Author: roymorgansocial

A-G given veto to safeguard journalists

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Original article by Chris Merritt
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 1-Oct-19

News Corp Australia executive Campbell Reid says the federal government’s proposal to provide new legal protections for journalists is insufficient. Attorney-General Christian Porter has issued a ministerial direction to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions which will require it to seek permission from the attorney-general to pursue legal action against journalists if such prosecution is deemed to be in the public interest. Law Council president Arthur Moses has also expressed reservations about the reforms.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, LAW COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIA. DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS

Profit-taking possible even with interest rate cut

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Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 28 : 1-Oct-19

Most economists expect the Reserve Bank of Australia to reduce the cash rate to 0.75 per cent on 1 October, and there is widespread expectation that it will fall to 0.5 per cent by February. Financial markets have priced in an 80 per cent chance of a rate cut in October. Although a rate cut is by no means certain, the Australian dollar could rally if the RBA opts to leave rates on hold, and subsequent profit-taking could see the local sharemarket retreat in the near-term. However, the RBA could potentially hold off on easing monetary policy until the outcome of the upcoming US-China trade talks.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

Private health insurance satisfaction up slightly

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 1-Oct-19

New research from Roy Morgan shows that customer satisfaction among Australians aged +14 who have private health insurance was 72.2% in August 2019, compared with 70.9% in August 2018. However, it is still lower than satisfaction rates in August 2016 (74.5%) and August 2015 (76.3%). Customer satisfaction with private health insurance reached its lowest point in June 2018, when it hit 70.5%. Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine says Tasmanian not-for-profit fund St Lukes Health is performing far above average, with a satisfaction rating of 86%. These findings come from the Roy Morgan Single Source survey, which is based on in-depth face-to-face interviews with over 50,000 Australians each year in their homes.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, ST LUKE’S HEALTH INSURANCE

Women more likely to buy vitamins than men. They also care more about what they eat

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 1-Oct-19

New Roy Morgan data shows that 47% of Australian women aged 14+ purchase vitamins, minerals and supplements in an average six-month period, compared to 35% of men. Meanwhile, 73% of women say they actively try to get sufficient calcium in their diet, compared to 64% of men, and a greater proportion of women than men try to buy additive-free food than men (53% vs 41%). More women also favour ‘natural medicines’ and health products than men (42% vs 30%). These findings come from the Roy Morgan Single Source survey, which is based on in-depth face-to-face interviews with over 50,000 Australians each year in their homes.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Brawl over voluntary super push

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Original article by John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 30-Sep-19

SMSF Association chair Deborah Ralston was recently named as a members of the federal government’s review of the retirement income system. It has been revealed that Ralston wrote to Treasurer Josh Frydenberg in early July. Amongst other things, she suggested that compulsory superannuation contributions could become voluntary for people on low incomes and young workers, a proposal that has been criticised by Industry Super Australia chairman Greg Combet. Ralston also called for the abolition of tax concessions for large super balances and questioned the need to increase the super guarantee from 9.5 per cent to 12 per cent.

CORPORATES
SMSF ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, MONASH UNIVERSITY, INDUSTRY SUPER AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, ACTU, ALLIANCE FOR A FAIRER RETIREMENT SYSTEM, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Union activities may breach building codes

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 30-Sep-19

The Australian Building & Construction Commission has warned that the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining & Energy Union’s draft pattern agreement includes clauses that breach the federal building code. Amongst other things, the New South Wales agreement allows union flags to be displayed on building sites and provides for workers to be paid for attending union meetings during bargaining. Master Builders Australia says the agreement as the most restrictive it has seen.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MARITIME, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, MASTER BUILDERS AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED

‘We’re here to help’ pledge challenged

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Original article by Zoe Samios
The Australian – Page: 23 : 30-Sep-19

Australia’s commercial free-to-air TV networks argue that regulation of digital giants such as Google and Facebook is necessary. Nine Entertainment’s group director of regulatory affairs, Clare Gill, has stressed the need for a regulated response from the federal government, to ensure a level playing field for traditional media companies and digital platforms. Ten’s COO Annabelle Hird has expressed concern that digital platforms’ behaviour will not change unless they are subject to a code of conduct or monitoring by the ACCC.

CORPORATES
NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, CBS CORPORATION, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED, INTERNATIONAL NEWS MEDIA ASSOCIATION

Costs balloon in NDIS surge

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Original article by Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 30-Sep-19

Annual expenditure on the National Disability Insurance Scheme blew out to $11.9bn in 2018-19, with more than 117,000 new participants joining the NDIS during the financial year. Data from the National Disability Insurance Agency also shows that there has been a sharp rise in costs associated with external consultants and service providers, including recruitment firms, call centres and law firms. An NDIA spokeswoman says that spending on contractors and consultants is expected to account for 1.6 per cent of the NDIS’s total costs in 2019-20, compared with 2.6 per cent in 2017-18.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. NATIONAL DISABILITY INSURANCE AGENCY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF SOCIAL SERVICES, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

RBA to cut twice more to 0.5pc, say economists

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Original article by Sarah Turner
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 22 : 30-Sep-19

A quarterly survey of economists shows that there is general consensus that the Reserve Bank of Australia will reduce the cash rate to 0.5 per cent by mid-2020. Most of the respondents expect official interests to be cut by 25 basis points before the end of 2019, followed by another cut by June. However, Shane Oliver of AMP Capital and Alan Oster of National Australia Bank expect a cash of 0.5 per cent at the end of 2019. Futures markets have priced in a 76 per cent chance of a rate cut on 1 October, and fully priced in a rate cut in November.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AMP CAPITAL INVESTORS LIMITED, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

Digital titans’ success comes at our expense

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Original article by Michael Miller
The Australian – Page: 23 & 25 : 30-Sep-19

The federal government’s response to the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission’s digital platforms inquiry must include legislative action to address the market power of technology platforms. The massive profits generated by these platforms are based on their unfair commercial exploitation of content from companies such as news publishers, and failure to address this issue will result in the loss of more jobs and valuable sources of information for many communities.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA AUTHORITY