Author: roymorgansocial

McLachlan set to sue Fairfax, ABC

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Original article by Matthew Westwood
The Australian – Page: 3 : 22-Jan-18

Australian actor Craig McLachlan says his career has been "annihilated" by allegations that he sexually harassed and indecently assaulted three female cast members during a 2014 production of "The Rocky Horror Show". He continues to deny the allegations and intends to sue Fairfax Media and the ABC for defamation, after the allegations were reported in "The Age" and "The Sydney Morning Herald" and on the "7:30" current affairs show.

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS

Japan accord to boost brown coal, LNG exports

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Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 22-Jan-18

Australia and Japan have agreed to work together to develop coal and LNG markets in the region, following talks between their respective prime ministers in the week ending 19 January. Japanese technology could be used for high-efficiency, low-emissions coal power plants in south-east Asia, with coal to be potentially supplied from Australian mines. A consortium led by Kawasaki Heavy Industries will also look at whether brown coal from Latrobe Valley in Victoria can be converted into liquid hydrogen and exported for use in Japan.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, JAPAN. OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, GRATTAN INSTITUTE, KAWASAKI HEAVY INDUSTRIES COMPANY LIMITED, MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

Consultancy spend alarms union, MPs

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Original article by Edmund Tadros, Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 22-Jan-18

MPs are concerned about the level of money that federal government departments are spending on consultants and contractors. Almost 5,000 consultants are employed across government agencies, and the Community & Public Sector Union estimates that $A380 million could be saved each year by replacing them with permanent public servants. Accenture and the four major accounting firms are estimated to have made more than $A3 billion over a five-year period from federal government contracts.

CORPORATES
COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC SECTOR UNION, ACCENTURE AUSTRALIA LIMITED, KPMG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS AUSTRALIA (INTERNATIONAL) PTY LTD, ERNST AND YOUNG, DELOITTE TOUCHE TOHMATSU LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL AUDIT OFFICE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF DEFENCE, AUSTRALIA. JOINT COMMITTEE OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS AND AUDIT, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HUMAN SERVICES, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, AUSTRALIA. NATIONAL DISABILITY INSURANCE AGENCY, VICTORIA. DEPT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, JOBS, TRANSPORT AND RESOURCES

Top 10pc gain 80pc of CGT benefits

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Original article by Joanna Mather
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 22-Jan-18

The percentage of the yearly benefits of the capital gains tax discount that goes to the highest income earners has increased from 70 per cent to 80 per cent over the last 10 years or so, according to the Australian Taxation Office. Danielle Wood from the Grattan Institute says this suggests that the 50 per cent discount on capital gains needs to be modified. The presence of the discount, when combined with negative gearing, is seen by experts as making the leverage of real estate a particularly attractive proposition for investors.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE, GRATTAN INSTITUTE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN HOUSING AND URBAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Private firms too tough on sickies

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Original article by Greg Brown
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 22-Jan-18

Federal public servants each took an average of 11.4 days of sick leave in the year to June 2017, compared with 11.5 in the previous year. In contrast, employees in the private sector take an average of 9.5 days of unscheduled leave each year. Public Service Commissioner John Lloyd says some private sector companies foster a culture in which employees are reluctant to take sick leave even if they are genuinely ill, adding that he does not want to see this in the public service. Business leader Tony Shepherd rejects Lloyd’s claims, and attributes the higher levels of unscheduled leave in the public service to poor culture and management.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION, DIRECT HEALTH SOLUTIONS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. NATIONAL COMMISSION OF AUDIT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HUMAN SERVICES, COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC SECTOR UNION, COUNCIL OF SMALL BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA, ABORIGINAL HOSTELS LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN PESTICIDES AND VETERINARY MEDICINES AUTHORITY, AUSTRALIA. FISHERIES MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY, AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF SOCIAL SERVICES, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE

Cut tax to create jobs: CEOs

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Original article by Joanna Mather, Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 22-Jan-18

Walmart is among the US companies that are increasing their wage rates in response to the Trump administration’s tax reforms. Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison says Australian now needs to "catch" up to the US with regard to tax reform, noting that Labor’s opposition to the Government’s company tax package means the nation has missed the opportunity to take the lead on tax reform. Meanwhile, Qantas CEO Alan Joyce and MYOB CEO Tim Reed are among the business leaders who have emphasised the economic benefits of reducing the corporate tax rate.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, WAL-MART STORES INCORPORATED, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, MYOB GROUP LIMITED – ASX MYO, XERO LIMITED – ASX XRO, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, APPLE INCORPORATED, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT

Online sales of life insurance grow to 349,000

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 22-Jan-18

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey shows that the proportion of Australians aged 18+ who buy life insurance online has grown from 4.6% in 2012 (168,000 policies) to 10.8% in 2017 (349,000). This represents growth of 108% in policies over the last five years. This growth rate is the highest of all channels used to obtain life insurance. The survey, which was conducted in the year to November, also shows that 24.7% of life insurance policies have been obtained by telephoning insurance companies directly, closely followed by using an employer (23.9%). However, the trend over the last five years shows that going direct by telephone is down from 26.0% to 24.7%. On the other hand, the proportion obtaining life insurance through employers has increased from 18.5% to 23.9% over the last five years.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Spendless Shoes tops The Athlete’s Foot

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 22-Jan-18

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey shows that Spendless Shoes has Australia’s most satisfied shoe store customers, with a customer satisfaction rating of 86.7% in November 2017. This is a significant increase of 3.5% from a year ago. The Athlete’s Foot is close behind with a customer satisfaction rating of 86.4%, up 3.8% on a year ago. Betts/Betts Kids also has a customer satisfaction rating of 86.4%, up 16.9% over the last 12 months. In fact, all five leading shoe stores in Australia increased their customer satisfaction over the last 12 months, including fourth-placed Mathers on 84.7% and previous Annual award winners Williams The Shoemen just behind on 84.4%. Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine says the closeness of the results in November, with all leading shoe stores scoring customer satisfaction ratings above 80%, shows the intensely competitive nature of the industry as retailers Australia-wide deal with the entry of US retail giant Amazon.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, SPENDLESS SHOES PTY LTD, THE ATHLETE’S FOOT AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, BETTS, BETTS KIDS, MATHERS SHOES PTY LTD, WILLIAMS THE SHOEMEN, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED

Rebel well placed to take on Decathlon

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 22-Jan-18

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey shows that Rebel is again Australia’s leading sports store, with a customer satisfaction rating of 89.2% in November 2017. This is up 3.0% from a year ago, as competition hots up in Australia’s sporting goods market. Closest rival Sports Power also scored an impressive customer satisfaction rating of 86.5% in November, up 2.5% over the past year, while Sportsco had a satisfaction rating of 73.7%. French sports store giant Decathlon entered the Australian sporting goods market in 2016 with an online presence, and the Decathlon "warehouse" store opened pre-Christmas in suburban Sydney is the first of up to 100 stores Decathlon plans to open in Australia. Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine says Rebel’s performance in 2017 has been exceptional with the company taking out several monthly Roy Morgan Customer Satisfaction Awards during the year and heavily favoured to build on its successive victories in 2015 and 2016 in the annual Roy Morgan Annual Customer Satisfaction Awards in February.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, REBEL SPORT LIMITED, SPORTS POWER, SPORTSCO PTY LTD, DECATHLON

State builds chaos

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Original article by James Dowling
Herald Sun – Page: 25 : 19-Jan-18

The Victorian division of the CFMEU and its officials were fined a total of $A1.12m by the Federal Court in 2017, while the state accounted for 36 per cent of court-imposed penalties across the nation. Meanwhile, the Australian Building & Construction Commission commenced 38 separate investigation into alleged breaches of workplace laws in the state’s construction industry during the year. This included 16 cases of alleged coercion of building firms and five breaches of laws regarding unions’ right of entry.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED