Author: roymorgansocial

NZ bubble sparks rush on holidays

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Original article by Robyn Ironside, Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 7-Apr-21

Tourism operators and airlines have reported a surge in bookings following official confirmation that Australians will be able travel to New Zealand without quarantining from 19 April. The tourism industry has described the trans-Tasman travel bubble as a ‘game changer’, while Australian Federation of Travel Agents chair Tom Manwaring has urged the governments of both nations to ensure that the travel corridor remains open. NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern cautions that any new COVID-19 outbreaks could result in flights being suspended or travellers being required to quarantine.

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THE AUSTRALIAN FEDERATION OF TRAVEL AGENTS LIMITED, NEW ZEALAND. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

ANZ-Roy Morgan New Zealand Consumer Confidence down by 2.3pts to 110.8 in March

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 6-Apr-21

ANZ-Roy Morgan New Zealand Consumer Confidence fell 2.3pts to 110.8 in March, stopping slightly short of its historical average of 120. Consumers’ perceptions of their current financial situation rose 5 points to +3%, while a net 30% of consumers expect to be better off financially this time next year, up 3 points. Meanwhile, a net 14% of consumers think it is a good time to buy a major household item, down 6 points. Perceptions regarding the next year’s economic outlook fell 9 points to -7%; the five-year outlook fell 5 points to +15%. CPI inflation expectations eased 0.6%pts to 4.0%, still quite a high read but a significant step towards more normal levels than have been seen in recent months.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

Nine’s cyber hack still far from over

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Original article by Sophie Elsworth
The Australian – Page: 3 : 6-Apr-21

Nine Entertainment Company has informed staff that its technology teams have made "remarkable progress" in restoring its key operational systems in the wake of a major cyber attack. However, the media giant has advised that it will be some time before all systems are fully restored, and many employees have been asked to keep working from home. Cybersecurity experts have estimated that the attack could potentially cost Nine more than $1m. It disrupted Nine’s broadcast operations in Sydney, as well as the print editions of its newspapers.

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NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC

AFP investigating politician’s office over questionable travel claims

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Original article by Josh Butler
The New Daily – Page: Online : 6-Apr-21

It has been revealed in an Auditor-General’s report that the office of a federal politician is the subject of an Australian Federal Police investigation over potential misuse of travel allowance claims. The information regarding the investigation was contained in a report by the Auditor-General into the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority, with the report noting the IPEA uses a debt collector to recoup money from MPs and their staff who have claimed expenses and purchases that they should not have done. As of February, the IPEA had not received any information from the AFP regarding the outcome of its investigation.

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AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE AUDITOR-GENERAL, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, AUSTRALIA. INDEPENDENT PARLIAMENTARY EXPENSES AUTHORITY

Business brakes on green reforms

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 6-Apr-21

Deloitte’s survey of global CEOs has found that 54 per cent of Australian firms had to downgrade sustainability initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic, compared to 65 per cent of global respondents. Thirty two per cent of Australian CEOs reported that they intend to speed up sustainability initiatives in the next year, compared to 23 per cent of their global counterparts. Around 44 per cent of Australian CEOs stated that their environmental performance is aimed at meeting customer expectations, while 57 per cent view employee morale as a "key driver" of environmental policies.

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DELOITTE TOUCHE TOHMATSU LIMITED

IMF spurs debate on JobKeeper extension

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Original article by Steve Jackson
The Australian – Page: 4 : 6-Apr-21

The International Monetary Fund’s latest economic outlook report highlights the role that job-retention schemes have played in supporting nations’ economies during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Washington DC-based agency has also cautioned against winding back such measures too soon. Grattan Institute CEO Danielle Wood contends that the federal government’s fiscal capacity is sufficient to have maintained the JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme, which ended on 28 March. She notes that some sectors are still struggling in the wake of the pandemic.

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INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND, GRATTAN INSTITUTE

ALP’s return to olden days of IR

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Weekend Australian – Page: 7 : 3-Apr-21

Master Builders Australia CEO Denita Wawn says Labor’s proposed industrial relations policy would "seriously undermine" the nation’s economic recovery. Amongst other things, Labor intends to abolish the Australian Building & Construction Commission and scrap the government’s building code if it wins the next federal election. Industrial Relations Minister Michaelia Cash notes that the ABCC has recovered more than $2.7m in wages and entitlements for some 4,200 employees since it was reinstated in 2016, while it has secured $12.7m in penalties for breaches of workplace laws.

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AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EDUCATION, SKILLS AND EMPLOYMENT

UBS sees sharp drop in iron ore price

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Original article by Lachlan Moffet Gray
The Australian – Page: 16 : 6-Apr-21

UBS expects a looming increase in global iron ore supply to result in the price of the steel input falling below $US100 per tonne in the December 2021 quarter. The iron price peaked at more than $US170 per tonne earlier in the year, but UBS says it is reaching an ‘inflection point’. The firm notes that iron ore shipments from Brazil are increasing, while inventories at Chinese ports are increasing. UBS has reduced its share price targets for Rio Tinto, BHP and Fortescue Metals Group; the firm has also downgraded its recommendation on the latter two from ‘buy’ to ‘neutral’.

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RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD

AstraZeneca vaccine program unlikely to be shelved – Clot risk not high enough

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Original article by Tamsin Rose, Kieran Rooney
Herald Sun – Page: 11 : 6-Apr-21

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation will meet on 7 April to discuss the future rollout of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine. A 44-year-old Melbourne man was recently admitted to hospital with a rare blood clotting condition after receiving the vaccine. Acting Chief Medical Officer Michael Kidd says it is "likely" that the case is linked to the vaccine, but he adds that there is no evidence to suggest that the risk is sufficiently high to halt the rollout. Kidd stresses that the vaccination program is necessary as Australia will remain vulnerable to future outbreaks, particularly as its international borders re-open.

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AUSTRALIAN TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP ON IMMUNISATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH, ASTRAZENECA PLC

Facebook data leak: Australians urged to check and secure social media accounts

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Original article by Mostafa Rachwani
The Guardian – Page: Online : 6-Apr-21

The details of over 500 million global Facebook users have been found on the internet, although Facebook has stated that the leaked data is old and results from a problem it resolved in 2019. However, computer security experts contend that the leaked information could still result in issues for users who are impacted by the problem. They state that the simplest way to find out if a person’s data has been leaked is to look on websites operated by security researchers; these include ‘HaveIbeenpwned.com’.

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FACEBOOK INCORPORATED