Author: roymorgansocial

ABC ignored ‘don’t broadcast’ plea from family of alleged rape victim

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Sharri Markson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 1-Mar-21

The federal government is under further scrutiny following allegations that a current cabinet minister raped a woman in 1988. Labor leader Anthony Albanese says Prime Minister Scott Morrison should consider removing the minister concerned until the matter is resolved. Meanwhile, a friend of the alleged victim – who took her own life in mid-2020 – has criticised the ABC for reporting the story, arguing that her family had been through enough. The allegation against the unnamed minister follows revelations that a former government staffer was raped by a colleague in March 2019.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

Crossbench on front foot over IR

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 8 : 17-Feb-21

The federal government will not proceed with legislation to allow coronavirus-hit employers to temporarily bypass the Fair Work Act’s ‘better off overall test’. The ACTU and Senate crossbenchers have welcomed the decision, but contend that further changes to the industrial relations omnibus bill are needed. Shadow industrial relations minister Tony Burke says the government had only backed down because it would not get the proposed reform through the Senate. Business Council of Australia CEO Jennifer Westacott says the remaining changes in the omnibus bill will ‘reinvigorate’ the enterprise bargaining system.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

Tennis year unworkable if quarantine remains, says Djokovic

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Greg Baum
The Age – Page: Online : 17-Feb-21

Novak Djokovic says there is a growing view among players that the 2021 tennis season will be unviable if they have to quarantine for 14 days before each tournament. The world number one-ranked men’s player has raised the possibility of staging the rest of the year’s major tournaments in a single location, and contends that the issue must be addressed quickly given that the season has begun. Djokovic adds that players had accepted the Australian Open quarantine measures as it is a grand slam, but notes that many ATP tournaments in 2021 will have reduced prizemoney.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN OPEN TENNIS, ATP TOUR

Musicians’ plea as live music figures hit new low

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Martin Boulton
The Age – Page: Online : 17-Feb-21

Australia’s live music industry has been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, with data from APRA-AMCOS showing that the sector is operating at less than four per cent of pre-coronavirus levels. More than 350 artists and music industry workers have written an open letter urging the federal government to either extend the JobKeeper scheme or introduce an industry-specific wage subsidy. They note that the arts and entertainment sector employs almost 200,000 Australians and contributes about $15bn to GDP each year.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALASIAN PERFORMING RIGHT ASSOCIATION LIMITED, AUSTRALASIAN MECHANICAL COPYRIGHT OWNERS SOCIETY LIMITED

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence declines 1.5pts to 109.9 during Victoria’s 5 day lockdown and border closures

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 17-Feb-21

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence fell 1.5pts to 109.9 on February 13/14. Consumer Confidence is now 0.5 points below the 2021 weekly average of 110.4, yet remains 0.8pts higher than the same week a year ago (109.1). Now 25% (down 1ppt) of Australians say their families are ‘better off’ financially than this time last year, while 27% (down 1ppt) say their families are ‘worse off’ financially. In addition, 37% (down 3ppts) of Australians expect their family to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year, and 14% (up 1ppt) expect to be ‘worse off’ financially. Some 19% (down 1ppt) of Australians expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months, while 20% (up 1ppt) expect ‘bad times’. Meanwhile, 42% (down 1ppt) of Australians say now is a ‘good time to buy’ major household items, while 25% (down 1ppt) say now is a ‘bad time to buy’.

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

BHP booms with $6.5bn payout

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Nick Evans
The Australian – Page: 15 & 18 : 17-Feb-21

BHP has reported a net profit of $US3.88bn for the first half of 2020-21, which is 20 per cent lower than previously. However, underlying net profit rose 15.4 per cent to $US6bn, while the resources group will return some $US5.1bn to shareholders via a record interim dividend of $US1.01 per share. BHP is bullish about the outlook for the iron ore price, forecasting that a significant pullback would require reduced demand from China and/or increased supply from Brazil. BHP’s iron ore division has posted underlying EBIT of $US9.32bn for the half-year, compared with $US6.34bn for the previous corresponding period.

CORPORATES
BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP

$834m in blowouts spur Fortescue exits

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Nick Evans
The Australian – Page: 15 & 18 : 17-Feb-21

Fortescue Metals Group has advised that chief operating officer Greg Lilleyman has left the pure-play iron ore miner in the wake of a sharp rise in the cost of its Iron Bridge magnetite project. Fortescue’s director of projects Don Hyma and Iron Bridge project manager Manie McDonald also recently stepped down. The Iron Bridge project was initially slated to cost $US2.6bn, but this is believed to have blown out by about $US650m. CEO Elizabeth Gaines and CFO Ian Wells will forgo their annual bonuses for 2020-21 due to the cost blowout.

CORPORATES
FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG

Big Tech to pay annual charge

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Lilly Vitorovich
The Australian – Page: 4 : 17-Feb-21

The federal government has agreed to make a number of ‘technical’ changes to its media bargaining code. Amongst other things, digital platforms such as Google and Facebook will now pay news publishers an annual lump sum, rather than per click or snippet, while the requirements for them to give notice of changes to their algorithms will be simplified. Meanwhile, JPMorgan estimates that Seven West Media could gain up to $69.2m a year from its newly-struck content deal with Google. Other news publishers are also believed to be in talks with Google.

CORPORATES
GOOGLE INCORPORATED, GOOGLE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Co-working occupancies coming back to life after brutal year

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Martin Kelly
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 31 & 32 : 17-Feb-21

Hub Australia CEO Brad Krauskopf says the average occupancy rate across his company’s eight co-working sites is currently around 70 per cent. This remains well below the pre-coronavirus average of more than 90 per cent, but Krauskopf notes that there has been a 250 per cent increase in enquiries since the start of 2021. The Commons’ MD Cliff Ho says occupancy at its Sydney Central site is almost back to the pre-pandemic level, although occupancy at its four sites in Melbourne is currently at around 70-75 per cent.

CORPORATES
HUB AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, THE COMMONS

Victoria set to snap out of lockdown

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Tom Minear, James Campbell
Herald Sun – Page: 9 : 17-Feb-21

The number of COVID-19 cases linked to Melbourne’s Holiday Inn cluster has risen to 19, after Victoria recorded two new locally-acquired COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. Both are close contacts of a person who attended a family function in Coburg. However, the Victorian government is expected to end the state’s five-day snap lockdown as scheduled at 11.59pm on 17 February, unless there is a spike in positive cases. Some restrictions are likely to remain in place, including a requirement to wear a face mask indoors. Crowds are also set to return to the Australian Open, although a new cap is likely to apply.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN OPEN TENNIS