Author: roymorgansocial

‘Stop trusting Facebook’, whistleblower Frances Haugen tells Australian MPs

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Original article by Lisa Visentin
Brisbane Times – Page: Online : 22-Oct-21

Federal Liberal-National MP Julian Simmonds says regulatory intervention is needed to ensure that Facebook is more transparent about how it operates. His comments follow an online briefing to federal MPs by Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, who said they should not trust the social media company’s promises that it is trying to make its platform safer. Simmonds co-ordinated the briefing with digital advocacy group Reset Australia. Haugen attracted much attention when she recently appeared before a US congressional hearing.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL-NATIONAL PARTY OF QUEENSLAND, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED

Victoria AMA says Covid-deniers and anti-vaxxers should opt out of public health system and let nature run its course

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Original article by Melissa Davey
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 22-Oct-21

Anti-vaxxers and covid-deniers should update their advanced care plans and inform their relatives that they do not wish to be treated in the public health care system if they become infected with COVID-19, and let "nature run its course". This is according to Australian Medical Association Victorian president Dr Roderick McRae, with his comments coming as Victoria prepares to ease some of its restrictions as it passes the 70 per cent double vaccination target. He has urged Victorians celebrating the easing of restrictions not to get drunk and have any accidents that will result in them needing medical care, because the "hospitals are full".

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION LIMITED

Pre-Christmas retail trade for 2021 predicted to remain steady year-on-year at $58 billion

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 22-Oct-21

The Australian Retailers Association and strategic partner Roy Morgan are predicting that this year’s pre-Christmas spending will broadly match last year’s high and be significantly above 2019 pre-pandemic spending. The ARA-Roy Morgan 2021 pre-Christmas Retail Sales predictions forecast that overall spending will come in at $58.8 billion, virtually unchanged on last year, but up 11.3% on pre-pandemic conditions. National retail trade for pre-Christmas 2021 is predicted to be in-line with 2020, with growth in Victoria, Tasmania and the ACT; NSW and WA largely flat and some contraction in Queensland, SA and NT off the back of strong pre-Christmas sales in 2020. The Roy Morgan data also values (for the first time) the impact of the most recent lockdowns on retail trade at $131 million per day across the economy.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN RETAILERS ASSOCIATION

NSW COVID-19 cases up, most infections outside of Sydney

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Original article by Mary Ward
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: Online : 22-Oct-21

New South Wales reported 372 new locally-acquired COVID-19 cases on Thursday, and one additional death from the current outbreak. More than half of the new cases were in regional areas, include a spike in infections in local government areas near the Victorian border. Professor Catherine Bennett of Deakin University says it was to be expected that case numbers would rise in areas that have lower vaccination rates; she adds that it is too soon to know whether the state’s recent easing of COVID-19 restrictions has impacted on case numbers. Meanwhile, a Queensland man in his 30s has been hospitalised with COVID-19 after returning from a trip to Sydney and Melbourne.

CORPORATES
DEAKIN UNIVERSITY

Their ABC: no so trusted anymore

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Original article by Evan Mulholland
The Spectator Australia – Page: Online : 22-Oct-21

The ABC has fallen from 10th to 19th place in Roy Morgan’s latest ranking of Australia’s most trusted brands. In a webinar discussing the results of the survey, Roy Morgan social scientist Dr Ross Honeywill comments that the ABC has now fallen from fifth place in just two years, while Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine says that a lot more people seem to be of the view that the ABC is biased than was previously the case. Declines in its trust rating in Roy Morgan’s monthly net score rankings appear closely linked to media controversies of which the ABC was at the centre.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Eddie Obeid jailed for coal collusion

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Original article by Stephen Rice
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 22-Oct-21

Former NSW Labor minister Ian McDonald has been sentenced to at least five years and three months in jail for his role in a coal mine licencing conspiracy. Fellow minister Eddie Obeid was given a sentence of at least three years and 10 months, while his son Moses will serve at least three years in prison. The Obeids netted at least $30 million from the conspiracy, while the Independent Commission Against Corruption’s investigation of the mine licencing deal prompted counsel assisting the inquiry, Geoffrey Watson SC, to describe it as the worst example of political corruption since the days of the Rum Corps. Eddie Obeid was been released on bail after his lawyers argued that he was at risk of contracting COVID-19 in custody.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NEW SOUTH WALES. INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION

Rio spreads wings in asset hunt

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Original article by Nick Evans
The Australian – Page: 16 : 22-Oct-21

Rio Tinto is to broaden the range of commodities that it is willing to develop, with a particular emphasis on base metals required to support global electrification. It is also looking to widen the range of locations that it is prepared to explore for assets in, with Russia being among only a handful of exceptions. Rio’s stance is similar to that echoed recently by BHP CEO Mike Henry, who stated that it was contemplating a return to "tougher jurisdictions" in its efforts to discover more "future facing" commodities such as nickel and copper.

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

Answers sought on bank closures

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Original article by Patrick Commins
The Australian – Page: 4 : 22-Oct-21

Data from the Reserve Bank of Australia shows that the number of full-service bank branches in regional and remote areas fell by 10 per cent between 2017 and 2020. This equates to about 270 branch closures. The federal government has established a Regional Banking Task Force, which will examine the impact of bank branch closures on regional communities. The taskforce will include politicians and representatives from the banking sector.

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RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

Foxtel expands offer in ViacomCBS deal

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Original article by Sophie Elsworth
The Australian – Page: 15 : 22-Oct-21

Pay-TV group Foxtel has secured a new multi-year content deal with US media company ViacomCBS, the parent company of the Ten Network. Foxtel CEO Patrick Delany says the deal to extend its long-standing relationship with ViacomCBS will provide customers with access to a much bigger range of content. The deal includes channels such as Nickelodeon and MTV, and the integration of the Paramount+ and 10 Play apps into Foxtel’s iQ3, iQ4 and iQ5 set-top boxes.

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FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, VIACOMCBS INCORPORATED, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED

Senate backs inquiry into whether tax commissioner should release JobKeeper details

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Original article by Daniel Hurst
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 20-Oct-21

Tax commissioner Chris Jordan will come under scrutiny by the Senate’s privileges committee over his refusal to disclose the details of companies with annual turnover of more than $10m that received JobKeeper payments. Jordan had contended that doing so would not be in the public interest, but the Senate has voted 25-21 to hold an inquiry into whether he had disobeyed a lawful order of the upper house. Assistant Treasurer Michael Sukkar has criticised Labor for supporting the motion, which was put forward by independent senator Rex Patrick. Jordan could potentially face jail if he is found to be in contempt of the Senate.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY