Wesfarmers regroups for customer focus
Wesfarmers is merging businesses and cutting costs to reinvest in lower prices and customer service as competition increases in the $300 billion retail sector and demand deteriorates in industrial and resources markets. The Fin
ALP risk to house values: PM
Malcolm Turnbull has warned Perth homeowners that the value of their properties will fall even further under a Labor government. The West
Perth to ride crest of hotel boom
Surging tourist numbers will spur the creation of more than 8000 new hotel rooms in Australia over the next 30 months, consultancy Deloitte says. Perth is likely to lead the surge, with 1900 of the total 8650 rooms expected between now and the end of 2018, Deloitte’s latest half-yearly Tourism and Hotel Market Outlook report reveals. The Fin
Proprietors ‘no longer dictate media policy’
Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation and Kerry Stokes’ Seven West Media have objected to the government’s plans after cabinet approved moves to loosen media ownership restrictions on Tuesday. The Fin
Asciano expects Qube, Brookfield bid
Asciano chief executive John Mullen said he would be disappointed if suitors Qube and Brookfield Infrastructure do not make a formal $9.05 billion joint takeover bid ‘‘pretty soon’’ as he prepares to take over the chairmanship of Telstra. The Fin
Colleges banned from speaking of student loans
Training colleges have been gagged from telling students they can pay for costly courses through the federal government’s student loans scheme. The Aus
The Australian Financial Review
Page 1: The Turnbull government will present its defence white paper as the centrepiece of an election strategy about jobs and local industry, arguing increasing strategic pressure and a reduced defence capability justify extra spending of $30 billion over 10 years.
Page 3: Telstra chairman Catherine Livingstone says her departure will help the company hit a ‘‘reset point’’ as it prepares to place bigger bets on technology ventures and overseas markets.
Page 6: Cutting the capital gains tax discount for superannuation funds would hurt younger savers with ordinary accounts while leaving wealthy DIY superannuants largely unscathed, welfare and industry groups say.
Page 7: Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation and Kerry Stokes’ Seven West Media have objected to the government’s plans after cabinet approved moves to loosen media ownership restrictions on Tuesday.
Page 16: Online trading providers need to attract new clients because there seems little hope of luring them away from other providers.
Page 19: Wesfarmers is merging businesses and cutting costs to reinvest in lower prices and customer service as competition increases in the $300 billion retail sector and demand deteriorates in industrial and resources markets.
Page 21: Flight Centre Travel Group is making its first major push into pure online travel brands in more than a decade, in an acknowledgement that not all consumers prefer the higher touch and higher margin service from traditional travel agents.
Page 22: A new financial technology industry body, Fintech Australia, has provided the federal government with a manifesto to build a thriving ecosystem that would help protect the financial services industry from disruption by global technology giants.
Page 23: Asciano chief executive John Mullen said he would be disappointed if suitors Qube and Brookfield Infrastructure do not make a formal $9.05 billion joint takeover bid ‘‘pretty soon’’ as he prepares to take over the chairmanship of Telstra.
Page 46: Surging tourist numbers will spur the creation of more than 8000 new hotel rooms in Australia over the next 30 months, consultancy Deloitte says. Perth is likely to lead the surge, with 1900 of the total 8650 rooms expected between now and the end of 2018, Deloitte’s latest half-yearly Tourism and Hotel Market Outlook report reveals.
The Australian
Page 1: A senior defence official was dispatched to brief Beijing on the concerns raised in Australia’s new defence white paper about escalating tensions in the South China Sea and the nation’s plans to spend $195 billion building a much more potent military force.
Page 3: Australia’s icebreaker was stranded last night after running aground in an Antarctic blizzard.
Page 4: Malcolm Turnbull has hardened his language against major reforms to negative gearing as Coalition MPs urge him to rule out changing the property tax rules, amid a damaging blunder in the government’s scare campaign against Labor.
Page 5: Training colleges have been gagged from telling students they can pay for costly courses through the federal government’s student loans scheme.
Page 19: Andrew Forrest’s Fortescue Metals Group — for so long the poor cousin of Pilbara iron ore heavyweights BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto — will challenge its arch rivals for the title of the world’s lowest-cost iron ore producer as it continues to counter falling iron ore prices with deep cost reductions.
Page 29: Rural Funds Group, Australia’s only listed diversified agricultural real estate investment trust, has indicated it will diversify into cattle stations, after posting a first half profit of $4.9 million.
Page 40: After leading the team he has shaped in his image to the summit of world cricket, Steve Smith has declared he wants not only to stay there but to extend the advantage at the top.
The West Australian
Page 3: Malcolm Turnbull has warned Perth homeowners that the value of their properties will fall even further under a Labor government.
Page 7: The State Government knew about water quality concerns at Elizabeth Quay’s BHP Billiton Water Park before it opened and issued its health permit just one hour before the ribbon was cut.
Motorists will pay an extra $99 a year from July for the family car under a no-fault third-party vehicle insurance scheme that will provide relief for anyone left catastrophically injured in a crash.
Page 9: Fresh concerns have been raised about prisoner transport in WA after a pregnant inmate escaped from custody at King Edward Memorial Hospital.
Page 11: Gary Gray has made an impassioned defence of proposed changes to the Senate election system, lamenting he lost the debate inside Labor against “dumb” arguments.
Page 13: Alannah MacTiernan’s 23-year parliamentary career with Labor appears over, with no appetite from key decision-makers in the WA party to find her a State seat, The West Australian can reveal.
Page 14: The new owners of Captain Cook Cruises want to expand its Swan River operations to include services to the new football stadium and the upgraded casino complex at Burswood.
