Author: roymorgansocial

RBA flags need for 5pc jobless rate

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Original article by Grace Lagan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 23-Sep-26

Australia’s official unemployment rate is currently 4.5 per cent, but Reserve Bank governor Michele Bullock says the central bank still considers the labour market to be "tight". Bullock has expressed her view that an unemployment rate of between 4.5 per cent and five per cent will "probably take enough heat out of the labour market" to ease pressure on inflation. Based on the latest jobs data, an unemployment rate of five per cent would mean that about 83,000 additional people would have to be out of work if the size of the labour force remains the same. Meanwhile, with the RBA’s monetary policy board widely tipped to increase the cash rate next week, Bullock has warned that the central bank’s focus must be on keeping inflation expectations in check.

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RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

TWU sues FedEx for appalling conduct

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 4 : 23-Sep-26

The Transport Workers’ Union has accused global logistics group FedEx of taking unlawful adverse action against employees who were exercising their workplace rights. The TWU has launched Federal Court action over FedEx’s decision to cancel rostered overtime shifts on 29 August for employees in Victoria and Queensland who had planned to stage a 24-hour strike on the previous day. The TWU’s lawyers contend that FedEx’s action had cost the affected workers up to $300 per shift. FedEx also locked out some 3,000 drivers and warehouse workers on 11 September in response to a 24-hour work stoppage a day earlier.

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TRANSPORT WORKERS’ UNION, FEDERAL EXPRESS (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Boost for IBAC as construction inquiry begins

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Original article by Lily McCaffrey, Anthony Galloway
The Australian – Page: 6 : 23-Sep-26

The Victorian government’s royal commission into corruption in the state’s construction industry will commence public hearings today. The inquiry headed by Christopher Kourakis will examine the nature and extent of corruption, criminal conduct and serious misconduct in the state’s construction sector. Meanwhile, the state government will amend a bill to expand the powers of the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission. However, the Opposition says the amendments will not effective unless they remove the ability for current and former members of cabinet to refuse to disclose information on public interest immunity grounds; this includes former premiers Daniel Andrews and Jacinta Allan.

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VICTORIA. INDEPENDENT BROAD-BASED ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION

Chainsaw to ALP energy revolution

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Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 23-Sep-26

The Coalition has advised that its Scrap Net Zero (Cheaper Energy) bill will be introduced to parliament within 30 days if it wins the next federal election. Amongst other things, the proposed bill would abolish Labor initiatives such as the legislated net-zero emissions target, the Capacity Investment Scheme, the safeguard mechanism and new vehicle efficiency standards. The existing CIS would be replaced by one that embraces all dispatchable energy technology, including nuclear power; the Coalition would also seek to scrap the national ban on nuclear power generation. Shadow energy minister Dan Tehan says the Coalition’s energy policy will be about "energy abundance", rather than Labor’s current approach of "energy restriction".

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LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Spend less or tax more: It’s Chalmers’ call, say experts

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Original article by Thomas Henry
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 23-Sep-26

Treasurer Jim Chalmers says he has not "necessarily" given up on returning the budget to surplus, despite the latest Intergenerational Report’s projection that Australia faces deficits for the next four decades. Meanwhile, KPMG’s chief economist Brendan Rynne has warned that decades of budget deficits would be "incredibly politically damaging" for any government, as households ultimately bear the cost of higher government debt. He estimates that without further cuts to government spending or changes to the Treasury’s long-term productivity assumptions, Labor will be forced to collect more taxes from Australian consumers or businesses in order to repair the budget. Rynne says this would most likely be via an increase in the GST or personal income tax rates.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, KPMG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Home-buyer hopefuls tap low-deposit loans

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Original article by Sarah Petty
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 25 : 23-Sep-26

A growing number of Australians are opting to buy a home via shared equity schemes offered by non-bank lenders. Factors such as rising interest rates and the increasing difficulty of obtaining mortgage loans from traditional banks have contributed to the popularity of shared equity schemes, which often offer loans with a low or even zero deposit. However, there are risks associated with shared equity schemes, and Sally Tindall from Canstar says people who are thinking about taking out such a loan should read the fine print, get financial and legal advice, and consider alternatives.

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Trump weighs big decision on Iran, rejects AI push in major UN speech on American power

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Original article by Brad Ryan
abc.net.au – Page: Online : 23-Sep-26

US President Donald Trump has told the United Nations General Assembly that he is facing a big decision: whether to strike a peace deal with Iran or "annihilate" the Islamic Republic. Trump also expressed confidence that Iran will seek a peace deal after the US mid-term election. Trump also stated that the US is reasserting American power – including military power – to create a safer future "for all of us". Cuba’s delegation to the General Assembly walked out after Trump suggested that the communist nation is America’s next target. Trump also said the war in Ukraine will "end more quickly than people understand". Meanwhile, Trump acknowledged that there is a need to "be careful" with AI, but ruled out backing a "globalist scheme" to regulate the technology.

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UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, UNITED NATIONS. GENERAL ASSEMBLY

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence down 1.9pts to 72 as confidence about the Australian economy’s performance declines

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 23-Sep-26

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence fell 1.9pts to 72 in the week to 20 September; Consumer Confidence is now 12.6pts lower than a year ago (84.6), but just 0.4pts below the 2026 weekly average of 72.4. Analysis by State shows that Consumer Confidence has fallen in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, while there have been small increases in both Western Australia and South Australia. Now 19% of Australians (up 2ppts) say their families are ‘better off’ financially than this time last year, while 50% (down 1ppt) say their families are ‘worse off’. Looking forward, 24% (up 1ppt) of respondents expect their family to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year, while 41% (up 1ppt) expect to be ‘worse off’. Only 5% (down 3ppts) of respondents expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months, while 44% (up 3ppts) expect ‘bad times’. Meanwhile, 17% (down 2ppts) of Australians say now is a ‘good time to buy’ major household items, while 46% (up 3ppts) say now is a ‘bad time to buy’.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

Trump smashes Anthony Albanese’s tech agenda

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Original article by Greg Brown
The Australian – Page: Online : 23-Sep-26

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and more than 20 other world leaders have signed a signed a joint statement calling for an international framework on AI safeguards. The United Nations’ Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed support for the proposal. However, US President Donald Trump has used his address to the UN General Assembly in New York to announce that he will oppose any push to establish international body to oversee AI regulation. Trump said he would not stifle the growth of technology that could potentially be more world-changing than the industrial revolution or the internet; he added that the US will encourage the development of AI, rather than rein it in. Trump also called for AI to be renamed ‘super intelligence’.

CORPORATES
UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, UNITED NATIONS. GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Four Corners’ failures undermined trust in the ABC, watchdog finds

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Original article by Calum Jaspan
The Age – Page: Online : 23-Sep-26

The ABC’s ombudsman has found that two episodes of Four Corners had failed to meet the public broadcaster’s editorial standards for accuracy, fair and honest dealing, and independence and integrity. The report into the two episodes, titled ‘Cocaine Nation’ and ‘Meth Highway’, also found that ABC journalist Mahmood Fazal had failed to disclose his relationship with a former drug dealer and active methamphetamine cook who was featured in the episodes. Fazal was sacked in May over an unrelated incident, and the ABC has removed the two episodes of Four Corners from all of its platforms.

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AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION