Plenty of words about spin this morning as the pundits delight in the absurdity of government ministers who won’t say the “billion” word.
PICK OF THE MORNING’S STORIES
AUSTRALIA
Mr Fix-it out to prove it’s not spin – Sydney Morning Herald
Workers slam Rudd policy – The Australian talks to some workers about retirement age
POLITICS AND ECONOMICS
AUSTRALIA
Revolt by unions on work to 67 – The Australian
Labour, business hail employee share backdown foreshadowed by Assistant Treasurer Chris Bowen – The Australian
Changes ‘defeat’ simpler tax plan – more people will need help of an accountant – The Australian
It’s back to basics for employee share plans – Sydney Morning Herald
Labor to revamp share-scheme tax – Melbourne Age
Government U-Turn on changes to employee share plans – Melbourne Herald Sun
Infrastructure projects
Mr Fix-it out to prove it’s not spin – Sydney Morning Herald
Melbourne’s $4.3bn rail link to dwarf cost of cross-country route – The Australian
PM’s 35,000 construction sites – to roll out in the next 12 months – The Australian
Light rail extension could run within a year – a proposal to extend Sydney’s light rail line is about to go to a key NSW cabinet committee – Sydney Morning Herald
Minister backs local jobs in bid to head off union brawl – Melbourne Age
Aboriginal Affairs
They might have gone for different leads but both have put Aboriginal matters on page one
Macklin lays down law on town camp seizures – Jenny Macklin says she has taken her toughest stand as Indigenous Affairs Minister by telling the Tangentyere Council she will compulsorily acquire the town camps of Alice Springs unless it accepts her $125 million offer to upgrade them. – The Australian
Macklin cites camp horrors – Melbourne Age
Pearson brothers face off over Cape – and World Heritage listing – The Australian
Territory land resumption ‘clearly discriminatory’ – Sydney Morning Herald
A hint of strange things
RBA link to tax-haven payments – the Melbourne Age looks at some payments to agents for the bank’s note printing technology
Victoria has become a dirty state: Baillieu – Melbourne Age
PM blocks diplomatic posting – Melbourne Age
Hard times
Sydney families forced onto streets as recession hits hard – Sydney Daily Telegraph
Health
Government cool on hospital takeover – and instead will seek control of other health areas including outpatient care and community health services.
Hospital takeover canned – Melbourne Age
Mentally ill violent offenders ‘lost’ by Queensland Heath – Brisbane Courier Mail
Opinion
Voters wary of same old Labor – Glen Milne, The Australian
We’re sunk if commodity prices fall – David Uren in The Australian
Spun out – Paul Kelly, The Australian
When the heat is on, bushfire bureaucrats duck for cover – David Burchell, The Australian
Abbott foray will highlight tussle within Coalition – Phillip Coorey, Sydney Morning Herald
Shhh … don’t mention bad economic news – Ross Gittins argues the Government is doing a good job of keeping the lid on recession pessimism. Sydney Morning Herald
ELSEWHERE
Opinion
The Case for Working With Your Hands – Changes in the economy have had the surprising effect of making the manual trades more attractive as careers argues Matthew B. Crawford in The New York Times
Protection
Trade wars: Kiwis’ standard of living at risk – Dominion Post, New Zealand
BUSINESS
Competition regulator rues mega-bank might as Commonwealth Bank/BankWest and Westpac/St George Bank — took a combined 85 per cent of Big Four mortgage growth – The Australian
Qantas to ditch long-haul first class – The Australian
Inquiry into bosses who fail to pay super – Sydney Morning Herald
MEDIA
ABC web centres a threat to investors – The Australian
Green spin on cost cuts – Media Diary in The Australian
News website for bloggers to punch above its weight – The Australian
Regional people in black hole – Mark Day on the government’s still emerging plans for digital television – The Australian
Oprah’s love of Amazon Kindle fuels eBook interest – Downloading books by wi-fi will soon be changing the way the UK reads says Daily Telegraph, London
Michael Haneke’s ‘The White Ribbon’ wins Palm D’Or – The Times, London
‘In the Sudan famine, people would die as you were filming‘ – New author Ben Brown tells The Independent why he feels such guilt over his war reporter years
ENVIRONMENT
‘Stop eating lamb and drinking beer if you want to save the planet’ – Daily Telegraph, London, quotes a government adviser
Jobs boom to follow $31b of investment following the introduction of an emissions trading scheme – Sydney Morning Herald
LIFE
Dark deeds
Oxford poetic election sex row – London Sunday Times
Swine flu
Swine flu plea to keep kids home – when returning from countries where flue prevalent – The Australian
Swine flu holiday ban hits children – Sydney Morning Herald
Parents slam authorities’ flu response – Melbourne Age
Flu danger is real, this year and every other year – Editorial, Melbourne Age
Diets
PM Kevin Rudd’s wife Therese Rein shows off slim new look – Sydney Daily Telegraph
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