O75 Public Administration

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence up 1.8pts to 85.8 driven by rising confidence about personal finances

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 29-Oct-25

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence rose 1.8pts to 85.8 in the week to 26 October. However, Consumer Confidence is now 0.6pts below the same week a year ago (86.4), and 0.8pts below the 2025 weekly average of 86.6. Analysis by State shows mixed results, with increases in Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia, down in Queensland, and virtually unchanged in New South Wales. Now 23% of Australians (up 4ppts) say their families are ‘better off’ financially than this time last year, while 42% (down 1ppt) say their families are ‘worse off’. Looking forward, 28% (up 3ppts) of respondents expect their family to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year, while 31% (down 1ppt) expect to be ‘worse off’. Meanwhile, 11% (up 3ppts) of respondents expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months, while 30% (unchanged) expect ‘bad times’. Only 22% (unchanged) of Australians say now is a ‘good time to buy’ major household items, while 35% (up 1ppt) say now is a ‘bad time to buy’.

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

Illicit tobacco trade worst in the world

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Original article by Mohammad Alfares
The Australian – Page: 5 : 29-Oct-25

British American Tobacco’s chief corporate officer Kingsley Wheaton says criminal gangs have effectively seized control of Australia’s nicotine market. BAT estimates that 65 per cent of all cigarettes now sold in Australia are illegal, and that up to 80 per cent of the nicotine market – including vapes – is controlled by the black market. The London-based executive visited Australia earlier this year, and notes that while the UK has had a long-standing problem with the illegal tobacco trade, the level of criminality in Australia is much worse. Wheaton says the only realistic way to regain control of the tobacco market is to overhaul current policy settings, including a reduction in the federal government’s excise tax on cigarettes; this has risen by 75 per cent since 2019.

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BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO PLC

ALP subsidy too late to save 1200 smelter jobs

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Original article by Perry Williams, Jack Quail, Lachlan Leeming
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 29-Oct-25

Tomago Aluminium’s CEO Jerome Dozol says the fate of its NSW smelter is likely to be decided long before the federal government’s $2bn green production credit scheme becomes available. The smelter’s current electricity supply deal will expire in 2028, and it faces the prospect of negotiating a new coal-fired supply deal at much higher prices until it has access to sufficient renewable generation. Dozol says this is unlikely to occur until "well into the 2030s". The Energy Users Association of Australia says the shutdown of the Tomago smelter due to high electricity prices is an "unimaginable situation", given the nation’s abundant energy resources. Tomago’s closure would result in the loss of about 1,200 direct jobs.

CORPORATES
TOMAGO ALUMINIUM COMPANY PTY LTD, ENERGY USERS ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA

Audit for PM’s flagship housing fund

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Original article by Matthew Cranston
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 29-Oct-25

The Australian National Audit Office will undertake a review of the federal government’s $10bn Housing Australia Future Fund, amid growing criticism of the fund. Auditor-General Caralee McLiesh has advised that the ANAO wil also examine the effectiveness of the Treasury’s design and delivery of the HAFF. Liberal senator Andrew Bragg has described the HAFF as one of the nation’s biggest public policy disasters, likening it to the previous Labor government’s Pink Batts home-insulation scheme. The HAFF aims to build 40,000 social and affordable homes by 2028, and it is part of the government’s target of building 1.2 million new dwellings over five years.

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AUSTRALIA. HOUSING AUSTRALIA FUTURE FUND, AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL AUDIT OFFICE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Employers urge Ley to expand IR changes

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 22-Oct-25

Opposition leader Sussan Ley has committed to reviewing the federal government’s multi-employer bargaining laws. However, business groups want the Coalition to consider more extensive industrial relations reforms. The Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry’s CEO Andrew McKellar says the Coalition should look at increasing the legal definition of a small business from 15 employees to 25, contending that getting a fair deal for small business should be a priority. The Australian Resources & ­Energy Employer Association’s CEO Steve Knott in turn has identified the abolition of laws expanding union delegate rights, right-of-entry provisions and the Fair Work Commission’s intractable bargaining powers as reforms the Coalition should be pursuing.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIAN RESOURCES AND ENERGY EMPLOYER ASSOCIATION

Scientists slam budget cuts that threaten Nobel Prize-generating research

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Original article by Liam Mannix, Angus Dalton
The Age – Page: Online : 22-Oct-25

Science Minister Tim Ayres recently described Professor Richard Robson’s Nobel Prize in chemistry as a "tribute to the effectiveness and capability" of Australia’s research sector. However, the federal government proposes to shut down two of the beamlines at the Australian Synchrotron, which is being used to study the metal-organic frameworks that were pioneered by Professor Robson. Professionals Australia estimates that about 10 per cent of the synchrotron’s 150 employees are likely to be retrenched. The government also proposes to shut down the KOALA Laue diffractometer at the Lucas Heights nuclear reactor in Sydney. Critics have warned that this will jeopardise Australia’s progress in achieving net-zero emissions.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, SCIENCE AND RESOURCES, AUSTRALIAN SYNCHROTRON COMPANY LIMITED

Companies could have profits from breaking environment laws stripped under Australian reforms

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Original article by Graham Readfearn
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 22-Oct-25

The federal government hopes to get its proposed changes to the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Act passed by the end of this year, with the legislation to be put before parliament in coming weeks. Environment Minister Murray Watt says he wants the overhauled environmental laws to include a definition of "unacceptable impact". He has also flagged harsher penalties for breaching environmental laws, including giving the government powers to strip companies of any financial gains made from such breaches. Watt adds that the proposed federal Environmental Protection Authority will be able to issue a ‘stop work order’ to prevent environmental harm.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY, THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER

Albanese hits critical mass

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Original article by Geoff Chambers, Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 22-Oct-25

The $US8.5bn ($13bn) critical minerals framework agreement between Australia and the US will result in each country contributing at least US$1bn to critical minerals and rare earths projects over the next six months. They include a gallium project in Western Australia and the Nolans rare earths project in the Northern Territory. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump says the AUKUS alliance will be a "deterrence" to Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific region. Trump contends that AUKUS will not be needed to defend Taiwan, because he does not think China will invade the self-governed territory. Trump has also ruled out reviewing the current tariffs on Australian imports, stating that the nation "pays among the lowest tariffs"; this includes a baseline tariff of 10 per cent and a 50 per cent levy on steel and aluminium products

CORPORATES
UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Roy Morgan Poll: In October, ALP and One Nation support up and support for the Coalition down

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 22-Oct-25

The latest Roy Morgan survey shows that primary support for the ALP was up 1% to 35% in October, with One Nation up 2.5% to 12% and the Greens up 1% to 13%; however, support for the Coalition dropped 3% to 27%, and support for Independents/Other Parties was down 1.5% to 13%. On a State-by-State basis support for the ALP increased significantly in the two largest States of New South Wales and Victoria, while One Nation support surged in all States (now at least 10% in all States except Victoria); in contrast, Coalition support fell in all States except Western Australia. On a two-party preferred basis the ALP increased its lead to 57% (up 1.5% from September) ahead of the Coalition on 43% (down 1.5%). If a Federal Election were held now the ALP would be returned to Government with an increased majority. The latest Roy Morgan survey is based on interviewing a representative cross-section of 4,908 Australian electors from 22 September 22 to 19 October 2025.

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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

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence up 1pt to 84.0

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 22-Oct-25

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence rose 1pt to 84.0 in the week to 19 October. However, Consumer Confidence is now 3.5pts below the same week a year ago (87.5), and 2.6pts below the 2025 weekly average of 86.6. Analysis by State shows mixed results, with increases in New South Wales and South Australia, down in Western Australia, and virtually unchanged in Victoria and Queensland. Now 19% of Australians (down 1ppt) say their families are ‘better off’ financially than this time last year, while 43% (down 2ppts) say their families are ‘worse off’. Looking forward, 25% (unchanged) of respondents expect their family to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year, while 32% (also unchanged) expect to be ‘worse off’. Meanwhile, just 8% (down 1ppt) of respondents expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months, while 30% (down 2ppts) expect ‘bad times’. Only 22% (down 1ppt) of Australians say now is a ‘good time to buy’ major household items, while 34% (down 1ppt) say now is a ‘bad time to buy’.

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