Author: roymorgansocial

Morrison’s crisis aid for India

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Original article by Phillip Coorey, Emma Connors
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 28-Apr-21

The federal government will provide a COVID-19 support package to assist India to combat its second wave of the coronavirus. The initial aid will include 500 ventilators, 100 oxygen concentrators and personal protective equipment such as surgical masks, face masks and surgical gloves. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has also announced that all direct flights from India will be suspended until at least 15 May. The move will affect up to 9,000 Australian citizens and permanent residents who are currently in India. Meanwhile, India has recorded 323,144 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours; Australia has reported 23 new cases in hotel quarantine.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

‘We must get real on a possible China war’: Dutton

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Original article by Olivia Caisley
The Australian – Page: 4 : 26-Apr-21

Defence Minister Peter Dutton says Australia must continue to be a ‘good neighbour’ in the Asia-Pacific and work with its partners and allies to maintain peace in the region. He adds that China has made it clear that reunification with Taiwan is firmly on its agenda, and he has warned that war over Taiwan cannot be ruled out in the future. Dutton has also indicated that thousands of deals with foreign governments are being reviewed following the Coalition’s decision to terminate Victoria’s deal to participate in China’s Belt and Road Initiative. They include the 2015 deal to lease the Port of Darwin to a Chinese company for 99 years.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF DEFENCE

Perth facing more COVID limits, slashes international arrivals by half

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Original article by
The West Australian – Page: Online : 26-Apr-21

Australia has recorded seven new COVID-19 cases in hotel quarantine nationwide in the last 24 hours. Western Australia recorded one locally-acquired case on 24 April, the first day of a snap-three day lockdown of Perth and the Peel region. Premier Mark McGowan has warned that some restrictions are likely to remain in place if the lockdown ends as scheduled at 11.59pm on 26 April. It was prompted by two cases of community transmission that have been linked to the Mercure quarantine hotel in Perth. McGowan also says the federal government has accepted his request to temporarily cap the state’s returned travellers at just 512 per week from 29 April. He adds that WA cannot return to its previous weekly cap of 1,025 unless ‘proper’ commonwealth quarantine facilities are used.

CORPORATES
WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET

Business calls to fast-track tax cuts

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 2 : 26-Apr-21

The third stage of the federal government’s income tax cuts package is slated to take effect from 1 July 2024. Business Council of Australia CEO Jennifer Westacott says the government should consider bringing forward the tax cuts in order to boost the economy and create jobs in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Australian Council of Social Service CEO Cassandra Goldie recently called for the third-stage tax cuts to be dropped, arguing that they will benefit people on high incomes the most.

CORPORATES
BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE

Parental leave a $5bn earner

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Original article by Joe Kelly, Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 26-Apr-21

The Business Council of Australia has called for paid parental leave to be increased to 26 weeks for couples who agree to more equally share the amount of time they take off work. The BCA has also proposed increasing the childcare subsidy for lower-income households from 85 to 95 per cent; it notes that modelling by KPMG suggests that this would boost the economy by about $5bn a year. The BCA contends that the high cost of childcare is deterring many women from returning to the workforce. Some Liberal MPs have urged the federal government to include childcare reforms in the Budget on 11 May.

CORPORATES
BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

ABC regrets unfairness in finance probes

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Original article by Sophie Elsworth
The Australian – Page: 19 : 26-Apr-21

Liberal senator Andrew Bragg has criticised the ABC over a lack of balance in its business and economic reporting. It has been revealed that Bragg wrote to the public broadcaster in March to complain about its coverage of the federal government’s proposed changes to responsible lending laws. He contends that the article failed to present the government’s reasons for the legislative changes. The ABC has conceded that the article should have been more balanced. It has also recently corrected a series of reports about the alleged rorting of the JobKeeper scheme.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Shell plunges to $6bn loss as virus hits

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Original article by Perry Williams
The Australian – Page: 13 & 16 : 26-Apr-21

Shell Australia has posted a full-year loss of $US4.9bn ($6.3bn), compared with a loss of just $US661m previously. The latest financial result was marred by a $US6.2bn writedown of the energy giant’s Australian operations due to a sharp fall in the crude oil price in 2020. The Prelude floating LNG venture was the primary cause of the big writedown. Australian LNG producers have now incurred combined writedowns of more than $25bn in the wake of the pandemic.

CORPORATES
SHELL COMPANY OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC

Anzac Day services and private commemorations across Australia remember ultimate sacrifice of war

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Original article by
abc.net au – Page: Online : 26-Apr-21

Over 4,000 people with special tickets attended the national Anzac Day dawn service at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaking at the service. He paid special tribute to the 41 Australians who have lost their lives in Afghanistan, following his recent announcement that the last 80 remaining troops will be withdrawn later in 2021. Seating at the dawn service complied with social distancing requirements, with similar measures in place at other services across Australia; crowds were barred from Anzac Day services in Perth due to the snap COVID-19 lockdown.

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Challenge for AMP over pay, fund deal

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Original article by Joyce Moullakis
The Australian – Page: 17 : 26-Apr-21

AMP’s proposal to spin off its private markets division is set to be a key focus of its virtual AGM on 30 April. Brett Le Mesurier of Velocity Trade has downgraded his share price target for AMP in response to the demerger proposal, which followed AMP’s decision to terminate negotiations with Ares Management over a full or partial sale of the business. Meanwhile, two proxy advisers have recommended that shareholders vote in favour of AMP’s remuneration report, while ISS has called for investors to reject it.

CORPORATES
AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, ARES CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC, INSTITUTIONAL SHAREHOLDER SERVICES INCORPORATED

Full strength beer is preferred by Australia’s beer drinkers

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 26-Apr-21

New data from Roy Morgan’s Alcohol Consumption Report shows that 6,277,000 Australians aged 18+ (34.6%) drink beer in an average four weeks. This is second only to wine as the alcoholic drink of choice for Australians. Nearly a third of Australians aged 18+ (30.2%) consumed full-strength beer in an average four weeks in 2020, down 3.1% points from 2019 (33.3%). In comparison only 8.6% of Australians consumed mid-strength beer (down 2.2% points on 2019) and just 2.8% (down 1.1% points) had low-alcohol beer in an average four weeks during 2020. Men are the main consumers of beer, with over half (52.4%) consuming beer in 2020 compared to only 17.5% of women. The ratio is very similar for full-strength beer with nearly half of men, 45.9%, consuming full strength beer in 2020 compared to only 15.2% of women. Less than one-in-seven men (13.9%) drink mid-strength beer and only 4.6% drink low-alcohol beer. Even fewer women (3.5%) drink mid-strength beer and just 1.1% of women drink low-alcohol beer. The findings are from the Roy Morgan Single Source survey, Australia’s most trusted and comprehensive consumer survey, derived from in-depth interviews with 50,000 Australians each year.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED