The Australian
The coalition has moved to within striking distance of Labor with a surge in
support following last week's budget, giving Scott Morrison momentum as he
prepares to call a May election.
Josh Frydenberg's budget has delivered a major pre-election boost for the
coalition, with more voters declaring they would be financially better off
rather than worse off and giving the strongest endorsement of a government's
economic blueprint in 11 years.
An emphasis on traditional explicit teaching methods for reading, spelling and
mathematics could help lift Australia's academic performance. The latest NAPLAN
results reveal a boost in the performance of indigenous students, shining a
spotlight on effective, evidence-based programs.
The coalition's 10 most at-risk MPs have spent nearly $450,000 of taxpayers'
money filling constituents' letterboxes with leaflets before next month's
federal election.
The Age
Voters have rated the federal budget as one of the fairest in years, with fewer
losers than any since 2006, but the response has failed to boost the Morrison
government as it trails Labor by 47 to 53 per cent.
A new electronic tracking system to monitor hazardous chemicals will be
introduced in Victoria, as residents cry out for action following a slew of
factory fires.
Two Australians, writers Yang Hengjun, who is currently detained in China, and
Sydney academic-writer Dr Feng Chongyi, were the targets of a Chinese government
intelligence operation conducted partly on Australian soil.
Indigenous students' literacy and numeracy skills have improved at twice the
rate of their peers over the past decade, new NAPLAN data shows.
A new flu test able to detect the most common strains of influenza within two
hours could save lives and help stop the spread of the viral infection,
Australian researchers say. Researchers have called for the test to be rolled
out nationally after a successful trial in four emergency departments in NSW.
The Financial Review
Australia's housing market contraction is worse than first thought, says a top
IMF analyst, leaving the economy in what he called a "delicate situation" that
boosts the need for faster infrastructure spending and even potential interest
rate cuts.
A federal government plan to raise the threshold at which private companies are
required to lodge accounts with the corporate regulator will only further crimp
the availability of credit to small business, industry experts warn.
Insurance companies are rushing to report themselves for breaches of their code
of conduct that requires them to be "honest and fair" to clients, in a surge
that may be prompted by the Hayne royal commission.
The average full-time worker earning $100,000 when the Morrison government's
planned personal income tax cuts take full effect in 2024 will be more than
$2000 a year worse off under a Labor government.
