Author: roymorgansocial

Dutton playing Donald Trump anti-migration card in plan to slash international students, higher education peak body says

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Original article by Caitlin Cassidy
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 8-Apr-25

International Education Association of Australia CEO, Phil Honeywood says the Coalition did not consult with the sector on its proposal to cap new international student numbers at 240,000 a year. This is skewed towards TAFE and private vocational education and training providers, rather than the nation’s public universities. Honeywood notes that the Coalition has traditionally been more inclined to support independent providers over their public counterparts. Former immigration bureaucrat Abul Rizvi in turn notes that the private VET sector has a history of "rorts and dodgy qualifications".

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INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA

Roy Morgan Poll: ALP increases election-winning lead as President Trump announces Liberation Day and imposes worldwide tariffs

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 8-Apr-25

If a Federal Election were held now the ALP would be returned to Government with an increased majority with the ALP on 53.5% (up 0.5% points from a week ago) ahead of the L-NP Coalition on 46.5% (down 0.5%) on a two-party preferred basis, the latest Roy Morgan survey finds. Roy Morgan Government Confidence was virtually unchanged at 81 with 33% (up 1%) of Australians saying the country is ‘going in the right direction’ compared to 52% (up 0.5%) that say the country is ‘going in the wrong direction’. Primary support for the ALP increased at the expense of the Coalition, with support for the ALP up 0.5% to 32.5% while Coalition support dropped 2% to 33% – this is the closest the two parties have been on primary vote support since mid-October 2023. Support for the Greens increased 0.5% to 13.5%, One Nation was up 0.5% to 6%, support for Other Parties increased 2% to 6% (Note: Clive Palmer’s new Trump of Patriots party received 1.5% support – its best result so far), while support for Independents dropped 1.5% to 9%.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED, MORGAN POLL, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, ONE NATION PARTY, TRUMPET OF PATRIOTS

Crash-test dummies without a budget buffer

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Original article by Geoff Chambers, Matthew Cranston
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 8-Apr-25

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has released new modelling on the likely impact of the Trump administration’s tariffs regime on the Australian economy. It suggests that the baseline tariff of 10 per cent and the 25 per cent tariff on steel, aluminium and automotive products would be largely neutral for inflation in Australia. Treasury’s ‘best-case’ scenario is that the nation’s real GDP will decline by 0.1 per cent in 2025 and inflation will rise by 0.2 per cent. Meanwhile, the pre-election fiscal outlook shows that the budget deficit is forecast to total $179.5bn over the next four years, while federal government debt is projected to rise to $1.2tn. The nation’s deteriorating fiscal position comes amid fears of a global recession and a $190m fall in the ASX’s market capitalisation since the tariffs were announced last week.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Trump escalates trade war with new tariff threat for China

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Original article by Michael Koziol
The Age – Page: Online : 8-Apr-25

President Donald Trump has threatened to impose an additional levy of 50 per cent on Chinese imports if the Communist nation does not back down on its move to match the USA’s reciprocal tariff of 34 per cent. Trump also indicated that US officials will immediately commence negotiations with other nations that are open to a compromise regarding tariffs. Meanwhile, both of Australia’s major political parties have ruled out relaxing the nation’s biosecurity laws in order to secure tariff relief. US beef can be imported if is from cattle that was born raised and slaughtered in the US, although beef from cattle that was raised in Canada or Mexico remains prohibited.

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UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Medibank must release hack reports

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Original article by Angelica Snowden
The Australian – Page: 17 : 8-Apr-25

The Federal Court has ruled that Medibank’s customers should be given access to cyber-security reports that were prepared by Deloitte in the wake of the health insurer’s data breach in October 2022. Medibank had contended that the reports were subject to legal professional privilege. Justice Helen Rofe noted that Medibank had consistently stated that it would share the results of the external review, although she concluded that chairman Mike Wilkins had in fact never intended to do so. Customers who were affected by the cyber-attack are pursuing a class action against Medibank.

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MEDIBANK PRIVATE LIMITED – ASX MPL, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, DELOITTE TOUCHE TOHMATSU LIMITED

Retirees trying to change their super can’t log into their accounts

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Original article by Michelle Bowes
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 8-Apr-25

Financial advisers have cautioned superanuation fund members from making changes to their investment options – such as switching from shares to cash – in response to the global sharemarket ructions. Anxiety among super fund members has been heightened by the recent hacking attack on some funds. Access to the accounts of affected funds has been restored, but some still have limited functionality; this includes the ability to make changes to their investment options. Super funds are also emphasising to their members that superannuation is a long-time investment.

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Forrest election plea: Force Meta to set up local operation

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Original article by Jared Lynch
The Australian – Page: 24 : 8-Apr-25

Mining magnate Andrew Forrest contends that Australian sovereignty should be the key factor when considering how to regulate foreign technology platforms such as Meta. He says the winner of the federal election on 3 May should take immediate action to require digital platforms to operate in Australia via a local legal entity and be subject to the nation’s laws and regulations. Forrest has been engaged in a long-running battle with Meta to remove scam ads that use his likeness from its platforms. He has opted for legal action in California because Meta has sought to use a 30-year-old US law that grants online companies immunity regarding content that is posted on their platforms.

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META PLATFORMS INCORPORATED

Unions to target MinRes after milestone BHP win

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 : 8-Apr-25

The push to reunionise the Pilbara has received a boost after BHP agreed to commence enterprise bargaining negotiations for electrical workers at its mines in Western Australia. The Electrical Trades Union’s state branch says BHP’s decision to formally concede that a majority of its power workers want an enterprise agreement is a "massive win". The ETU has submitted a separate application to the Fair Work Commission for an order requiring BHP to bargain on behalf of its rail signal technicians in WA. Unions are also targeting rival iron ore producers Rio Tinto and Mineral Resources.

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BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, ELECTRICAL TRADES UNION, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, MINERAL RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX MIN

Allan stands by signature rail loop

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Original article by Lily McCaffrey, Amelia Swan
The Australian – Page: 5 : 2-Apr-25

Victoria’s Premier Jacinta Allan says she remains "determined" to go ahead with the Suburban Rail Loop in the wake of the Coalition’s decision to scrap all federal funding for the controversial project if it wins the 3 May election. However, Allan declined to comment on how the state will pay for the project if federal funding is withdrawn. Federal Opposition leader Peter Dutton has described the SRL as a "$200bn pipe dream"; he contends that Allan, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the CFMEU are the only ones that are in favour of it. Dutton intends to redirect SRL funding to other road and rail projects in Victoria.

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VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

NZ: In March both the National-led Government and Labour-led Parliamentary opposition were under 50% support

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 2-Apr-25

Roy Morgan’s New Zealand Poll for March 2025 shows the National-led Government (National, ACT & NZ First) on 47% (down 0.5% points), and the Labour-Greens-Maori Party Parliamentary Opposition on 47.5% (unchanged) with both failing to muster a majority of support. This is the third straight month the two main blocks representing both sides of politics have fallen short of a majority of support. There were changes in the composition of support for the National-led Government, with National up 2% points to 32.5% and NZ First up 1% point to 7%. However, coalition partner ACT lost support, down 3.5% points to 7.5%, to its lowest level since January 2024. For the Parliamentary Opposition, support for Labour dropped 1.5% points to 27.5% and support for the Greens was down 1% point to 14.5%. In contrast, support for the Maori Party rebounded 2.5% points to 5.5%. A further 5.5% (up 0.5%) of electors supported a minor party outside Parliament. This New Zealand Roy Morgan Poll on voting intention was conducted by telephone – both landline and mobile – with a New Zealand-wide cross-section of 888 electors from 24 February to 23 March.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED, MORGAN POLL, NATIONAL PARTY OF NEW ZEALAND, ACT NEW ZEALAND, NEW ZEALAND FIRST PARTY, LABOUR PARTY (NEW ZEALAND), GREEN PARTY OF AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND, THE MAORI PARTY