WA surplus nears $4b
WA’s budget surplus is climbing towards $4 billion as iron ore stretches its unexpectedly strong run into the last quarter of the financial year, potentially pumping another $800 million into Government coffers. The West
Bosses: sack the sex pests
Employers say moves by the Morrison government to make sexual harassment a sackable offence do not go far enough and they want a rewriting of unfair dismissal laws to enshrine a zero tolerance approach that would rule out compensation or reinstatement of offenders. The Fin
King to overhaul climate change body
Former Business Council of Australia president and energy executive Grant King, who championed the $80 billion LNG export industry in central Queensland, will overhaul the Climate Change Authority to drive Australia’s emissions reduction – only two years after the Morrison government almost scrapped the government body. The Fin
Austral hit as toothfish demand falls
WA-based Austral Fisheries profits dived 40 per cent last year, after worldwide COVID-19 lockdowns weighed on demand for its premium seafood products. The West
Pub giant keen to buy as it moves to an IPO
The chief executive of Australia’s second-biggest pub operator with 170 outlets says customer numbers are back to 100 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, with brisk activity at booming suburban venues offsetting quieter CBD trade. The Fin
Origin CEO not tempted by demerger
Origin Energy chief executive Frank Calabria has poured cold water on simmering speculation that the major energy supplier may take a tip from rival AGL Energy and consider splitting its business. The Fin
Call to ease foreign student work visa limits
International students should be able to work unlimited hours and foreign backpackers continue with the same boss for more than six months under a temporary easing of visa restrictions being sought by employers to address COVID-driven labour shortages until overseas travel resumes. The Aus
Rio chair to face Juukan anger
Rio Tinto chairman Simon Thompson is set for a torrid time as he fronts his final meeting of UK shareholders in London on Friday, with the company facing a big vote against its remuneration report amid ongoing anger at the board’s handling of the Juukan Gorge disaster. The Aus
Hotels back on track in 2023
Occupancy rates for Perth hotels won’t return to pre-COVID levels until 2023 — but this will still be earlier than other States, according to a report released today. The West
Rules for oil & gas rigs cop a tough overhaul
The Federal Government will legislate tougher rules for the decommissioning of oil and gas platforms, overriding efforts from energy producers to soften the changes. The West
The Australian Financial Review
Page 1: Employers say moves by the Morrison government to make sexual harassment a sackable offence do not go far enough and they want a rewriting of unfair dismissal laws to enshrine a zero tolerance approach that would rule out compensation or reinstatement of offenders.
Former Business Council of Australia president and energy executive Grant King, who championed the $80 billion LNG export industry in central Queensland, will overhaul the Climate Change Authority to drive Australia’s emissions reduction – only two years after the Morrison government almost scrapped the government body.
Page 7: Australian exports are forecast to fall by only a modest 1.2 per cent if the European Union imposes a carbon tariff on imports, new modelling shows.
Page 10: The Morrison government has been forced to overhaul Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout, after expert medical advice said the AstraZeneca drug should not be given to people younger than 50 because of fears of blood clots.
Page 16: The chief executive of Australia’s second-biggest pub operator with 170 outlets says customer numbers are back to 100 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, with brisk activity at booming suburban venues offsetting quieter CBD trade.
Page 19: Coles has cut prices on more than 250 products, fuelling fears of a price war as the second-largest supermarket chain attempts to regain lost market share and invigorate sales growth.
Page 20: Oil and gas producers will be subject to tougher liabilities and rules around dismantling old offshore platforms in an attempt to prevent a repeat of the Northern Endeavour fiasco in the Timor Sea, which is expected to cost taxpayers about $250 million.
Page 21: Origin Energy chief executive Frank Calabria has poured cold water on simmering speculation that the major energy supplier may take a tip from rival AGL Energy and consider splitting its business.
The Australian
Page 1: Peter Dutton says his top priority as Defence Minister is repairing an ADF-wide morale slump that has followed the Brereton report, reassuring the nation’s serving men and women that “the government has their back”.
Page 4: International students should be able to work unlimited hours and foreign backpackers continue with the same boss for more than six months under a temporary easing of visa restrictions being sought by employers to address COVID-driven labour shortages until overseas travel resumes.
Page 13: Scentre, owner of the local Westfield shopping centre empire, was hit by a 51 per cent vote against its pay practices as investors launched a first strike at its annual general meeting on Thursday.
Page 15: Australia will face tough competition for the holiday dollar when international travel restrictions lift, competing against multiple countries looking to reactivate their tourism industries as part of the recovery from the pandemic, according to a Deloitte report.
Page 16: Rio Tinto chairman Simon Thompson is set for a torrid time as he fronts his final meeting of UK shareholders in London on Friday, with the company facing a big vote against its remuneration report amid ongoing anger at the board’s handling of the Juukan Gorge disaster.
The West Australian
Page 6: A whistleblower claims junior surgeons at Perth Children’s Hospital are being forced to carry out non-urgent appendectomies in the early hours of the morning — unsupervised and often when they have already been working more than 20 hours — in an attempt to free up beds.
Page 16: Preschool children who spend a lot of time on smartphone and tablet screens are more likely to have behavioural and emotional problems, including poor sleep patterns.
Business: WA’s budget surplus is climbing towards $4 billion as iron ore stretches its unexpectedly strong run into the last quarter of the financial year, potentially pumping another $800 million into Government coffers.
WA’s small businesses have been offered reassurance from Australia’s banking watchdog that they will be spared a future lending squeeze, as regulators consider measures to cool a booming property market.
Occupancy rates for Perth hotels won’t return to pre-COVID levels until 2023 — but this will still be earlier than other States, according to a report released today.
One of Australia’s biggest and oldest family-owned agribusinesses is selling its east coast rock lobster business, to fund growth in its core protein lines.
The Federal Government will legislate tougher rules for the decommissioning of oil and gas platforms, overriding efforts from energy producers to soften the changes.
Cruise giant Carnival Corporation lost $US2 billion ($2.6b) in the first three months of 2021 as its corner of the travel industry remained closed in most of the world by the pandemic.
WA-based Austral Fisheries profits dived 40 per cent last year, after worldwide COVID-19 lockdowns weighed on demand for its premium seafood products.