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Jab to unlock travel freedom
Scott Morrison is pushing the states to lift domestic COVID-19 restrictions on fully vaccinated Australians as part of a road map to entrench more freedom of movement within Australia and eventually lead to the reopening of international borders. The Fin
PM pounces on Labor tax grab
Plans by the Victorian government to increase property taxes by $2.5 billion to help pay down debt will harm confidence in the already badly shaken state and should serve as a warning against voting for federal Labor, Scott Morrison says. The Fin
PM’s international travel talk can’t sway McGowan
Foreign students and workers will be permitted into Australia ahead of the return of widespread international travel under a “sliding scale” being developed by the Commonwealth Government — but it appears unlikely to win the backing of Premier Mark McGowan. The West
Funds could face court over spending
The prudential regulator is considering whether to take super funds to court for potentially wasting money on marketing or sponsoring sporting teams, as it aims to wrap up a probe into controversial spending in the next few weeks. The Fin
Universities support plan to bring back foreign students
WA universities want a uniform approach to the return of international students, amid concerns the State will face a big economic loss if it trails behind national guidelines. The West
Australia can’t keep virus out forever, Virgin chief warns
Virgin Australia chief executive Jayne Hrdlicka has pushed for borders to reopen once vaccines are rolled out, saying Australia needs to adopt the idea of COVID-19 infiltrating the community even if ‘‘some people may die’’. The Fin
Miners deliver record $39bn windfall to boost government bottom lines
Australian mining companies delivered a record $39.3bn windfall for federal and state governments last year, with surging demand for iron ore offsetting a decline in the value of metallurgical and thermal coal exports. The Aus
AMP ramps up spin-off strategy
AMP is moving ahead in a process to spin off its $53bn private markets unit, with a committee ramping up separation and brand planning and the board accelerating an executive search for a leader of the unit. The Aus
Private school boom times
New enrolments at WA private schools have increased at twice the rate as those in public schools in the past 12 months. The West
Ex-Austal boss’ new gig
Austin Engineering’s boss is heading for the exit as the truck bodybuilder shifts headquarters from a Brisbane riverside building to Kewdale. The West
The Australian Financial Review
Page 1: Plans by the Victorian government to increase property taxes by $2.5 billion to help pay down debt will harm confidence in the already badly shaken state and should serve as a warning against voting for federal Labor, Scott Morrison says.
Page 3: The prudential regulator is considering whether to take super funds to court for potentially wasting money on marketing or sponsoring sporting teams, as it aims to wrap up a probe into controversial spending in the next few weeks.
Page 6: The federal government is poised to rename its reverse mortgage product and run an awareness campaign so that more retirees ‘‘unlock’’ their home equity to fund their post-work lifestyles, while remaining in their home.
Page 8: Crown Resorts management ‘‘lied’’ and used delay tactics to stymie an investigation into the 2016 arrests of 19 China-based staff, the Victorian gambling regulator told the Crown Resorts royal commission yesterday.
Page 11: Subsidies that could top $2 billion should ensure Australia’s two remaining oil refiners remain open for at least another six years – but the generous package has raised questions about the cost of propping up the unprofitable plants and has failed to eliminate worries about fuel security.
Page 13: Blackstone has been forced to retreat and reconsider its offer for Crown Resorts after the gambling giant formally rejected its takeover bid yesterday, effectively ending the bidding war that broke out over the embattled gambling giant last week.
Page 16: Virgin Australia chief executive Jayne Hrdlicka has pushed for borders to reopen once vaccines are rolled out, saying Australia needs to adopt the idea of COVID-19 infiltrating the community even if ‘‘some people may die’’.
Page 17: Explosives and fertiliser maker Incitec Pivot has posted a 44 per cent dive in first-half net profit to $36.4 million, after it was hit by COVID-19-related delays and unplanned outages.
Page 18: New data show salaries are booming for some technology roles where companies are scrambling to find the people needed in a COVID-19-tightened market, with tech industry leaders warning that skilled immigration visa laws are failing to keep pace with evolving demand.
The Australian
Page 1: Scott Morrison is pushing the states to lift domestic COVID-19 restrictions on fully vaccinated Australians as part of a road map to entrench more freedom of movement within Australia and eventually lead to the reopening of international borders.
Page 3: Nestle Purina has unveiled a Bluetooth-connected dog bowl that uses machine learning to keep track of Fido’s eating habits.
Page 4: Filling the massive excess job vacancies created in the wake of the COVID-19 recession would slash nearly half a percentage point off unemployment and take the jobless rate to 5.2 per cent, according to one of the country’s top labour market economists.
Australian mining companies delivered a record $39.3bn windfall for federal and state governments last year, with surging demand for iron ore offsetting a decline in the value of metallurgical and thermal coal exports.
Page 13: AMP is moving ahead in a process to spin off its $53bn private markets unit, with a committee ramping up separation and brand planning and the board accelerating an executive search for a leader of the unit.
Page 14: Private equity firm TPG Capital is believed to be rethinking its position in the competition to buy Westpac’s car loans business, which is now likely to have Liberty Financial as a solo bidder.
Page 15: Property funds manager Charter Hall is defying sceptics about the future of office buildings and is chasing one of the largest office portfolio purchases of the year, with a $750m deal in its sights.
The West Australian
Page 3: New enrolments at WA private schools have increased at twice the rate as those in public schools in the past 12 months.
Local Government Minster John Carey fears the City of Canning could be heading down the same path that led to its entire council being sacked in 2014.
Page 6: Foreign students and workers will be permitted into Australia ahead of the return of widespread international travel under a “sliding scale” being developed by the Commonwealth Government — but it appears unlikely to win the backing of Premier Mark McGowan.
Page 7: Homes and businesses in the lower half of the State are guaranteed to be plagued by blackouts this week after Western Power said its dispute with the Electrical Trades Union had forced it to cancel maintenance work.
Page 8: Court applications to evict more than 460 families were lodged in the first month after WA’s rental moratorium ended as some landlords scrambled to cash in on the red-hot rental market.
Page 9: Nationals MP Vince Catania has slammed the “bureaucracy” surrounding Tourism WA, calling for reform of the beleaguered organisation.
Page 10: China’s newly appointed consul-general in Perth says he believes the United States “will not go to war” with China over Taiwan.
Business: Austin Engineering’s boss is heading for the exit as the truck bodybuilder shifts headquarters from a Brisbane riverside building to Kewdale.
WA universities want a uniform approach to the return of international students, amid concerns the State will face a big economic loss if it trails behind national guidelines.