Fairfax turns to The Australian for big scoops after outsourcing

Both the Herald and the Financial Review took their inspiration from this great paper yesterday.

The Sydney Morning Herald had a very interesting front page yesterday:

Exclusive — Millions to be cut from universities, fees hiked

Hey, that sounds a bit familiar, like a front page we’ve recently ran … mmm … The Weekend Australian, last Saturday:

Exclusive — Budget to lift fees for uni students

The comparison made Fairfax’s Canberra bureau chief, Bevan Shields, cranky. Twitter, yesterday:

You forgot to screenshot what’s in our actual story.

Thanks for the invite, Bevan. Let’s go through it, shall we? The Sydney Morning Herald, yesterday:

The pain will be shared between universities and students, who will see a rise in course fees and a lowering of the HECS repayment threshold from the current $52,000.

Yep, we had that bit. The Weekend Australian, last Saturday:

The new plan will increase the share of university costs to be borne by students from the current 40 per cent, while requiring students to start repaying their higher education loans earlier by lowering the salary threshold for repayments to commence.

The Herald, continued:

Fairfax understands they will be hit with a new efficiency dividend of between 2 and 3 per cent to be phased in over several years … It will also finally abandon a plan, introduced in the 2014 budget, to reduce university courses funding by 20 per cent.

And we had that bit too. Goodness gracious. The Weekend Australian, last Saturday:

Although universities will be spared the 20 per cent cut in their funding imposed in the Abbott government’s first budget, they are expected to be hit with an annual efficiency dividend.

Is Fairfax taking Fagin’s advice? Oliver!, June 30, 1960:

You have to pick a (paper) or two.

On another Fagen (this one has an “e”), The Australian Financial Reviewfinally got on to QBE senior executive Colin Fagen’s fall from grace. Gold Walkley winner Adele Ferguson, yesterday:

After a series of lip-pursing incidents, including a cut to his bonus after failing to disclose a relationship with his assistant and the unexplained departure of senior executive Colin Fagen, QBE boss John Neal has doused speculation that his own succession plans are in motion.

Well, The Australian’s Margin Call, have been on Fagen’s case for quite some time. February 10:

Group chief operations officer Colin Fagen, who under boss John Neal had been on a rapid recent upward trajectory at the group, is out the door.

And they’re all over John Neal’s relationship dramas. Margin Call, February 17:

The insurance boss has developed a relationship with one of his personal assistants, who is also personal assistant to the QBE board.

Ferguson writes that Fagen called in the lawyers. The AFR, yesterday:

Fagen has hired a law firm to represent him, which has stirred rumours about what might come out.

Will Glasgow and Christine Lacy had that scoop months ago, yet there’s no attribution. That’s not Gold Walkley-winning behaviour, Adele. Margin Call, February 17:

Fagen has engaged Harmers Workplace Lawyers.