Author: roymorgansocial

Scott Morrison congratulates Joe Biden on US election win and flags Australian visit in 2021

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Katharine Murphy
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 9-Nov-20

Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison says his government looks forward to working with president-elect Joe Biden and his administration in addressing issues such as COVID-19 and climate change. Morrison adds that his government will continue to work with the Trump administration until Biden’s inauguration on 20 January, noting that the Australia-US alliance has become stronger under Trump. Morrison also says that he will invite Biden to visit Australia to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the ANZUS treaty in 2021.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

WHSmith admits underpaying 1500 workers by $2.2 million

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: Online : 6-Nov-20

WHSmith Australia has agreed to an enforceable undertaking after admitting that its employees had been underpaid some $2.2m between October 2013 and April 2019. The underpayment affected about 1,500 employees of the retailer, which has provided backpay totalling $2.257m to past and present staff. The company, which reported the underpayment to the Fair Work Ombudsman, will also make a ‘contrition payment’ of $50,000.

CORPORATES
WH SMITH AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN

Find another market other than China, exporters warned

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Will Glasgow, Nick Evans
The Australian – Page: 6 : 6-Nov-20

Federal Trade Minister Simon Birmingham has asked the Chinese government to clarify whether it does intend to impose new bans on Australian imports, after media reports in China appeared to confirm this. Meanwhile, federal government officials have discussed the potential ban during a telephone briefing with representatives from the agricultural industry, one of the sectors that would be amongst the hardest hit by such a ban. Participants in the briefing say they were advised to find alternative export markets.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE

‘CFMEU totally dysfunctional’: O’Connor quits

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 6-Nov-20

Michael O’Connor has resigned as national secretary of the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining & Energy Union. O’Connor has attributed his departure to disunity caused by the ongoing fallout from a dispute with John Setka, the head of the union’s Victorian division. He says the CFMMEU is no longer united in purpose, and people within the organisation are not willing to work together or act in the interests of the union and its members. His departure is likely to strengthen the influence of Setka within the CFMMEU.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA

Spy charges for man tied to Communist Party

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Ben Packham, Tessa Akerman, Remy Varga
The Australian – Page: 6 : 6-Nov-20

A 65-year-old Melbourne resident has become the first person to be charged under the federal government’s foreign interference laws. Di Sanh Duong, who is also known as Sunny Duong, faces up to 10 years’ jail if he is convicted under laws that were introduced in 2018. Duong is the president of Oceania Federation of Chinese Associations, and he is a member of several organisations that are believed to have links to the Chinese Communist Party.

CORPORATES
OCEANIA FEDERATION OF CHINESE ASSOCIATIONS, COMMUNIST PARTY (CHINA)

Hotel handed $500k to quarantine no one

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Rachel Baxendale
The Australian – Page: 1 & 11 : 6-Nov-20

The Victorian government’s handling of its hotel quarantine program has come under renewed scrutiny. It has been revealed that the Sands Golf Resort in Torquay was paid $511,500 to house returned travellers under two state government contracts. However, the resort was not used as a quarantine hotel, and the Chinese-linked company that owned it subsequently went into administration. The company was also sanctioned for visa fraud less than a week before it was awarded the first government contract. The inquiry into the quarantine program will release its interim report on 6 November.

CORPORATES

Victorian aged care homes in clear

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Alex White
Herald Sun – Page: 15 : 6-Nov-20

Victoria has recorded its sixth consecutive day with no new coronavirus cases, while the number of active cases across the state has fallen to 20. The Department of Health & Human Services has also confirmed that there are no active cases in the state’s aged-care sector for the first time since mid-June. The state government is still preparing to further ease lockdown restrictions on 8 November, but it has reiterated the need to keep wearing face masks in public. Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien contends that face masks may not be necessary in open spaces, and he says Victoria should adopt New South Wales coronavirus restrictions. There are 41 active COVID-19 cases in NSW.

CORPORATES
VICTORIA. DEPT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, LIBERAL PARTY OF VICTORIA

Unemployment virtually unchanged in October at 12.8% – but up 2.5% to 14.6% in locked down Victoria

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 6-Nov-20

Latest Roy Morgan employment series data shows 1.81 million Australians unemployed (12.8% of the workforce), down 18,000 from September. There were fewer people looking for part-time work, down 76,000 to 1,020,000 but there was an increase of 58,000 people looking for full-time work to 790,000. In Victoria unemployment was up 2.5% to 14.6% – the highest of any mainland State as the strict lockdown continued in Melbourne until the last few days of the month. On raw numbers unemployment in Victoria was up 101,000 to 560,000 and under-employment increased 109,000 to 438,000 – almost 1 million unemployed or under-employed (26.1%).

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

NAB takes virus hit, digs in to aid recovery

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by James Frost, James Eyers
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 & 26 : 6-Nov-20

National Australia Bank has posted a cash profit of $3.7bn for the year to 30 September, which is 37 per cent lower than previously. The result was marred by credit impairment charges totalling $2.76bn, including a provision of $1.86bn for the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Shareholders will receive a final dividend of $0.30 per share and a full-year payout of $0.60. NAB shares closed 3.2 per cent higher at $19.31 on 5 November.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB

Turquoise Hill rebels against Rio’s pressure

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 20 : 6-Nov-20

Canada-based Turquoise Hill Resources has commenced arbitration proceedings against Rio Tinto over a disagreement regarding financing options for the expansion of the Oyu Tolgoi copper mine in Mongolia. Rio Tinto has pushed for Turquoise Hill to finance a cost blowout at the project via a capital raising rather than by taking on additional debt. Rio Tinto has a 50.79 per cent stake in Turquoise Hill.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, TURQUOISE HILL RESOURCES LIMITED