fin
Coalition vow to chase Israel free trade deal
The Coalition has pledged to kickstart free trade talks with Israel but has created some rare distance with the US by refusing to back Donald Trump’s plan to “clean out” Gaza by relocating Palestinians to neighbouring Arab countries. The Fin
Labor pledges $32m to keep AI firm here
The National Reconstruction Fund has taken a $32 million stake in artificial intelligence start-up Harrison.ai in a bid by the Albanese government to keep the revolutionary healthcare diagnostics company based in Australia. The Fin
Banks feel Trump heat on exiting UN climate pact
Australia’s big banks will not immediately follow North American lenders in quitting the UN-backed Net Zero Banking Alliance but believe climate targets must be made more realistic, amid a trans-Tasman push by Coalition MPs and New Zealand ministers to abandon the pact. The Aus
Minister commits to post-voice race to create jobs
The failed work-for-the-dole scheme that supports 40,000 Indigenous Australians with no requirements to work will be replaced by a real jobs scheme that encourages and supports private enterprise, Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy says. The Aus
Athletics civil war over whistleblower
Australia’s national athletics governing body has aimed a stinging rebuke at the WA Institute of Sport over its treatment of whistleblower Paul Burgess, urging the institute’s leadership to support the Olympic gold medal-winning coach and to be “transparent about its approach”. The Aus
WA tops national economy, bolstering Labor’s management
WA’s status as Australia’s leading economy has cemented Labor’s status as the better economic managers in the State, Premier Roger Cook claims. The West
Adviser stole $1m from clients’ super
Western suburbs corporate adviser, Anthony Torre, has admitted to ripping off multiple clients over years, plundering more than $1 million from their super accounts. The West
Casualties in DeepSeek induced rout
WA uranium players were the unlikely victim of snowballing market damage started by the emergence of a Chinese artificial intelligence startup many fear could have outsmarted Silicon Valley. The West
The Australian Financial Review
Page 3: Universities have warned Labor against a “witch-hunt” inquiry into governance or “knee-jerk” regulatory responses, rejecting union claims they have run off the rails.
Page 4: Liberal heavyweights say the Perth electorate of Curtin is the party’s best chance of reclaiming a seat from the teal independents at the looming federal election, thanks to a surge in volunteers and donations.
Page 6: The Albanese government faces pressure from researchers and a top health company to deal with fears over funding cuts and soaring costs, which they warn threaten to undermine the commercialisation of world-class Australian medical research.
Page 7: Superannuation funds will be subject to greater regulatory oversight following repeated episodes of poor service, and the immediate focus will be on the slow payment of death benefits and other insurance claims, as well as improving customer communication.
Page 7: Treasurer Jim Chalmers offered to exempt retired judges from his plan to increase the tax on superannuation accounts worth more than $3 million, but this was rejected by the Senate crossbench, which continues to demand greater concessions in return for support in the tax hike.
Page 9: The Australian Council of Trade Unions fears a push by major retailers to exempt senior staff from weekend rates and overtime could form a precedent for other industries, and has called for political parties to commit to protecting penalty rates.
Page 9: Labor and the Coalition have traded blows over support payments for employers taking on trainee workers, as the Business Council of Australia calls for bipartisan efforts to close skills gaps and strengthen the workforce.
Page 13: The AFL is negotiating with major gambling companies including ASX-listed Tapbcorp, Sportsbet and Entain, which owns the Ladbrokes and Neds brands, on a deal that would allow them to keep offering sports betting products in exchange for giving the sport a cut of the proceeds.
Page 13: Chemist Warehouse has raised investor expectations of bumper earnings growth and big margins ahead of its expected listing on the ASX, reporting sales of more than $5 billion in the last six months of 2024.
Page 15: Andrew Forrest has launched an off-market bid to acquire Red Hawke, the owner of a key iron ore deposit near Fortescue’s existing Pilbara mines, as part of a strategy to secure long-term growth on home soil.
Page 15: ANZ will miss out on a lucrative billion-dollar Commonwealth and state bond sale roles, deciding to put itself on the sidelines at a time when widening government deficits are increasing the volume of issuance.
Page 17: Visa and Mastercard are pushing back against the Reserve Bank’s attempt to force them to reveal to Australian businesses the fees they charge banks to process transactions on their privately owned networks.
Page 25: Fund manager RAM is going long on private hospitals despite the financial struggles faced by big operators such as Healthscope, arguing the sector still offers “wonderful fundamentals” and income returns about 7 per cent from the right assets.
The Australian
Page 4: Labor’s goal of achieving a superannuation guarantee of 15 per cent was purely “aspirational” and the party had “no plans” to move on the policy enshrined in its national platform, with Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones defending the decision to back away from an idea he previously said he would look at by the end of the current term.
Page 5: The Greens’ $10bn cash splash to make public schools “completely free” is a tone deaf contribution” to the education policy debate, with a misguided focus on extra funding rather than “how the money already in the system is actually spend”, according to experts from the nation’s top public policy think tanks.
page 13: The value of Australian carbon credits jumped nearly 30 per cent in 2024, a new report has found, as heavy emitters increased buying to meet their emission reduction requirements.
Page 15: The Australian Food and Grocery Council, the nation’s peak body representing supermarket suppliers, has removed its chief executive Tanya Burden with immediate effect.
Page 16: A Chinese AI company has wreaked global havoc on tech stocks as it launched a cheaper-built competitor to ChatGPT, resulting in over $US5bn ($800bn) being wiped from the world’s most valuable company, Nvidia.
Page 19: Some 700,000 retirees over 65 could be paying more tax than they should by not switching their super funds into retirement mode, the Super Members Council has warned.
Page 21: The university sector is ramping up pressure on Labor ahead of the federal election to make degrees more affordable, by scrapping a Coalition policy that increased student fees in some disciplines to incentivise students to train in high-demand fields.
The West Australian
Page 7: While they are by no means the next big thing in real estate, Cloverdale, Mandurah, Parmelia and Yokine are the only places in WA viewed as the shrewdest places to invest nationally, according to analytical firm Hotspotting.
Page 8: According to the new AFR/Freshwater strategy poll analysis, men aged 18-34 are more inclined to lean to the right of the political divide and back Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, while women in the same group are more left leaning.
Page 19: WA’s consumer watchdog has pledged to keep a close eye on the Pastoralists and Graziers Association as the lobby group hunts for a missing $2 million.
Page 20: An “unusual” shipment from the remnants of a major local mining operation will set sail from Esperance Port on Wednesday.
Page 21: Creditors are seeking nearly $9 million from the wreckage of collapsed builder Modco Residential, while looming court actions are set to shine a light on the company’s affairs.
Page 22: Some senior ANZ Group credit traders are departing the lender to move to Standard Chartered, according to sources.
Page 32: Consumer and technology industry groups have blasted the Federal Government’s planned online scam laws amid fears they are ambiguous and could make it tougher for victims to pursue compensation.
Page 34: The growing popularity of all-electric homes is behind Stockland’s upcoming $260 million estate in Beaconsfield, where there will not be a gas socket in sight.
