Author: roymorgansocial

More Aussies chomping on chocolate

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 22-Mar-16

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that 69 per cent of Australians aged 14+ ate chocolate at once in an average four weeks during the year to December 2015. This compares with 65 per cent in the year to December 2013. The proportion of Australians who ate chocolate bars in any given four week rose from 48 per cent to 52 per cent over this period, and the proportion who ate chocolate blocks rose from 40 per cent to 43 per cent. Likewise, the proportion who ate boxed chocolates rose from 17 per cent to 19 per cent. The survey also shows that Cadbury is the most popular chocolate brand in all three categories.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, CADBURY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, NESTLE AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Gorgon’s maiden gas shipment

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Original article by Paul Garvey
The Australian – Page: 20 : 22-Mar-16

Bulk cargo carrier "Asia Excellence" has left Australia with the first shipment of LNG from Chevron’s $A55bn Gorgon project. The joint venture project was originally slated to cost $US37bn, but was beset by cost over-runs and construction delays. The first of three processing lines has been completed, with the other two trains slated to commence production in the next 12 months. The inaugural shipment comprises 160,000 cubic metres of LNG and will be delivered to buyers in Japan.

CORPORATES
CHEVRON CORPORATION, CHEVRON AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, GORGON JOINT VENTURE, EXXONMOBIL CORPORATION, ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC, OSAKA GAS COMPANY, TOKYO GAS COMPANY LIMITED, CHUBU ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY INCORPORATED, WOOD MACKENZIE

No option for state but to make switch too

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Original article by Rick Wallace
The Australian – Page: 8 : 22-Mar-16

The Victorian Government has been forced to change the date of its 2016 Budget from 3 May to 27 April, in response to a move to bring forward the Federal Budget by one week. However, the Opposition’s Budget reply is still scheduled for its original date in May, which has attracted criticism from treasury spokesman Michael O’Brien.

CORPORATES
VICTORIA. DEPT OF TREASURY AND FINANCE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

ALP & L-NP now too close to call as electors react to Government forcing Senate voting changes last week as Turnbull today recalls Parliament in April for Double Dissolution Election showdown

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Morgan Poll Update – Page: Online : 21-Mar-16

A multi-mode Morgan Poll on Federal voting intention has found that support for Australia’s ruling Liberal-National Coalition on a two-party preferred basis has fallen by 3.5 per cent to 49.5 per cent. The poll, which was carried out on the weekends of 12-13 and 19-20 March 2016, also shows that the Coalition’s primary vote has fallen by three per cent to 40 per cent, while the Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating has risen by 1.5 points to 103.5. Roy Morgan Research executive chairman Gary Morgan says that to reduce Australia’s "real" level of unemployment and under-employment the Government must introduce comprehensive industrial relations reform that cuts "red tape" such as lowering or eliminating excessive penalty rates for working on weekends and public holidays and which would lead to higher productivity and wages across the whole workforce. The Government must also make an effort to deal with Australia’s large "cash economy" that undercuts legitimate businesses and facilitates massive tax avoidance.

CORPORATES
MORGAN POLL, ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, KATTER’S AUSTRALIAN PARTY, PALMER UNITED PARTY, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Triple fine threat looms as watchdog’s reach widens

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Original article by Elizabeth Colman
The Australian – Page: 5 : 22-Mar-16

ACTU secretary Dave Olive says the general public does not support the Federal Government’s push to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission. The ABCC bill, which could be the trigger for a double dissolution election, would result in unions facing fines of up to $A180,000 for every breach of industrial relations laws, compared with just $A54,000 at present. The ABCC will also have the power to regulate non-building unions that are involved in the supply chain for building sites.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, ACTU, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, TRANSPORT WORKERS’ UNION, MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, FAIR WORK BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE FAIR WORK BUILDING INDUSTRY INSPECTORATE

PM pulls the trigger

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 1& 4 : 22-Mar-16

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says the Australian Labor Party and the general public are ready for the 2016 federal election. The Government is poised to use a bill to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission as the trigger for a double-dissolution election on 2 July, after requesting that Parliament be recalled on 18 April to debate the bill. The Government will also hand down the Budget one week earlier than scheduled, on 3 May. The last double-dissolution election was in 1987.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL, AUSTRALIA. CLEAN ENERGY FINANCE CORPORATION

Dump complex regulation, urges former Bank of England boss

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Original article by Adam Creighton
The Australian – Page: 19 & 23 : 22-Mar-16

Ex-Bank of England governor Mervyn King says global regulation of the banking sector should be streamlined as it has become too complex. He argues that banks should be subject to a leverage ratio of no more than 10-15, while deposits should be backed by safe and highly liquid assets. King also questions the status of central banks as so-called lenders of last resort, arguing that they should instead be "pawnbrokers for all seasons".

CORPORATES
BANK OF ENGLAND, NEW YORK UNIVERSITY, DEMOCRATIC PARTY (UNITED STATES)

‘It’s not right, it’s unfair, it’s trial by media,’ says ASX CEO

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Original article by Perry Williams, Tony Boyd
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 2 : 22-Mar-16

ASX Limited chairman Rick Holliday-Smith will become acting CEO of the stock exchange operator following the resignation of Elmer Funke Kupper, who has been CEO for more than four years. Funke Kupper says he stepped down to protect the company’s integrity, adding that his priority is the Australian Federal Police’s investigation into allegations of corruption at Tabcorp when he was CEO. Funke Kupper has stressed that he has not been told that he is personally under investigation.

CORPORATES
ASX LIMITED – ASX ASX, TABCORP HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX TAH, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, CAMBODIA. OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, McKINSEY AND COMPANY, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION

News calls for holistic media reform package

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Original article by Darren Davidson
The Australian – Page: 21 : 22-Mar-16

News Corporation’s submission to a Senate inquiry into changes to cross-media ownership laws has supported the proposed reforms but called for them to be more extensive. The Federal Government wants to abolish the "reach rule" and the "two-out-of-three rule", but News Corp says an additional three media ownership rules should be scrapped. Regional broadcasters WIN Corporation and Southern Cross Media Group have also supported the bill, while Foxtel has argued for changes to the anti-siphoning list for the broadcasting of sports.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, WIN CORPORATION PTY LTD, SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX SXL, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, NETFLIX INCORPORATED, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS)

Markets not worried about an early election

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Original article by Stephen Cauchi
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 22-Mar-16

Matt Sherwood of Perpetual does not expect the 2016 federal election to have much impact on the Australian sharemarket. He adds that policies such as high taxes and high government spending are likely to have the biggest adverse effect on the market. Meanwhile, David Bassanese of BetaShares says the construction sector will benefit if the Federal Government succeeds in its bid to increase regulation of the industry, while the housing sector will face a less severe crackdown on negative gearing if it is returned to office.

CORPORATES
PERPETUAL INVESTMENTS, BETASHARES CAPITAL LIMITED, BORAL LIMITED – ASX BLD, MONADELPHOUS GROUP LIMITED – ASX MND, MIRVAC GROUP – ASX MGR, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET