Author: roymorgansocial

PM tested on secrecy laws

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Original article by Rosie Lewis, Olivia Caisley
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 22-Oct-19

The issue of press freedom came under scrutiny in federal parliament on 21 October. Prime Minister Scott Morrison stated that any decision to prosecute a journalist should be based on the rule of law rather than the "whim of politicians". Law Council of Australia president Arthur Moses has responded by calling for Attorney-General Christian Porter to withdraw a recently-issued directive to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions regarding the prosecution of journalists for alleged breaches of four statutes.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, LAW COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, AUSTRALIA. DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS

Australians don’t want the new ACT cannabis law overturned

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 22-Oct-19

A special Roy Morgan online survey shows that 62% of Australians do not want the Federal Government to overturn the new ACT law decriminalising cannabis for personal use, which is set to come into effect in 2020. Just 27% say they do want the Federal Government to step in, while 11% can’t say either way. Clear majorities of all age groups are against the Federal Government stepping in and overturning the law, led by 66% of 35-49 year olds and 63% of 14-24 year olds. The smallest majority is in the 65+ age group, but even here 58% do not want the law overturned. These are the latest findings from a special Roy Morgan online survey conducted with a representative cross-section of 1,054 Australians aged 14+ in mid-October.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

QE tipped as rate cuts lose impact

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Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 17 & 28 : 22-Oct-19

A number of economists now say the Reserve Bank of Australia could implement unconventional monetary policy measures in 2020. They include Westpac’s chief economist Bill Evans, who warns that quantitative easing may be necessary if the cash rate fall below 0.5 per cent. Michael Knox of Morgans Financial, Su-Lin Ong of RBC Capital Markets and Marcel Thieliant of Capital Economics have also flagged the prospect of quantitative easing. Financial markets have fully priced in a rate cut to 0.5 per cent by May.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, MORGANS FINANCIAL LIMITED, RBC CAPITAL MARKETS, CAPITAL ECONOMICS LIMITED, GOLDMAN SACHS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Harris Scarfe tops discount department store customer satisfaction

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 22-Oct-19

New research from Roy Morgan shows that Harris Scarfe has Australia’s most satisfied discount department store customers, with a satisfaction rating of 91% in September, putting it ahead of rivals Kmart and Best & Less (both on 89%). Big W and Costco are in equal fourth on 88%. The biggest improvement over the past year came from Harris Scarfe, which rose 5% points and Best & Less, which is up 3% points. Just outside the top five in September was Target Country, which increased 4% points to 87%, while Big W improved 1% point to 88%. Kmart and Costco are unchanged on a year ago. The latest victory for Harris Scarfe continues a run of monthly wins that puts the retailer in prime position to claim the year’s overall award for the first time since 2015. These are the latest results from Roy Morgan’s Discount Department Stores Satisfaction Report which is based on in-depth personal interviews conducted face-to-face with over 50,000 Australians each year in their own homes, including more than 8,500 who shop at a discount department store in an average four weeks.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, HARRIS SCARFE HOLDINGS LIMITED, KMART AUSTRALIA LIMITED, BEST AND LESS PTY LTD, BIG W DISCOUNT STORES, COSTCO WHOLESALE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, TARGET COUNTRY

$65 million and counting, Clive Palmer labels Labor as sore losers on election spend

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Original article by Samantha Maiden
The New Daily – Page: Online : 21-Oct-19

It is expected that businessman Clive Palmer’s advertising expenditure on the last federal election will be somewhere around $65 million to $70 million when he lodges his final expenditure statement with the Australian Electoral Commission. Labor has apparently blamed Palmer’s extensive advertising as one of the factors behind its defeat, but Palmer has rejected its calls for a cap on advertising expenditure. He says Labor was happy for him to spend as much as he liked when it appeared that he would be giving them his preferences.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Review: Labor base rejected handouts

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 21-Oct-19

Labor’s review into its surprise 18 May federal election loss is due to be presented to its National Executive on 5 November. It is expected to conclude that a number of factors led to the defeat, including a poor election campaign and the unpopularity of then-leader Bill Shorten. The review is also expected to find that voters who were meant to benefit from Labor’s so-called ‘tax and spend’ agenda deserted it, while those who were targeted by it stuck with Labor.

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AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Why bitter magazine rivals Bauer, Pacific are poised to unite

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Original article by Zoe Samios
The Australian – Page: 17 & 20 : 21-Oct-19

There is general agreement within the media industry that the proposed sale of Pacific Magazines to Bauer Media Australia is necessary for the two businesses to be sustainable. Both publishers have been hard hit by the decline in advertising revenue and circulation over the last 10 years. Magazines now account for just one per cent of the industry’s advertising revenue, compared with seven per cent in 2009. Meanwhile, Bauer’s revenue fell 13.7 per cent to $224.3m in 2018, while Pacific Magazines’ revenue fell 7.2 per cent to $129.4m in 2018-19. Sources have suggested that a deal could be struck within days.

CORPORATES
BAUER MEDIA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, PACIFIC MAGAZINES PTY LTD, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM

IMF vows to do whatever it takes

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Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 17 & 18 : 21-Oct-19

The International Monetary Fund expects the global economy to grow by 3.4 per cent in 2020, after recently scaling back its 2019 growth forecast to three per cent. The IMF’s International Monetary & Financial Committee concluded its annual meeting in Washington on 20 October; it released a communique in which it committed to using all appropriate policy tools to bolster global growth. The communique also acknowledged the need to resolve trade tensions.

CORPORATES
INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND. INTERNATIONAL MONETARY AND FINANCIAL COMMITTEE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, UNITED STATES. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, BANK OF ENGLAND, WORLD BANK, EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

NAB, ANZ face new climate activist vote

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Original article by Richard Gluyas
The Australian – Page: 19 : 21-Oct-19

Activist group Market Forces recently put forward shareholder resolutions calling on Westpac, the ANZ Bank and National Australia Bank to amend their constitutions in regard to reducing their exposure to fossil-fuel assets. A second activist group, the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility, will table resolutions at the upcoming AGMs of NAB and ANZ, calling on them to withdraw from industry groups whose advocacy stances are at odds with the Paris climate goals. The ACCR states that its resolutions are conditional on shareholders approving the Market Forces resolutions.

CORPORATES
WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, MARKET FORCES, AUSTRALASIAN CENTRE FOR CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY, BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP

ABC savaged by union for underpaying casual employees

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Original article by Zoe Samios
The Australian – Page: 25 : 21-Oct-19

The Community & Public Sector Union has told its members that the ABC’s management had been made aware on "multiple occasions" that casual staff were being underpaid. The CPSU’s report notes amongst other things that the public broadcaster had breached the Fair Work Act and its own enterprise agreement by underpaying up to 2,500 casual employees. The ABC’s 2019 annual report notes that it has allocated more than $22m to compensating staff who were underpaid.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC SECTOR UNION