From the Crikey grapevine, the latest tips and rumours …

Computer says no at BT. BT Investment Management, 60% owned by Westpac, is doing well — profit for the March 31 half-year was up 104% to a tasty $22.84 million. But is there a black hole in the company’s $76 million IT revamp which seems to be running off the rails? Staff were told on Monday that the plan to integrate the company’s various platforms (to produce one seamless experience for customers) is now $19 million over budget. So cost cuts are underway, restructurings of the integration teams, with contractor numbers sure to be cut. No mention of that in the results for BT issued yesterday …

CORRECTION. We’ve heard back from BTIM in relation to this top above. The company states categorically that:

  • it  does not have a $76 million IT revamp program as described in the article
  • it does not have  a “plan to integrate the company’s various platforms …[which] is now $19 million over budget”.  BTIM in a manufacturer of product and does not operate platforms).

So we got that one wrong.

How much for a good croc yarn? Thanks to the Top End reader who let us know about price rises at Tips’ favourite newspaper, the NT News. It’s now $1.20 on weekdays, $2 on Saturday and $1.30 on Sunday. The paper ran big ads justifying the price hike, claiming the paper runs “a vast amount” of “essential” material (this is accompanied by a pic of Victorian socialite and budding celebrity diver Brynne Edelsten).

And with this enjoyable story yesterday, we say the paper’s well worth $1.20.

Naughty naughty. Our esteemed Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus was spoken to by airline security officers for not switching off his phone on a Qantas flight, a caller to radio 3AW claimed today. There was a suggestion that Dreyfus was asked repeatedly to turn it off, but the radio show reckoned his office said that was not the case.

Drug pedalling? Well at least we know whose drugs Tony Abbott is on. He’s been all over our TV screens in his cycling gear, part of the charity fundraiser Pollie Pedal. The event is sponsored by US-based drug company Amgen, so his breast has been Amgen-ed. A reader queried Abbott’s drug garments — “this from a former health minister and all”. We’ve looked into Amgen — it makes Epogen (for cancer and chronic kidney disease), Xgeva (for cancer), Prolia (for osteoporosis, etc). It looks like these drugs are making many people’s lives better (isn’t that what drugs do?), so Crikey says lay off Abbott on this one.

*Heard anything that might interest Crikey? Send your tips to boss@crikey.com.au or use our guaranteed anonymous form