Author: roymorgansocial

PwC outs four who saw tax leak emails

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Original article by Edmund Tadros, Neil Chenoweth
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 6-Jun-23

PwC Australia has informed its partners that it has named four former partners who were named in emails in relation to its tax leaks scandal. It has also provided the Senate inquiry into consulting with the names of partners who were placed on leave in the week ending 2 June and the name of one client who PwC provided with confidential information. In addition, it has also supplied the committee with the names of an additional 63 current or former partners and staff who received at least one email containing confidential information regarding the Multinational Anti-Avoidance Law. A spokesman for Paul McNab, one of the four former partners named by PwC, says he denies any wrongdoing.

CORPORATES
PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS AUSTRALIA (INTERNATIONAL) PTY LTD

Grid precarious as winter looms: EnergyAustralia

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Original article by Colin Packham
The Australian – Page: 15 & 18 : 6-Jun-23

EnergyAustralia MD Mark Collette has told a climate business summit in Sydney that there is currently less dispatchable capacity in Australia’s power system than in 2022, following the closure of the Liddell coal-fired power plant at the end of April. He says there should be better preparation for when coal-fired power stations are closed, in that there should be enough replacement capacity. Collette is the latest executive to express concern about the ability of the nation’s electricity network to manage the increased demand during winter and summer amid the transition to renewable energy sources.

CORPORATES
ENERGYAUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Aussies tipped to spend $9.3 billion on mid-year/EOFY sales

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 6-Jun-23

Research from the Australian Retailers Association in collaboration with Roy Morgan shows that shoppers are tipped to spend $9.3bn on mid-year and End of Financial Year sales in 2023. This is $500m higher than in 2022, although the number of Australians who are planning to shop during these sales is expected to fall to 5.8 million, which is 400,000 lower than previously. Those who plan to shop in the mid-year/EOFY sales will each spend an average of $1,616; this is up almost $200 per person from 2022. The 50-64 age demographic are set to be the biggest shoppers, encompassing 37.6% or $3.5 billion of the overall $9.3 billion spend. Meanwhile, 51 per cent of Australians will shop online during the mid-year/EOFY sales. The ARA-Roy Morgan Snap SMS survey was conducted from May 19-24 with an Australian-wide cross-section of 3,187 Australians aged 18+.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN RETAILERS ASSOCIATION

BHP at odds with Andrew Forrest on role of hydrogen in clean energy future

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Original article by David Newell
The West Australian – Page: Online : 6-Jun-23

Lee Levkowitz says she sees hydrogen only playing a small role in the world’s clean energy future, albeit a potentially lucrative one, with Levkowitz being head of head of energy, carbon and technology research at BHP. Her sentiments are at odds with Andrew Forrest, who has effectively tied the future of his Fortescue Metals Group to the development of green hydrogen, although they are similar to those previously expressed by rival mining company Rio Tinto, with its chief scientist Nigel Steward having stated he does not see hydrogen as an "energy carrier".

CORPORATES
BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO

Mortgage stress increases to its highest since August 2008 with 27.8% of mortgage holders now At Risk

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 6-Jun-23

New research from Roy Morgan shows that an estimated 1.38 million mortgage holders (27.8%) were ‘At Risk’ of ‘mortgage stress’ in the three months to April 2023. This period encompassed two interest rate increases of 0.25%, taking official interest rates to 3.6% in April. This is the highest number of mortgage holders considered ‘At Risk’ since August 2008, when more than 1.4 million were ‘At Risk’. The proportion of mortgage holders considered ‘At Risk’ of mortgage stress is now the highest since October 2011 (28.3%). The number of Australians who are ‘At Risk’ of mortgage stress has increased by 529,000 over the last year. However, despite the sharp increase in the level of mortgage stress during the last year the overall number remains below the high reached during the Global Financial Crisis in early 2009 of 35.6% (1,455,000 mortgage holders). Meanwhile, the number of mortgage holders considered to be ‘Extremely At Risk’ has increased to 881,000 (18.5%), which is significantly above the long-term average over the last 15 years of 661,000 (15.9%). These are the latest findings from Roy Morgan’s Single Source Survey, based on in-depth interviews conducted with over 60,000 Australians each year including over 10,000 owner-occupied mortgage-holders.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

The ASX shrinking for the first time in 18 years

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Original article by Alex Gluyas, James Thomson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 24 : 6-Jun-23

MST Marquee estimates that the Australian sharemarket’s total capitalisation will fall by about $43bn by the end of 2023, due to the current wave of mergers and acquisitions activity. This will be the first time the local bourse has de-equitised since 2005, when News Corp moved its primary listing to the US. The de-equitisation trend is particularly strong in the resources sector, although Hasan Tevfik from MST Marquee notes that this is also boosting the valuations of resources groups; he adds that rising valuations may prompt more companies to pursue an IPO.

CORPORATES
MST MARQUEE

Australian unemployment drops to 8.4% in May – the lowest since September 2022 (8.1%)

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 6-Jun-23

In May unemployment dropped 0.1% points to 8.4%, according to the latest Roy Morgan employment series data – the fourth straight monthly drop. Unemployment is now at its lowest since COVID-19 restrictions lifted in late 2022. However, there was a rise in under-employment in May, up 0.9% points to 9.8%, to its highest level this year. The rise in under-employment came as part-time employment increased to 4.86 million – a fourth straight month of increases. The rising cost of living, with high inflation and increasing interest rates, are leading to more Australians in part-time employment needing to work more hours to earn a sufficient income. These people in part-time employment looking for more hours are considered under-employed – now nearly 10% of the workforce. Roy Morgan’s unemployment figure of 8.4% is more than double the ABS estimate of 3.7% for April, and is comparable to the combined ABS unemployment and under-employment figure of 9.8%.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Crown and AUSTRAC agree $450m fine

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Original article by Zoe Samios
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 & 22 : 31-May-23

A Federal Court hearing is scheduled for mid-July to consider a proposed settlement between Crown Resorts and Austrac over breaches of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing laws. Crown has agreed to pay a fine of $450m, which would be the amongst the highest penalties imposed in Australia’s corporate history, and the largest incurred by a casino operator anywhere in the world. Crown has also agreed to a number of admissions, including failing to appropriately assess the money laundering and terrorism financing risks that its casinos faced.

CORPORATES
CROWN RESORTS LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT. AUSTRALIAN TRANSACTION REPORTS AND ANALYSIS CENTRE, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

PwC behind 15 schemes to help companies sidestep tax: ATO

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Original article by Neil Chenoweth, Edmund Tadros
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 31-May-23

Tax Commissioner Chris Jordan appeared before a Senate estimates hearing on Tuesday, where he discussed the ongoing PwC tax leaks scandal. Jordan revealed that the Australian Taxation Office had become aware in late 2017 that PwC partner Peter Collins had used confidential Treasury information to develop a large number of schemes to help multinational companies to evade new tax laws. However, he said that outdated secrecy laws had prevented the ATO from informing the Treasury. Jordan also disclosed that the ATO had told the Australian Federal Police about the leaks in 2018. The Treasury recently referred the tax leaks scandal to the AFP.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE, PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS AUSTRALIA (INTERNATIONAL) PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE

Same job, same pay IR reforms could hit public service

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Original article by Geoff Chambers, Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 31-May-23

The federal government continues to come under scrutiny over its proposed ‘same job, same pay’ policy for labour hire workers. Natalie James, the head of the Department of Employment & Workplace Relations, has told a senate estimates hearing that these laws are likely to cover the public sector. Analysis of AusTender contracts shows that the government has become a major user of labour hire firms, spending more than $1.2bn on such contracts since the federal election in May.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT AND WORKPLACE RELATIONS