Author: roymorgansocial

GST to pay for income tax cuts

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Original article by Phillip Coorey, Primrose Riordan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 : 31-Aug-15

Federal Finance Minister Mathias Cormann has signalled that the goods and services tax (GST) might be raised to pay for income tax cuts. He said on 30 August 2015 that a tax reform package would be part of an election program to be developed before the next election. New South Wales Premier Mike Baird welcomed Cormann’s comments and agreed about the need to discuss the GST.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, SOUTH AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET

More in favour than against the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement. Key issue for Australians with ChAFTA is jobs

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Morgan Poll Update – Page: Online : 28-Aug-15

A telephone Morgan Poll conducted between 21 and 26 August 2015 has found that a large majority of Australians (78 per cent) are aware of the Free Trade Agreement Australia has negotiated with China. Only 21 per cent are not aware and one per cent cannot say. More Australians believe a Free Trade Agreement with China is a good thing (40 per cent) than not (31 per cent) and a large 29 per cent are undecided. Roy Morgan Research executive chairman Gary Morgan notes that full-time workers are clearly the most in favour of the agreement – 46 per cent say it is a good thing and 31 per cent say it is not. Among those who are either unemployed and looking for work or just do not work, only 18 per cent say the deal is a good thing compared to 40 per cent that say the deal is not a good thing.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

ANZ-Roy Morgan Chinese Consumer Confidence Declined to a New Low

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 28-Aug-15

The ANZ-Roy Morgan China Consumer Confidence index fell by 2.5 points to 138.5 in August 2015, which is its lowest level on record. The number of respondents who said that their families are "better off" financially in August 2015 compared with the same time last year fell by 2.3 percentage points to 40.7 per cent. Meanwhile, the number of respondents who expect the Chinese economy to have "good times" in the next 12 months fell by 1.7 percentage points to 57.4 per cent.

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

Kane rages at sideshow to ban

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The Australian Financial Review – Page: 28 : 28-Aug-15

Boral CEO Mike Kane says the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance & Corruption is "absolutely necessary" for the recovery of an efficient construction market in Australia. Claiming the campaign against the royal commission’s head, Justice Dyson Heydon, was an unneccessary distraction, Kane say union officials operate outside the law. Boral has not delivered concrete in the Melbourne CBD for more than two years because of bans imposed by the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union, which Boral is suing in the Victorian Supreme Court.

CORPORATES
BORAL LIMITED – ASX BLD, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNION GOVERNANCE AND CORRUPTION, SUPREME COURT OF VICTORIA, GROCON PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, ORICA LIMITED – ASX ORI, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP

Ashley Madison hack a feast for lawyers

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Original article by Marianna Papadakis, Katie Walsh
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 33 : 28-Aug-15

The hacking of Ashley Madison, the cheating website, is likely to lead to lawsuits in Australia. The site’s owners, Avid Life Media, are already facings hundreds of millions of dollars in damages in Canada and the United States, where two class actions alleging breach of contract, negligence and breach of privacy are pending. About 460,000 Australians may have been exposed.

CORPORATES
AVID LIFE MEDIA, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE FEDERAL PRIVACY COMMISSIONER, MARQUE LAWYERS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, ALLENS, MINTER ELLISON, AON AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

China summit to help build two-way silk road

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Original article by Greg Earl
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 28-Aug-15

China wants to link its "silk road" infrastructure scheme with the Abbott Government’s plans to develop northern Australia. It sees Australia as one end of a maritime link in its ambitious One Belt One Road program to stimulate economic activity in Asia and the Pacific. Cooperation was discussed by Chinese and Australian ministers at a strategic economic dialogue in Canberra.

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, CHINA. ECONOMIC PLANNING COMMISSION, CHINA UNION PAY, BANK OF CHINA GROUP, CHINA EASTERN AIRLINES CORPORATION LIMITED

Stakes high as China FTA cut-off looms

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Original article by Lisa Murray
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 28-Aug-15

Trade Minister Andrew Robb says he and his Chinese counterpart are racing to ratify the free trade agreement (FTA) by December 2015. Robb said he was reassuring Beijing following opposition to the FTA from Australian trade unions and the Australian Labor Party. The starting point is crucial, according to the National Farmers Federation, because the first year of tariff cuts is worth $A300 million to the agriculture industry.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, CHINA. MINISTRY OF COMMERCE. DEPT OF FOREIGN TRADE, NATIONAL FARMERS’ FEDERATION LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, FERGUSON AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Goldman tips high-yielding Australian stocks amid the turmoil

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Original article by Vanessa Desloires
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 22 : 28-Aug-15

Goldman Sachs and Credit Suisse have identified high-yielding Australian equities that would be attractive additions to anyone’s portfolio. Goldman Sachs Asian equity analyst Timothy Moe favours Woolworths, QBE Insurance Group, Amcor, AGL Energy, APA Group, Sonic Healthcare, Coca-Cola Amatil and ALS. Credit Suisse advises investors to buy Asciano, ResMed, Harvey Norman and REA Group.

CORPORATES
GOLDMAN SACHS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, QBE INSURANCE GROUP LIMITED – ASX QBE, AMCOR LIMITED – ASX AMC, AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, APA GROUP – ASX APA, SONIC HEALTHCARE LIMITED – ASX SHL, COCA-COLA AMATIL LIMITED – ASX CCL, ALS LIMITED – ASX ALQ, ASCIANO LIMITED – ASX AIO, RESMED INCORPORATED – ASX RMD, HARVEY NORMAN HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX HVN, REA GROUP LIMITED – ASX REA

Big business will have to pay for ASIC

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Original article by Patrick Durkin
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 : 28-Aug-15

The Australian Securities & Investments Commission would be funded by a user-pays system under a plan proposed by the Federal Government. Big business, banks and the financial services sector would carry the biggest burden under the plan, with a maximum levy of $A320,000 a year on companies with a market capitalisation of more than $A15 billion. A discussion paper to be released by Assistant Treasurer Josh Frydenberg sets a deadline of 9 October 2015 for submissions.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN BANKERS’ ASSOCIATION, ASX LIMITED – ASX ASX, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, SUNCORP GROUP LIMITED – ASX SUN, WESTFIELD CORPORATION – ASX WFD, TRANSURBAN GROUP LIMITED – ASX TCL, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, BRAMBLES LIMITED – ASX BXB, AMCOR LIMITED – ASX AMC

Fight against fossil fuels gains ground

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Original article by Amanda Saunders, Jemima Whyte
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 28-Aug-15

The City of Melbourne will examine its investment policy with a view to divesting its shares in fossil fuels. Councillor Arron Wood said the council was aiming for zero net emissions by 2020 and it was important to lead by example. Albury City Council has also decided to review its investments following Newcastle’s shock decision to sell its shares in banks which fund miners.

CORPORATES
CITY OF MELBOURNE, NEWCASTLE CITY COUNCIL, ALBURY CITY COUNCIL, MOUNT ALEXANDER SHIRE COUNCIL, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, CITY OF SYDNEY, CITY OF PERTH, BLUE MOUNTAINS CITY COUNCIL