Author: roymorgansocial

Another exec to board Suburban Rail Loop gravy train

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Original article by Ryan Bourke
The Australian – Page: 6 : 29-Jul-25

The Victorian government is seeking to recruit a director of engineering for its Suburban Rail Loop project. The salary range for the position is beween $290,000 and $419,000. This compares with an average salary of $210,000 to $230,000 for a director of engineering in Australia, according to jobs website Jora. A spokewoman for the SRL says the high salary range is justified, given that the role requires highly specialised expertise, technical skill and experience. She adds that the SRL is competing with major projects in Australia and overseas to hire staff for such roles.

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VICTORIA. SUBURBAN RAIL LOOP AUTHORITY, JORA

WA ready to fight to keep sweet GST deal

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Original article by Jesinta Burton
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 29-Jul-25

Western Australia plans to resist growing calls for changes to the way that the GST is distributed, with WA having benefited greatly from a 2018 decision by the then Coalition government to introduce a GST floor. It has resulted in states getting at least $0.75 for every dollar raised, while the federal government makes top-up payments to ensure that no state is worse off under the decision. It is understood the WA government is planning a national campaign in defence of its favourable deal, ahead of a Productivity Commission review of the GST reforms that is due to be handed down next year.

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AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION

PM defends Farrell over his tariff gaffe

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Original article by Rhiannon Down
The Australian – Page: 2 : 29-Jul-25

Trade Minister Don Farrell has come under fire for incorrectly claiming that US President Donald Trump had raised Australia’s ban on US beef imports in a conversation with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Albanese has come out in defence of Farrell, who now says he confused comments made by Trump in the White House rose garden about Australia with a conversation between Trump and Albanese. The federal government has now lifted restrictions on US beef derived from ­cattle raised in Canada and ­Mexico being imported into Australia, with the Coalition calling for an inquiry into the decision.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Employers pitch Fair Work reform

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 29-Jul-25

The Australian Resources & Energy Employers Association is calling for an end to politically-biased appointments to the Fair Work Commission ahead of the federal government’s productivity roundtable. With both Coalition and Labor governments having been accused of favouring people with employer or union backgrounds, respectively, when making FWC appointments, the AREEA has used its submission to the roundtable to call for them to be made by an independent panel; it would comprise the federal industrial relations minister, the ACTU and employer groups.

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AUSTRALIAN RESOURCES AND ENERGY EMPLOYER ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ACTU

Roy Morgan Poll: ALP maintains strong two-party preferred lead in July: ALP 57% cf. L-NP 43%

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 29-Jul-25

In July the ALP maintained its commanding two-party preferred lead on 57% (down 0.5% from June 23-29, 2025) ahead of the L-NP Coalition on 43% (up 0.5%), the latest Roy Morgan survey finds. The Albanese Government’s two-party preferred lead is significantly higher than the 2025 Federal Election result in early May: ALP 55.2% cf. L-NP 44.8%. In the month of July primary support for the ALP was at 36.5% (unchanged from June 23-29, 2025) and is again clearly ahead of the Liberal-National Coalition on 31% (up 0.5%). Support for the Greens was unchanged at 12% and support for One Nation was down 1.5% to 7%. In addition, support for Independents/Other Parties was at 13.5% (up 1%).

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED, MORGAN POLL, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, ONE NATION PARTY

Australia won’t receive AUKUS nuclear submarines unless US doubles shipbuilding, admiral warns

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Original article by Ben Doherty
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 29-Jul-25

The rate of construction of Virginia-class submarines is currently about 1.13 per year. This is well below the US Navy’s estimate that two of the nuclear-powered vessels will need to be built each year to meet its own needs, and 2.33 per year to supply vessels to Australia via the AUKUS alliance. US Admiral Daryl Caudle has told a Senate committee that a "100% improvement" in the shipbuilding rate will be necessary if the US is to sell any of the vessels to Australia. Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull says there is a "very, very high" chance that Australia will never buy a Virginia-class submarine; he has questioned the federal government’s lack of a ‘plan B’, given that AUKUS-class vessels will not enter service until the 2040s.

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UNITED STATES NAVY, UNITED STATES. SENATE COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES

Australia can’t sue UK for dud subs

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Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 29-Jul-25

Defence Minister Richard Marles and British counterpart John Healey recently signed a 50-year AUKUS treaty. The document was tabled in federal parliament on Monday, and many of its clauses heavily favour the UK. Amongst other things, Australia will not be able to sue the UK if there are defects in the design of the AUKUS-class nuclear-powered submarines or any equipment supplied by the UK; this includes the nuclear reactors that will be made in the UK and installed in the vessels to be built in Adelaide. In addition, although the two nations will jointly design the new vessels, Britain will approve the final design and will effectively be able to veto any Australian input into this.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF DEFENCE, GREAT BRITAIN. MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

Rio reveals 80-year plan for Pilbara iron ore mines

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Original article by Brad Thompson
The Australian – Page: 13 & 19 : 29-Jul-25

Rio Tinto is seeking environmental approval from the Western Australian government for its East Pilbara Strategic Proposal. Rio Tinto has stated that the EPSP covers potential future developments in the region over the next eight decades, including iron ore mining and renewable energy projects, as well as supporting infrastructure. BHP secured approval for a similar proposal in the Pilbara in 2019, which enabled project approvals to be streamlined. Rio Tinto’s long-term commitment to the Pilbara is in contrast to recent warnings from Fortescue’s founder Andrew Forrest that the region is at risk of becoming a ‘wasteland’

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

Despite $22bn promise, Adani has paid zero corporate tax in Australia and experts think it won’t ever pay a cent

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Original article by Jonathan Barrett
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 29-Jul-25

Adani Mining posted a loss of $461.7m in the year to 31 March, despite having revenue of $1.27bn. It operates the Carmichael coal mine in Queensland, and is part of the India-based Adani conglomerate. Large annual payments to related parties is a key reason why Adani Mining has yet to make a profit, more than three years afer production at the Carmichael mine began. Jason Ward from the Centre for International Corporate Tax Accountability & Research says the level of related-party transactions at Adani Mining is "pretty unprecedented"; he believes that the company has been structured in a way that ensures it will never make a profit or have to pay tax.

CORPORATES
ADANI MINING PTY LTD, CENTRE FOR INTERNATIONAL CORPORATE TAX ACCOUNTABILITY AND RESEARCH

CBA slashes dozens of call centre jobs, citing new AI system rollout

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Original article by James Eyers, David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 29-Jul-25

The Commonwealth Bank informed the Finance Sector Union last week that it will be making 45 roles in its call centre operations redundant, following the introduction of a chatbot system last month to answer customer inquiries. It is likely to be the first of many redundancies in the CBA’s call centres as a result of AI, with the CBA saying the new system has reduced the volume of call centre calls by 2,000 a week and has allowed it to concentrate its focus on upskilling its call centre team to deal with more complex customer queries

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COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, FINANCE SECTOR UNION