Author: roymorgansocial

Australia should reconsider alliance with fiercely unpredictable US, former foreign ministers say

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Original article by Krishani Dhanji, Josh Butler
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 13-Jan-26

Former Labor foreign minister Bob Carr says the US has become a "fiercely unpredictable" ally under Donald Trump, and that Australia should reconsider its alliance with it. Another former Labor foreign minister, Gareth Evans, said he was worried that the US had "zero respect" for international law or the interests of its allies, and that the Aukus pact should be reconsidered. With the US having recently seized Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and threatened to take over Greenland, Carr says it was wise for the federal government to "keep our head down and watch closely", adding it was unclear what Trump’s "burst of unilateralism" meant for the world.

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AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Minerals stockpile faces long road to pay-off

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Original article by Tom Rabe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 13-Jan-26

The Association of Mining & Exploration Companies’ CEO Warren Pearce says the federal government’s critical minerals strategic reserve could potentially be generating revenue for the nation by 2030. He adds that its success will depend on securing offtake agreements quickly. Resources Minister Madeleine King has conceded that it will take some time for the strategic reserve to begin producing revenue, but she believes that the need for a more diversified critical minerals supply chain will eventually result in "upside" for the nation. King adds that Australia has some key advantages over resources-rich Greenland in the development of mineral deposits.

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ASSOCIATION OF MINING AND EXPLORATION COMPANIES, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, SCIENCE AND RESOURCES

Allan denies firefighting funding cuts

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Original article by Anthony Galloway, Liam Mendes
The Australian – Page: 7 : 13-Jan-26

Victoria’s Opposition claims that the state government has cut funding to the Country Fire Authority, with the CFA’s most recent annual report being cited as evidence. It shows that government grant funding fell from $351.6m to $339.5m over the four years to 2023-24, with the CFA’s 2024-25 annual report not yet released. With Premier Jacinta Allan rejecting the opposition’s claims, the row over funding comes as CFA volunteers fighting the state’s current bushfires have claimed that they are being expected to do so in ageing trucks with no air-conditioning in temperatures of up to 40C. About 27 fires were still burning across Victoria on Monday.

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VICTORIA. COUNTRY FIRE AUTHORITY, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

‘I’ll cut off Cuba’s oil, put Rubio in charge’: Trump

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Original article by David Charter, Stephen Gibbs
The Australian – Page: 8 : 13-Jan-26

Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum says her country will continue to supply Cuba with crude oil, referring to the shipments as humanitarian aid. Sheinbaum’s comments come after US President Donald Trump cut off Cuba’s entire supply of heavily subsidised oil from Venezuela, while he also re-posted an account on his Truth Social site which stated that "Marco Rubio will be president of Cuba", accompanied by a laughing face emoji. Trump’s secretary of state, Rubio is Cuban-American and a long-time opponent of the Cuban government

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UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES. DEPT OF STATE

‘Serious fire risk’: nearly 3,000 Australian EV drivers warned not to fully charge cars

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Original article by
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 13-Jan-26

The federal transport department has issued a recall notice for Volvo EX30 electric vehicles sold in Australia during 2024, after a fault was identified in the EX30’s battery. The notice stated that EX30 owners can continue to use the impacted vehicles while waiting for Volvo to develop a solution to the problem, but that they should keep the battery charge level below 70%. The recall notice affects 2,815 motorists, with Volvo being one of Australia’s top-selling electric vehicle brands

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VOLVO CAR AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Roy Morgan Poll: ALP two-party lead is smallest since the Federal Election following the ‘Bondi Shooting’: ALP 52% cf. L-NP 48%

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 13-Jan-26

In the week of January 5-11, 2026, the first Roy Morgan Poll since the ‘Bondi Shooting’, Coalition support is at 30.5% (up 3% since the week of December 8-14, 2025) just ahead of the ALP on 30% (down 0.5%), One Nation is on 15% (down 2%), the Greens are on 13.5% (up 0.5%), and Independents/Other Parties are at 11% (down 1%). The latest Roy Morgan survey was conducted with a representative Australia-wide cross-section of 1,676 electors in the week of January 5-11. In addition, the Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating plunged 7 points after the ‘Bondi Shooting’ in mid-December to 74 in early January. Only 19.5% (down 13.5%) say the country is ‘going in the right direction’ while 45.5% (down 6.5%) say the country is ‘going in the wrong direction’. On a two-party preferred basis, the ALP is now on 52% (down 2.5% since the week of December 8-14, 2025) ahead of the Coalition on 48% (up 2.5%). If a Federal Election were held now the ALP would be returned to Government with a decreased majority. The Albanese Government’s two-party preferred lead in early January is the closest result between the two major parties since the Federal Election result in May 2025: ALP 55.2% cf. L-NP 44.8%, and the closest the Coalition has been for almost a year.

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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

Preach hate, go to prison: PM’s sermon

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Original article by Sarah Ison, Elizabeth Pike
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 13-Jan-26

The federal government aims to pass its omnibus bill on hate speech and gun control during a special two-day sitting of parliament next week. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has urged bipartisan support for the bill, but says he is open to "constructive suggestions" to improve it. Amongst other things, the bill is intended to target Islamic hate preachers and ban designated hate groups, with jail terms of up to 15 years for people who join or finance such groups. However, the Opposition has criticised the decision to address hate speech and a national gun buyback scheme in a single bill, contending that they are unrelated policy areas. There is also concern about an exemption from the hate speech laws if someone is merely quoting from religious texts.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

BHP closes in on CBA’s crown as ASX king

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Original article by Cecile Lefort
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 21 : 13-Jan-26

Shares in BHP have risen by 30 per cent in the last six months, lifting its market capitalisation to $236bn. The resources giant is now just 8.5 per cent shy of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia’s market cap of $258bn, and a continued strong run could see it reclaim the title of the ASX’s biggest company. CBA’s shares peaked at $192 in mid-2025; Peter Gardner from Plato Investment Management believes that CBA is still a bit overvalued at its current price of about $154 per share. Meanwhile, BHP has been buoyed by strong commodity prices, which has prompted investors to rebalance their portfolios in favour of mining companies rather than banks.

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BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, PLATO INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LIMITED

BHP considering its options amid mega-merger talks

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Original article by Mark Wembridge, Tom Rabe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 13-Jan-26

BHP has declined to comment on speculation about its possible response to the renewed merger between Rio Tinto and Glencore. Romano Sala Tenna from Katana Asset Management says it could make more sense for BHP to merge with Glencore, given that both companies have significant coal assets and Rio Tinto has completely exited that sector. He adds that growing global sovereign risk means that achieving scale in the mining sector also makes sense. MKI Global Partners’ CEO Mark Kelly in turn notes that BHP is seeking to reduce its reliance on iron ore for export earnings.

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BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, KATANA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED, MKI GLOBAL PARTNERS

Labor warms to mining merger

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Original article by Brad Thompson
The Australian – Page: 13 & 14 : 13-Jan-26

The proposed merger between Rio Tinto and Glencore would require regulatory approval in a number of countries, including Australia. Resources Minister Madeleine King does not believe that a merger would be negative for Australia, noting that both companies have a significant presence in the nation’s resourcs industry; she adds that Rio Tinto will always be an important part of the domestic economy. Meanwhile, Barrenjoey analysts suggest that Glencore’s coal assets could be spun-off to existing shareholders if the proposed merger proceeds, given that Rio Tinto has exited coal mining.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, GLENCORE PLC, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, SCIENCE AND RESOURCES, BARRENJOEY CAPITAL PARTNERS PTY LTD