Author: roymorgansocial

New Zealand: Labour support at only 27.5% in December 2022 – down 22.5% points since the 2020 New Zealand Election before Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern resigned

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 25-Jan-23

The latest Roy Morgan New Zealand Poll shows that support for the Labour/Greens coalition government was on 38.5% in December, down 19.4% points since the 2020 election. Support for Labour has fallen by 22.5% to 27.5% since the election in October 2020. Meanwhile, support for a potential National/Act NZ coalition government has risen by 16.3% points to 49.5% since the election. Support for the main opposition National Party is up 9.4% points to 35% and support for Act NZ has increased by 6.9% points to 14.5%. Support for the Maori Party has increased by 2.8% points to 4% since the election. In addition, 8% of electors support minor parties outside Parliament, an increase of 0.3% points since the 2020 election. If these results were repeated at this year’s election the National/Act NZ coalition would likely secure 65 seats in the new Parliament compared to 50 seats for Labour/Greens and a further five seats for the Maori Party. This New Zealand Roy Morgan Poll on voting intention was conducted by telephone – both landline and mobile – with a New Zealand-wide cross-section of 947 electors during December, prior to the resignation of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Meanwhile, the Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating fell by a further 5pts in December to a record low of 75. The indicator is now down 78pts from January 2021 (153), just after the re-election of the Ardern Government.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, MORGAN POLL, LABOUR PARTY (NEW ZEALAND), GREEN PARTY OF AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND, NATIONAL PARTY OF NEW ZEALAND, ACT NEW ZEALAND, THE MAORI PARTY, NEW ZEALAND FIRST PARTY, THE OPPORTUNITIES PARTY, NEW CONSERVATIVE PARTY

Government prepares to unveil AUKUS plan

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Original article by Matthew Knott
The Age – Page: Online : 25-Jan-23

The federal government is expected to shortly announce which nuclear-powered submarine design it would opt for under the AUKUS alliance. Defence Minister Richard Marles will receive the recommendations of the submarine taskforce in coming weeks, as well as the final version of a strategic review of the nation’s defence forces. Marles says he is prepared to make difficult decisions regarding defence spending in response to the strategic review. However, he stresses that the government will ensure that the nation avoids a ‘capability gap’ between the retirement of the Collins-class submarines and the delivery of their nuclear-powered replacements.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF DEFENCE

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence down 1.8pts to 85.9, first fall in the index of the New Year

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 25-Jan-23

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence fell 1.8pts to 85.9 in the week ended 22 January. Consumer Confidence is now 14.2pts below the same week a year ago (100.1), and 2.8pts below the 2022 weekly average of 88.7. Consumer Confidence was down slightly in most parts of Australia including New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia and Queensland, but it was up in South Australia. Now 22% of Australians (unchanged) say their families are ‘better off’ financially than this time last year, while 45% (up 2ppts) say their families are ‘worse off’ financially. Some 34% (down 1ppt) of Australians expect their family to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year, while 31% (up 2ppts) expect to be ‘worse off’ financially. Only 9% (up 1ppt) of Australians now expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months, while 30% (down 1ppt) expect ‘bad times’ (the lowest figure for this indicator since late May 2022 – the week after the election of the Albanese Government). Meanwhile, 23% (down 3ppts) of Australians say now is a ‘good time to buy’ major household items, while 47% (up 1ppt) say now is a ‘bad time to buy’.

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

Cost of living crisis drives vulnerable Australians to buy now, pay later schemes, consumer groups say

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Original article by Jordyn Beazley
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 25-Jan-23

‘Buy now, pay later’ providers are continuing to attract scrutiny, amid a growing push for greater regulation of the sector. The federal government outlined three potential options in late 2022 for regulating the sector, but consumer groups contend that regulating BNPL as traditional credit products is the only one of the options that would provide sufficient protection for consumers. Shungu Patsika from the National Debt helpline says the number of people with BNPL debts has risen significantly since Christmas; he notes that in the past it was mainly welfare recipients who contact the service for help, but a growing number of people with jobs are also doing so.

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Cancel culture threat to future of the arts: Dark Mofo director

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Original article by Gabriella Coslovich
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 25-Jan-23

Leigh Carmichael will step down as the creative director of the Dark Mofo festival after the 2023 event. The founding creative director of the popular Hobart festival says the art world is no longer a "safe space" and he is concerned about its future. This follows the controversy over the 2021 Dark Mofo, which was to have featured an artwork by Spanish artist Santiago Sierra. It comprised a British flag soaked in blood donated by Indigenous people from across the world. The resulting backlash included allegations of racism, and the artwork was cancelled.

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DARK MOFO

Evolution puts mill expansion on table

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Original article by Nick Evans
The Australian – Page: 14 : 25-Jan-23

Evolution Mining produced 166,404 ounces of gold during the December quarter, which is three per cent higher than the previous three months. Production at the flagship Cowal mine in NSW rose by 33 per cent to 76,676 ounces, although output at the Red Lake mine in Canada fell by 30 per cent to 24,960 ounces. Meanwhile, CEO Lawrie Conway says Evolution has completed a feasibility study on the proposed expansion of the processing plant at its Mungari mine in Western Australia; the company’s board will consider the proposal in February. The expansion was put on hold in mid-2022 due to concerns about rising construction costs and a labour shortage in WA.

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EVOLUTION MINING LIMITED – ASX EVN

Nearly two-thirds of Australians (64%) say January 26 should be known as ‘Australia Day’, virtually unchanged on a year ago

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 25-Jan-23

A special Roy Morgan SMS Poll into attitudes towards January 26 shows that a clear majority of 64% of Australians now say the date should be known as ‘Australia Day’, which is virtually unchanged from a year ago. Some 36% of Australians say it should be called ‘Invasion Day’. Analysis by gender shows that 69% of men favour January 26 being known as ‘Australia Day’, while 31% say it should be called ‘Invasion Day’. In contrast, women are more evenly split with a narrow majority of 58% in favour of January 26 being known as ‘Australia Day’ compared to 42% saying it should be known as ‘Invasion Day’. Support for saying January 26 should be known as ‘Australia Day’ is down slightly on a year ago for both genders. This Roy Morgan SMS Poll was conducted with an Australia-wide cross-section of 1,231 Australians aged 18+ on the weekend from Friday January 20 to Monday January 23.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Jobs data is too old – we are in a new world

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Original article by Terry McCrann
Herald Sun – Page: 61 : 20-Jan-23

Official data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that the economy shed 14,600 jobs in December. Economists had expected a gain of about 25,000 jobs. It is important to keep in mind that the ABS data only covers the first two weeks of December, and is therefore already five or six weeks old. The ABS itself concedes that it is only 95 per cent confident that the change in jobs was somewhere between a fall of 78,400 and an increase of 49,200. The loss of 78,000 jobs leading into the Christmas peak retail season would raise concerns about a recession, as well as the prospect of interest rate cuts. A strong increase in jobs could in turn prompt the Reserve Bank to resume lifting the cash rate by 50 basis points. More relevant and more recent evidence on what is happening with the economy will be available when the central bank’s board meets in early February.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

Australia risks UN human rights blacklisting as states fail to meet prison obligations

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Original article by Adeshola Ore
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 20-Jan-23

Signatories to the United Nations’ Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture (Opcat) are required to establish independent bodies known as national preventive mechanisms that act as watchdogs and inspect prisons and other places of detention in regard to human rights issues. However, NSW, Victoria and Queensland have yet to designate their independent oversight bodies, and contend they cannot meet their Opcat obligations without financial help from the federal government. Australia could find itself on a human rights blacklist if it does not meet its Opcat obligations by 20 January.

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UNITED NATIONS

Santos pumps up the sales volume with record year

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Original article by Perry Williams
The Australian – Page: 15 : 20-Jan-23

Oil and gas producer Santos has advised that its total output for calendar 2022 was 103.2 million barrels of oil equivalent. This was at the lower end of its full-year guidance, but 12 per cent higher than the previous year. Production fell by two per cent quarter-on-quarter in the final three months of 2022 after a gas leak forced the temporary closure of the John Brookes platform in November; it is not expected to resume production before the end of January, which has prompted Santos to slightly downgrade its production guidance for 2023. Meanwhile, Santos’s revenue rose by 65 per cent to a record $US7.8bn ($11.2bn) in 2022.

CORPORATES
SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO