Pioneer Credit sold for a song after CEO cops 50 per cent pay rise
Pioneer Credit chief executive Keith John will receive a 50 per cent pay rise after a tumultuous year for the debt collection firm which culminated in the company agreeing to be acquired by The Carlyle Group for 26 per cent less than its last traded price. The Fin
Lenders told to check spending
Lenders should be asking customers to prove they can save money and afford loans by sending their children to public schools or cancelling their Netflix subscriptions under new responsible lending guidelines released yesterday. The Fin
Every child a priority for schools
WA public schools will be expected to push every child to reach their full potential instead of “cruising”, according to a blueprint of Education Department priorities for the next five years. The West
Legend rises on drill result
Shares in Legend Mining have soared after the explorer reported encouraging drill results from its Rockford project in the Fraser Range. The West
Foreign aid priorities under review
Australia’s $4 billion foreign aid budget is set for an overhaul, as the Morrison government begins a review of its international development policy priorities. The Fin
Gordon, Catalano move to sink Prime-Seven merger
Bruce Gordon and Antony Catalano are moving to torpedo the merger of Seven West Media and Prime Media with combined shareholdings that are sufficient to block the deal even though neither is able to launch an alternative bid. The Fin
Ballot Gryll-ing for ex-pollie
Former WA Nationals leader and Pilbara MLA Brendon Grylls has failed in his first bid to run for a public office since he lost his seat after being told he was ineligible to stand for a place on the Port Hedland Chamber of Commerce committee. The West
Government defends R&D law changes
Industry, Science and Technology Minister Karen Andrews has defended the government against accusations from the local tech sector that its proposed changes to research and development tax incentives do nothing to rectify problems with the scheme, claiming it has acted to encourage businesses to ‘‘back themselves’’ and invest more in R&D. The Fin
Accenture staff in limbo on job losses
The local boss of Accenture has warned his employees the US tech consulting giant risks getting ‘‘picked off’’ by rivals if it fails to lock down megadeals to manage all aspects of clients’ tech strategies in a speech that failed to address rumours of redundancies. The Fin
Uni to sue academic for public criticism
Failed mediation with a whistleblower academic will see Murdoch University sue its own staff member for compensation, in a move the National Tertiary Education Union has described as an attack on academic freedom. The Aus
The Australian Financial Review
Page 1: Lenders should be asking customers to prove they can save money and afford loans by sending their children to public schools or cancelling their Netflix subscriptions under new responsible lending guidelines released yesterday.
Page 2: Labor senator Tim Ayres has criticised the debate on industrial relations reform as lazy and complacent and urged Labor to consider the Scandinavian countries’ sector-wide bargaining model as a path towards workplace co-operation.
Page 4: Australia’s $4 billion foreign aid budget is set for an overhaul, as the Morrison government begins a review of its international development policy priorities.
Page 5: Federal Energy Minister Angus Taylor said he would not be bullied into dropping his plans for Australia to use carry-over credits that make it easier to reach international climate targets.
Western Australia’s environmental watchdog expects the state’s greenhouse gas emissions to rise in the short to medium term after it walked away from controversial carbon neutral project approval guidelines.
Page 6: Top-shelf legal advice warning company directors have a duty to act on climate change risk was studied by the federal government as recently as June, and coincided with warnings from the military about its capabilities being stretched due to global warming.
Page 8: Senior executives from the big four accounting firms have stood by their business practices, despite facing scrutiny over accountability, conflicts of interest, sexual harassment and staff conditions at the parliamentary inquiry into audit quality.
Page 9: The Morrison government’s expected surplus and potential second round of tax cuts could take a hit if downward revisions for wage growth forecasts are made in the mid-year budget update next Monday.
Page 13: Australia’s top chief executives say the federal government must intervene to stimulate the economy through infrastructure spending and tax cuts, and have lamented the nation’s failure to properly tackle climate change and to develop a strong innovation policy.
Bruce Gordon and Antony Catalano are moving to torpedo the merger of Seven West Media and Prime Media with combined shareholdings that are sufficient to block the deal even though neither is able to launch an alternative bid.
Former Kmart executive Andre Reich is expected to take embattled retailer The Reject Shop back to its discount variety roots as part of a strategy to restore sales growth and reverse a three-year slide in profits.
Page 16: UBank has joined forces with Basiq to predict the spending of Millennials and help them save money.
Pioneer Credit chief executive Keith John will receive a 50 per cent pay rise after a tumultuous year for the debt collection firm which culminated in the company agreeing to be acquired by The Carlyle Group for 26 per cent less than its last traded price.
Page 19: Industry, Science and Technology Minister Karen Andrews has defended the government against accusations from the local tech sector that its proposed changes to research and development tax incentives do nothing to rectify problems with the scheme, claiming it has acted to encourage businesses to ‘‘back themselves’’ and invest more in R&D.
Page 21: The local boss of Accenture has warned his employees the US tech consulting giant risks getting ‘‘picked off’’ by rivals if it fails to lock down megadeals to manage all aspects of clients’ tech strategies in a speech that failed to address rumours of redundancies.
The Australian
Page 2: Government aged-care policy is too reliant on “market forces” and “consumer choice” which aren’t delivering equitable improvements to older Australians’ lives, the aged care royal commission has warned.
Page 5: Failed mediation with a whistleblower academic will see Murdoch University sue its own staff member for compensation, in a move the National Tertiary Education Union has described as an attack on academic freedom.
Page 8: Donald Trump has issued a blunt warning to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un not to jeopardise their “special relationship”, saying Pyongyang risks “losing everything” if it resumes hostility towards the US.
Page 17: The leaders of Australia’s biggest accounting firms have been forced to defend the quality and independence of their audit practices and rebuff suggestions of conflicts of interest in offering clients both audit and non-audit services.
Page 19: One of Caltex’s largest shareholders has swung its support behind the company’s rejection of Couche-Tard’s $8.6bn takeover offer, saying chairman Steven Gregg had made the right move by leaving the door open for the Canadian suitor to return with a higher bid.
Page 20: BHP chief technology officer Diane Jurgens will leave the miner early next year, adding to incoming chief executive Mike Henry’s list of initial tasks.
Page 21: The corporate regulator has sought to remove uncertainty surrounding banks’ responsible lending obligations, providing a blueprint on the “reasonable” steps required for verification of income and expenses to keep lenders out of trouble.
A looming settlement between Westpac and the anti-money laundering regulator Austrac is being delayed by arguments over whether responsibility for the child exploitation scandal rests with the company’s board and senior executives or its middle management, a court has heard.
Page 25: A new start-up is aiming to make it easier and cheaper for people to write their wills, with SafeWill raising $1m from significant private investors including Wesfarmers director Mike Roche.
The West Australian
Page 11: The mining sector has praised Anthony Albanese for supporting Australia’s coal exports, saying it hopes it will usher in a new era of “pro-resources” rhetoric from Labor.
Page 16: It has long been associated with sprawling queues and kebab wrappers strewn about the pavement — but 393 Murray Street is about to get a “fantasy world” makeover.
WA public schools will be expected to push every child to reach their full potential instead of “cruising”, according to a blueprint of Education Department priorities for the next five years.
Page 18: Former WA Nationals leader and Pilbara MLA Brendon Grylls has failed in his first bid to run for a public office since he lost his seat after being told he was ineligible to stand for a place on the Port Hedland Chamber of Commerce committee.
Business: Fast-growing Perth company GenusPlus has hosed down prospects of a sharemarket float after taking on yet another business with the purchase of electrical contractor EC&M from administrators.
A2 Milk managing director Jayne Hrdlicka has stepped down after less than 18 months in charge of the New Zealand dairy group because of the amount of travel involved in the role.
Shares in Legend Mining have soared after the explorer reported encouraging drill results from its Rockford project in the Fraser Range.
Kalium Lakes says 19 per cent of its Beyondie potash project is complete after the company was cleared to begin drawing down $191 million in project debt funding.
