O75 Public Administration

Roy Morgan New Zealand Poll: In July National-led Government leads Labour-led Parliamentary Opposition (49% vs. 41%)

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 5-Aug-26

Roy Morgan’s New Zealand Poll for July 2026 shows that support for the National-led Government (National, ACT & NZ First) is down 2% to 49%, but still with a clear lead over the Labour-Greens-Maori Party Parliamentary Opposition (down 1% to 41%). Amongst the Government support for National increased 1% to 32%, although support for New Zealand First was down 2% to 8.5% (the lowest level of support for New Zealand First so far this year), and support for ACT was down 1% to 8.5%. For the Parliamentary Opposition, support for Labour was unchanged at 25.5%, support for the Greens was unchanged at 13.5%, and support for the Maori Party fell by 1% to 2%. A further 10% (up 3%) of electors supported a minor party outside Parliament (the highest level of support for parties not represented in Parliament since the last election). The survey results for July would lead to the National-led Government winning 59 seats (down nine seats from the election), while the Labour-led Parliamentary Opposition would win 51 seats (down four seats). This latest New Zealand Roy Morgan Poll on voting intention was conducted by telephone – both landline and mobile – with a New Zealand-wide cross-section of 881 electors from 29 June to 26 July. Meanwhile, the Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating fell 3 points to 85 in July.

CORPORATES
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

Arson attack an act of terrorism

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 2 : 5-Aug-26

A multi-agency law enforcement team has confirmed that an arson attack on defence manufacturer Lovitt Technologies in July 2025 is being treated as an act of terrorism. Victoria’s Joint Counter Terrorism Team says it is investigating whether the perpetrators are "far-left extremists" with "anarchist and revolutionary ideologies"; the majority of terrorist attacks in Australia have been carried out by religiously motivated or right-wing extremists. Lovitt makes components for the F-35 stealth jet fighter, and an online video posted in the wake of the attack warned the company to "stop arming Israel or else". The JCTT includes investigators from the Australian Federal Police and Victoria Police.

CORPORATES
LOVITT TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, VICTORIA POLICE

Allan’s water bombshell: Secret Labor privatisation plan

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Original article by Anthony Galloway
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 5-Aug-26

Confidential cabinet documents show that Victoria’s Department of Treasury & Finance has been considering the privatisation of Melbourne Water since 2021. The documents also reveal that former premier Jacinta Allan and senior government ministers approved a business case in 2024 to investigate a partial sale of Melbourne Water. Reducing the state’s debt was cited as a key driver of the push to bring private investment into the water utility; however, some submissions on the proposal expressed concern about a voter backlash due to the perception that water infrastructure is a public asset. The proposal was put on hold but subsequently revived earlier this year, with the government appointing EY to examine options for privatising Melbourne Water.

CORPORATES
MELBOURNE WATER CORPORATION, VICTORIA. DEPT OF TREASURY AND FINANCE, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, ERNST AND YOUNG

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence increased 3.5 points to 74.7 in first week of August

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 5-Aug-26

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence rose 3.5 points to 74.7 in the week to 2 August; Consumer Confidence is still 15.9pts lower than a year ago (90.6), but it is now 2.8pts above the 2026 weekly average of 71.9. Analysis by State shows that Consumer Confidence has risen in the three largest States of New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland, while falling in Western Australia and South Australia. Now 16% of Australians (unchanged) say their families are ‘better off’ financially than this time last year, while 51% (down 1ppt) say their families are ‘worse off’. Looking forward, 23% (up 3ppts) of respondents expect their family to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year, while 39% (down 4ppts) expect to be ‘worse off’. Only 7% (up 1ppt) of respondents expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months, while 41% (unchanged) expect ‘bad times’. Meanwhile, just 18% (up 1ppt) of Australians say now is a ‘good time to buy’ major household items, while 40% (down 4ppts) say now is a ‘bad time to buy’.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

Roy Morgan Business Confidence hits a new record low of 76

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 5-Aug-26

In July 2026 Roy Morgan Business Confidence fell 1.5 points to a new record low of 76, marginally below the previous record low in May of 76.1. Business Confidence is also down 27 points from a year ago, while Business Confidence has fallen below 80 in all six States for the first time. Now 18.7% (down 7.4ppts) of respondents say their business is ‘better off’ financially than a year ago (the lowest figure for this indicator since May 2020), while 48.3% (down 3.1ppts) say the business is ‘worse off’. Only 29.1% (down 4.3ppts) of respondents expect the business to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year, while 32.8% (up 1.3ppts) expect the business to be ‘worse off’. Meanwhile, a new record low of only 25.5% (down 3.9ppts) of respondents say the next 12 months will be a ‘good time to invest’ in growing the business, while 48% (up 0.2ppts) say the next 12 months will be a ‘bad time to invest’.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Visa revamp aims to curb migration

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Original article by Luke Kinsella
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 5-Aug-26

The Department of Home Affairs has made changes to the order in which it will process applications for permanent and temporary skilled visas. It will now give priority to applications for visas from migrants who are already living and working in Australia, rather than skilled workers who are applying from overseas. Migration Institute of Australia CEO Peter Van Vliet says the directive from Home Affairs Minister shows that the federal government is trying to reduce net migration numbers by "shifting priorities", given that migrant workers who are in Australia are already included in the nation’s population data.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS, THE MIGRATION INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Chalmers moves to defuse row over widow tax

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 5-Aug-26

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has released draft legislation to abolish the so-called ‘widow tax’; It was an unintended consequence of the federal government’s changes to the negative gearing and capital gains tax regimes, and would have removed exemptions to the reforms for jointly-owned properties that are transferred due to divorce or death. The Coalition, the Greens, One Nation and independent senator David Pocock will push for the legislation to be given priority in the Senate when parliament resumes next week.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, ONE NATION PARTY

Qld bids to lure US minerals investors

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Original article by Sarah Elks
The Australian – Page: 2 : 29-Jul-26

Queensland’s Resources Minister Dale Last will launch the state’s new critical minerals strategy today. He will pitch Queensland as a stable, secure and trusted trading partner for the US in the critical minerals sector. Amongst other things, the state government’s new strategy will aim to approve critical minerals projects more quickly. The Trump administration announced plans for a critical minerals "preferential trade zone" with America’s partners and allies earlier this year.

CORPORATES
QUEENSLAND. DEPT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND MINES, MANUFACTURING AND REGIONAL AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Fuel excise relief set to dry up on Sunday night

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Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 2 : 29-Jul-26

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has ruled out extending the current reduction in the fuel excise tax beyond 2 August. The excise tax will return to $0.52 a litre on Monday, after having been cut to $0.26 a litre from March to June and $0.16 during this month. Albanese has emphasised that the federal government will pursue other measures to provide Australian families with cost-of-living relief. However, some Labor MPs advocate further excise tax relief; Rob Mitchell, the MP for McEwen, has suggested that it should be considered on a month-by-month basis, based on the global oil price.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Bullock rings alarm on living standards

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Original article by Michael Read
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 29-Jul-26

Reserve Bank of Australia governor Michele Bullock has warned that slowing productivity growth is making the domestic economy more vulnerable to global shocks. She also stated that the nation’s living standards will continue to stagnate unless the issue of productivity is addressed. Bullock also said the RBA will be open to further interest rate rises if this is deemed necessary to achieve its mandate of keeping the unemployment rate as low as sustainably possible while returning inflation to its target range of 2-3 per cent. Inflation data for the June quarter will be released today, and could determine whether there is another official interest rate rise in August.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA