Author: roymorgansocial

Scandalous Covid betrayal of trust

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Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 30-Oct-24

An independent panel’s review of the federal government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has made 26 recommendations; it concluded that 19 of them should be prioritised over the next 12-18 months. The inquiry found that the public generally supported Covid measures such as lockdowns at the onset of the pandemic, but "draconian" measures were not justified after the initial wave and merely reduced trust in governments. The report noted that the nation is now less prepared for a future public health emergency because the health system has not recovered from the pandemic and Australians are now unlikely to comply with onerous restrictions in the wake of Covid.

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ALP delays small business IR review beyond election

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 30-Oct-24

The federal government agreed to review small business exemptions from the Fair Work Act in return for the support of crossbench senators David Pocock and Jacqui Lambie for its second tranche of industrial relations reforms. Amongst other things, the proposed review will consider the definition of a small business, which is currently set at fewer than 15 employees. However, the government has advised that the review may be delayed until mid-2025. Council of Small Business Organisations Australia CEO Luke Achterstraat says the current definition of a small business is not ‘fit for purpose’, and the government needs to provide the sector with as much certainty and confidence as possible.

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COUNCIL OF SMALL BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Employers using internal transfers to retain staff

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Original article by Euan Black
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 30-Oct-24

Research by Mercer has found that seven per cent of Australian employers now regularly use internal secondment and job rotation programs for their staff, compared with just three per cent in 2020. Cynthia Cottrell from Mercer says internal mobility programs create a strong culture and increase employee engagement, which can in turn boost productivity. Cottrell adds that more employers are prioritising these programs as they shift their focus from recruiting staff to retaining their top performers. CSL and Afterpay’s parent Block are amongst the companies that have such programs.

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MERCER CONSULTING GROUP INCORPORATED, CSL LIMITED – ASX CSL, AFTERPAY LIMITED, BLOCK INCORPORATED – ASX SQ2

ANZ-Roy Morgan Inflation Expectations drop to 4.6% in late October – down from 4.7% for the month of September

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 30-Oct-24

The latest weekly ANZ-Roy Morgan Inflation Expectations are 4.6% for the week of October 21-27. This figure is below the average this year of 4.9%, and down 0.1% points from the month of September. A look at monthly Inflation Expectations for September shows the measure at 4.7% for the month – down 0.3% points from a month earlier and below the average so far this year of 4.9%. Looking back over the first nine months of the year, weekly Inflation Expectations have moved in a narrow band of 4.5% to 5.3% and averaged 4.9%. The data for the Inflation Expectations series is drawn from the Roy Morgan Single Source, which has interviewed an average of around 5,200 Australians aged 14+ per month over the last decade, and includes interviews with 6,031 Australians aged 14+ in September 2024.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Push to upgrade freebie Albanese to corruption watchdog

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Original article by Rhiannon Down, Geoff Chambers, Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 30-Oct-24

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is continuing to attract scrutiny over revelations that he accepted free flight upgrades from Qantas when he was transport minister and shadow transport minister. However, Albanese contends that he has been "completely transparent" about his flights as an MP. Opposition leader Peter Dutton says Albanese had most likely been in breach of the ministerial code of conduct. Dutton has called for Albanese to refer himself to the National Anti-Corruption Commission, arguing that it should investigate his relationship with Qantas and the federal government’s decision to block Qatar Airways’ application for additional flights to Australia.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. NATIONAL ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION, QATAR AIRWAYS

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence eases 1.1pts to 86.4 in late October – second week in a row above the mark of 85

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 30-Oct-24

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence fell 1.1pts to 86.4 in the week to 27 October; however, Consumer Confidence has stayed above the mark of 85 for a second consecutive week for the first time since January 2023. Consumer Confidence is now 11.4 points above the same week a year ago (75.0), and 4 points above the 2024 weekly average of 82.4. A look at Consumer Confidence by State shows the measure driven down by falls in New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia, virtually unchanged in Victoria and up in Western Australia. Now 24% of Australians (unchanged) say their families are ‘better off’ financially than this time last year (the equal highest figure for this indicator since November 2022), while 47% (up 2ppts) say their families are ‘worse off’. Looking forward, 34% (unchanged) of Australians expect their family to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year, while 31% (up 2ppts) expect to be ‘worse off’. Now 10% (up 2ppts of Australians expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months, while 29% (up 1ppt) expect ‘bad times’. Meanwhile, 23% (down 1ppt) of Australians say now is a ‘good time to buy’ major household items, while 45% (unchanged) say now is a ‘bad time to buy’ (the equal lowest figure for this indicator since October 2022).

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

Myer buys big brands from Lew’s Premier

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Original article by Carrie LaFrenz
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 : 30-Oct-24

Premier Investments will hold a 51.5 per cent stake in Myer Holdings if a deal to sell its Apparel Brands division to the department store group is approved by shareholders. Premier’s chairman Solomon Lew will personally control about 27 per cent of Myer and become a director of the iconic retailer. The deal includes brands such as Just Jeans, Jay Jays, Dotti and Portmans; Premier will then focus on its Smiggle and Peter Alexander brands. Myer’s executive chair Olivia Worth says the deal will allow the Myer One customer loyalty program to target a younger demographic.

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PREMIER INVESTMENTS LIMITED – ASX PMV, MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, APPAREL BRANDS, JUST JEANS PTY LTD, JAY JAY’S JEANS WAREHOUSE PTY LTD, DOTTI, PORTMANS PTY LTD, SMIGGLE PTY LTD, PETER ALEXANDER SLEEPWEAR PTY LTD

Seven Media boss warning on evil forces

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Original article by Sophie Elsworth
The Australian – Page: 3 : 30-Oct-24

Seven West Media’s director of news and current affairs, Anthony De Ceglie, says the federal government should "definitely" designate Meta under the news media bargaining code before the upcoming election. De Ceglie has also warned that social media platforms represent the biggest threat to traditional media outlets, and urged the government to "step up" to help the industry. He added that artificial intelligence platforms such as ChatGPT are also a major threat to news outlets.

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SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, META PLATFORMS INCORPORATED

Israeli parliament votes to ban UNRWA from Israel within 90 days

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Original article by Andrew Roth
The Guardian – Page: Online : 30-Oct-24

The US and British governments have expressed concern after the Israeli parliament voted 92-10 to ban the United Nations Relief & Works Agency from operating in the country. The ban is slated to take effect within 90 days, and will prohibit the UNRWA from conducting any activity or providing any service in Israel, including Gaza and the occupied West Bank. UNRWA’s Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini says the vote will set a dangerous precedent, while British Prime Minister Keir Starmer warns that the ban will jeopardise the international humanitarian response in Gaza.

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UNITED NATIONS RELIEF AND WORKS AGENCY FOR PALESTINE REFUGEES IN THE NEAR EAST, GREAT BRITAIN. OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER

MinRes aware of claims for two years

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Original article by Elouise Fowler, Mark Wembridge, Alex Gluyas
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 : 30-Oct-24

Mineral Resources has advised that it had hired external lawyers in June 2022 to investigate the tax evasion allegations against MD Chris Ellison. The company also disclosed that it received more detailed allegations regarding Ellison in June and November 2023; the board also discussed the issue in June 2024. However, MinRes has stated that it did not inform shareholders of the investigation because it did not think it would have a material effect on the company’s share price. MinRes has emphasised that the sales contracts in question were struck prior to its IPO in 2006, and were made by entities that became part of MinRes when the company listed on the sharemarket.

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MINERAL RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX MIN