Author: roymorgansocial

WA dumps masks as rules eased further

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Original article by Michael Bennet
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 27-Apr-22

The Western Australian government will relax more COVID-19 restrictions from 12.01am on Friday. Amongst other things, face masks will only by mandatory in high-risk indoor settings such as hospitals and aged-care homes, as well as public transport. Density and capacity limits for indoor venues will also be scrapped, and asymptomatic close contacts will no longer need to isolate. Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson concedes that the changes may result in higher case numbers and hospitalisations, although she says this can be managed. WA recorded 6,711 new cases and eight deaths on Wednesday; there were 9,849 new infections and 18 deaths in NSW, while Victoria reported 9,265 new cases and 15 deaths.

CORPORATES
WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH

Labor defends agricultural visa scheme as farmers brace for minimum wage rise

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Original article by Natasha May
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 27-Apr-22

Labor will make changes to the federal government’s Pacific Australia Labor Mobility scheme if it wins the 21 May election. It will introduce a Pacific Engagement Visa for agricultural workers from the Pacific Islands, which will offer a pathway to permanent residency. Meanwhile, a minimum wage for horticultural workers will take effect from Thursday; Daniel Walton of the Australian Workers’ Union describes it as a "momentous shift" for fruit pickers, saying they have been "routinely and systemically exploited and underpaid" under the piece rate system.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES

Stealth carbon tax warning

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Original article by Greg Brown
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 27-Apr-22

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has stressed that the federal government is fully committed to its net-zero emissions target of 2050, after Nationals senator Matt Canavan claimed that other countries are abandoning the this target. Meanwhile, Whitehaven Coal CEO Paul Flynn claims that Labor’s proposed changes to the government’s safeguard mechanism for large industrial emitters constitutes a "carbon tax by stealth". Labor has confirmed that coal mines will be included in a revised safeguard mechanism if it wins the federal election.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

ANZ remains prone to ‘liar loans’: UBS survey

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Original article by Ayesha de Kretser
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 27-Apr-22

Some 37 per cent of Australians who sought a mortgage loan in the second half of 2021 had lied on their application form, according to research by UBS. This compares with 41 per cent in 2020. The survey also shows that 55 per cent of ANZ Bank customers had included factual misstatements in their application form; this compares with 40 per cent of Westpac customers, 30 per cent of Commonwealth Bank customers and 19 per cent of National Australia Bank customers. John Storey of UBS says it is particularly concerning that 81 per cent of the ANZ customers who submitted applications for so-called ‘liar loans’ claim that they were advised to do so by their banker.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD

Twitter deal could be terrific: Sims

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Original article by John Davidson, Tess Bennett, Yolanda Redrup
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 27-Apr-22

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission’s former chairman Rod Sims has welcomed the acquisition of Twitter by US billionaire Elon Musk. He says the $64.1bn deal will be "terrific" for Australian businesses if Musk follows through with his plans for Twitter, which including making its algorithms open source and cracking down on disinformation on the social media platform. However, Reset Australia’s executive director Chris Cooper says the Twitter buyout demonstrates the need for proper regulation of technology companies.

CORPORATES
TWITTER INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, RESET AUSTRALIA

Uber faces $26m fine after ACCC probe

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 27-Apr-22

Ride-sharing pioneer Uber has admitted to breaching Australian consumer law by engaging in misleading or deceptive conduct and making false or misleading representations. The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission pursued action against Uber with regard to its algorithms, and Uber has agreed to penalties totalling $26m which must now be approved by the Federal Court.

CORPORATES
UBER AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, UBER BV, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

L-NP closes gap on ALP for second straight week after the first Leaders’ Debate: ALP 54.5% cf. L-NP 45.5%

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 27-Apr-22

A Roy Morgan Poll conducted during the second week of the federal election campaign shows the L-NP gaining 0.5% points on a two-party preferred basis, but still well behind the ALP (54.5% cf. L-NP 45.5%). This is the closest since early November 2021, when the two-party preferred lead was 7% points: ALP 53.5% cf. L-NP 46.5%. If a Federal Election had been held last weekend the ALP would have won a clear majority. Primary support for the L-NP was unchanged at 35.5% and remains just ahead of the ALP on 35%, also unchanged from a week ago. Analysis by State shows that the ALP now leads in four States on a two-party preferred basis, but the L-NP has regained the lead in Queensland and has increased its lead in Western Australia. Meanwhile, the Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating increased 6pts to 92 in the second week of the election campaign; now 38.5% (up 3.5% points) of Australians say the country is ‘heading in the right direction’, while 46.5% (down 2.5% points) 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 1,393 Australian electors aged 18+ from Monday April 18-24.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, MORGAN POLL, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Labor to regulate buy now, pay later

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Original article by Glenda Korporaal
The Australian – Page: 19 : 27-Apr-22

Shadow financial services minister Stephen Jones has flagged greater regulation of the ‘buy now, pay later’ sector if Labor wins the federal election. Jones says the BNPL sector is operating in an "ambiguous" regulatory space, and he contends that it requires some degree of regulation as it is directly competing with credit providers. He has also indicated that Labor will take action to halt a sharp decline in the number of financial advisers, with many leaving the industry in recent years due to federal government reforms.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Mums to be spoiled on Mother’s Day with $754 million to be spent on gifts

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 27-Apr-22

Research from the Australian Retailers Association in collaboration with Roy Morgan shows that Australians are set to spend $754 million on Mother’s Day gifts. People who plan on buying a gift will spend an average of $80, with 90% planning to spend the same or more than they did last year. Flowers are set to be the most popular gift, mentioned by 34% of Australians surveyed, followed by alcohol and food (23%) and clothing, shoes and sleepwear (mentioned by 11% of Australians). Some 24% of Australians will be purchasing gifts for people who aren’t their birth mother, including mothers-in-law, wives or partners and other family members. The ARA-Roy Morgan Snap SMS survey was conducted with an Australian-wide cross-section of 1,162 Australians aged 18+ on Tuesday April 12 – Wednesday April 13.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN RETAILERS ASSOCIATION, ROY MORGAN LIMITED

CME rejects divide with Rio Tinto on Indigenous heritage protection

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Original article by Stuart McKinnon
The West Australian – Page: Online : 16-Mar-22

Rio Tinto has expressed support for moves at both state and federal level to strengthen cultural heritage protection laws. Rio Tinto has been under intensive scrutiny in the wake of its destruction of ancient indigenous rock shelters at Juukan Gorge in May 20202. The Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility has welcomed Rio Tinto’s support for legislative action at federal level, which has put the resources giant at odds with the Chamber of Minerals & Energy of Western Australia; the CME is of the view that indigenous heritage protection should be addressed at state level.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, THE CHAMBER OF MINERALS AND ENERGY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, AUSTRALASIAN CENTRE FOR CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY