Archived News for Finance Sector Professionals - February, 2014
Qantas has laid its cards on the table, and now the company boss will meet with unions to discuss plans to cut thousands of workers.
Future bright for chiefs of free learning
A conference in Canberra has seen some of the chiefs of the online education revolution spruik their achievements to local universities.
Paid parental plan finds fewer willing friends
The Prime Minister may soon be the sole supporter of his promised paid parental leave scheme.
Sneaky insurance sales sought by ASIC
The corporate watchdog has its eyes on companies that bundle insurance in add-on packages, after thousands of complaints.
Study slams public disempowerment
An economists’ report has said privatisation in the electricity sector is expensive and achieves little more than customer annoyance with none of the alleged benefits.
Big spend to get nearby neighbours up to speed
Nearly half a billion dollars will be spent to improve transport in Pacific regions.
Refugee price jump with new $1.2 billion responsibility
A new company will soon take over a large range of operations at Australia’s offshore detention centres, with the tragedy of recent violence still echoing around the country.
UGL hits back, saying books remain raw
Australian engineering firm UGL has emphatically denied media allegations that it “cooked the books” to misrepresent financial results for investors.
Closed talks continue on medical, intellectual and economic future
A new round of Trans-Pacific Partnership talks have begun in Singapore, where trade ministers from twelve nations carve out the final parts of the far-reaching deal.
Rumour mill goes wild ahead of Qantas' cuts confirmation
Qantas is being hounded by rumours that it will announce massive job cuts this week, but the airline says it will keep cuts down to a thousand workers at most.
APRA boss defends push for tighter belts
The chair of the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority says he wants banks to stop bullying it for its stance on capital rule adjustments.
National Bank nabs good numbers in sceptical times
New figures show a 7 per cent rise in National Australia Bank’s underlying profit for the first quarter.
Lost funds sought to get regions moving again
The WA Local Government Association says it will be looking for the reinstatement of grants for regional infrastructure projects.
AECOM gets huge fund to fix nation's flow
One of the world’s largest engineering firms has secured a contract to re-design the water infrastructure of an entire country.
Carbon tax scenario shows cost of delay
The seemingly imminent repeal of the carbon tax is being prevented while Labor and the Greens hold the balance of power in the federal Senate, and new research has investigated how the efforts to end the carbon price may be hurting energy investments.
Solicitation claims drop names around Australian Water
Corruption investigations have led to the director of the NSW government-owned State Water Corporation stepping down.
News Corp's eighties paper push takes taxpayer millions today
A series of currency transactions in 1989 have led to an $882 million government payout to media giant News Corp.
Target review could find opposite result to last time
The Federal Government is moving its review of the Renewable Energy Target into full-swing, releasing the terms of reference and announcing who will lead the inquiry.
Funds splashed upstairs at Forge leave nothing to trickle down
More than a thousand workers have been sacked after the collapse of engineering company Forge Group, some small towns are worried for their workforce, but reports say the company has been spending-up on executive perks.
UGL to lose limbs while US court hears 'cooked books' claims
UGL, a giant of the Australian trades and construction sector, is expected to announce the sale of its property arm this week.
Claims of fund skimming to skipper mysterious boat
Clive Palmer’s company has been accused of dipping into a joint fund for about $4.5 million without the permission of his partnering Chinese firm Citic Pacific.