Author: roymorgansocial

Suncorp puts bank into play

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Original article by Sarah Thompson, Anthony Macdonald
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 16 : 27-Jun-22

Suncorp Group may abandon its ‘bancassurance’ model and pursue a sale or demerger of its banking division. Suncorp has engaged the services of investment bank Barrenjoey Capital Partners to consider options for its banking arm, which would allow the listed group to focus on its insurance division. Analysts have suggested that the recent downturn in Australian bank stocks could make selling Suncorp Bank more attractive than listing it on the sharemarket. Suncorp’s own share have fallen by one per cent over the last year, while the S&P/ASX 200 has shed 10 per cent.

CORPORATES
SUNCORP GROUP LIMITED – ASX SUN, SUNCORP BANK, BARRENJOEY CAPITAL PARTNERS PTY LTD, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX

What overturning Roe v Wade means for Australia

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Original article by Caitlin Fitzsimmons
Brisbane Times – Page: Online : 27-Jun-22

Children by Choice CEO Daile Kelleher has little doubt that those who oppose abortion in Australia will be "energised" by the decision of the US Supreme Court to overturn Roe v Wade. It ends the constitutional right to an abortion in the US, and allows state bans to come into effect. Jane Caro, who spoke at pro-choice rallies in the lead-up to abortion being decriminalised in NSW in 2019, says the decision is a reminder that, compared to men, womens’ rights are always equivocal. She agrees with Kelleher’s view that the decision will energise those who oppose abortion, but believes it will also energise those who support abortion.

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CHILDREN BY CHOICE

Census to offer COVID-19 snapshot

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Original article by Tom McIlroy
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 27-Jun-22

The Australian Bureau of Statistics will release the first major data set from the 2021 Census in the week beginning 27 June, with demographers, business and the Australian Electoral Commission among the many users of census data. Andrew Leigh, Labor’s Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury, who is the minister in charge of the ABS, notes that many people who completed the 2021 census would have done so away from their normal place of residence as a result of COVID-19 restrictions. Leigh says that planning for the 2026 Census is already underway.

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AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS

Warning to NATO on China-Russia pact

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 27-Jun-22

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his counterparts from South Korea, Japan and India make up a special Indo-Pacific delegation that are attending the NATO summit in Madrid. Albanese says that the summit is being held in the context of democratic nations standing up for Ukraine as it continues to resist Russia’s invasion, while he says China’s ‘no limits’ pact with Russia means that NATO is required to focus on a broader threat than just Russia. A senior NATO official has indicated that it does not view China, like Russia, as an adversary, but as "a challenge" that needs to be constantly managed.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANISATION

Haines warns crossbench cuts could delay ICAC

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Original article by Michael Pelly
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 27-Jun-22

The former Coalition government allocated two advisers and two assistant advisers to crossbench MPs, on top of their four electoral staff. However, the Albanese government is planning to reduce the number of advisers that crossbench MPs get allocated from four to one. Helen Haines, who is the Independent MP for the Victorian seat of Indi, has warned that the proposal to reduce the number of advisers that crossbench MPs are allocated could lead to a delay in the passage of legislation to establish a federal anti-corruption commission.

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Plan for over-65s to ease jobs crisis

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Original article by Patrick Commins
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 27-Jun-22

Employers’ groups and the Council on the Ageing have expressed support for a proposal to address the skills crisis by allowing older Australians to work additional hours without affecting their pension payments. Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry CEO Andrew McKellar estimates that this could encourage at least 400,000 people over the age of 65 to return to the workforce. Treasurer Jim Chalmers has indicated that the proposal is among the issues that will be discussed at the national employment summit later in 2022.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, COUNCIL ON THE AGEING, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Dilemma over targeted vaccines

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Original article by Jamie Walker, Sarah Petty
The Australian – Page: 3 : 27-Jun-22

The BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of Omicron are rapidly becoming the dominant strains of COVID-19 in Australia. They are better able to evade existing vaccines, but companies such as Pfizer and Moderna have indicated that they have had some success in developing vaccines that target these variants. While Australians who meet certain criteria can now receive a second booster dose, health authories may delay recommending a broader rollout until vaccines that target these variants are available. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is amongst those who support this view; the state recorded 5,824 new COVID-19 cases and 15 deaths on Sunday. There were 7,461 new infections and seven deaths in NSW.

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PFIZER INCORPORATED, MODERNA INCORPORATED, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

Seven’s streaming arm fuels success

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Original article by James Madden
The Australian – Page: 19 : 27-Jun-22

Seven West Media’s 7plus broadcast video-on-demand platform recorded year-on-year growth of 57 per cent in 2021. Seven’s chief digital officer Gereurd Roberts recently indicated that 7plus accounted for 45 per cent of all BVOD streaming minutes in the free-to-air sector during the year, while Seven CEO James Warburton wants BVOD viewing numbers to be included in the official ratings data. Seven has dominated the ratings so far in 2022, winning 13 of the 17 weeks in metropolitan areas and every week in regional areas.

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SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, 7PLUS

Chalmers seeks more RBA board diversity

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Original article by John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 27-Jun-22

The independent review of the Reserve Bank of Australia is slated to report to the federal government in mid-2023. Treasurer Jim Chalmers has indicated that the size and composition of the RBA’s board are among the issues that will be considered; he says the government wants the board to be comprised of people representing all parts of Australia and all parts of the economy. The RBA board is currently dominated by people from the business sector, but there have been calls for it to include more economists. ACTU secretary Sally McManus has in turn advocated having a union representative on the board for the first time since the 1990s.

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RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, ACTU

ALP 53% leads the L-NP 47% as energy crisis strikes Eastern Australia

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

The latest Roy Morgan Poll shows that the ALP’s lead over the L-NP is now 6% points on a two-party preferred basis, a month after the Federal Election: ALP 53% (down 1% point in a week) ahead of the L-NP 47% (up 1% point). This is still an increase for the ALP on the Federal Election result: ALP 52% cf. L-NP 48%. If a Federal Election had been held last weekend the ALP would have won easily. Primary support for the ALP is up 2% points to 36% but it still trails the L-NP, unchanged on 37%. Support for the Greens was down 1.5% points to 11%. Support for One Nation was up 0.5% points to 4% and support for Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party was down 0.5% points to 0.5%. Support for Other Parties was up 2.5% points to 7% while support for Independents was down 3% points to 4.5%. Analysis by State shows that the ALP leads in four States (Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania), while the L-NP leads in NSW and the two parties are even in Queensland. Meanwhile, the weekly Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating is down 2pts to 105, the third consecutive week of declines after reaching a high of 111.5 immediately after the Federal Election. Some 42% (down 2% points) of Australians now say the country is ‘heading in the right direction’, while 37% (unchanged) say the country is ‘heading in the wrong direction’. This Roy Morgan Poll on Federal voting intention and Government Confidence was conducted via telephone and online interviewing of 1,401 Australian electors aged 18+ from Monday June 13 to Sunday June 19.

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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, UNITED AUSTRALIA PARTY