O75 Public Administration

Scramble for super CGT clarity

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Original article by John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 15-Oct-25

The federal government’s decision to abandon a proposal to tax the unrealised capital gains of large superannuation accounts has been welcomed by financial advisers. The government will now only tax the realised capital gains of super accounts with balances of more than $3m, with the tax rate to be doubled to 30 per cent; super accounts with more than $10m will be taxed at 40 per cent. The reforms are slated to take effect from mid-2026, but financial advisers and their clients want Treasurer Jim Chalmers to clarify whether the higher tax rates will apply to gains that are accrued before this date.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence down 2.1pts to 83.0 – down for a second straight week after RBA leaves rates unchanged

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 15-Oct-25

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence fell 2.1pts to 83.0 in the week to 12 October. Consumer Confidence is now at its lowest for over a year, but it is virtually unchanged on the same week a year ago (83.4) and 3.7pts below the 2025 weekly average of 86.7. Analysis by State shows mixed results, with declines in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia being only partially offset by small increases in Queensland and Western Australia. Now 20% of Australians (unchanged) say their families are ‘better off’ financially than this time last year, while 45% (up 4ppts) say their families are ‘worse off’. Looking forward, 25% (down 1ppt) of respondents expect their family to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year, while 32% (up 1ppt) expect to be ‘worse off’. Meanwhile, just 9% (unchanged) of respondents expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months, while 32% (up 2ppts) expect ‘bad times’. Only 23% (up 1ppt) 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’.

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

Growing majority of Australians believe AI creates more problems than it solves

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 15-Oct-25

Research from Roy Morgan shows that Australians are increasingly concerned about artificial intelligence, with 65% (up 8% points since 2023) believing that "overall, AI creates more problems than it solves"; just 35% (down 8% points) now say AI "solves more problems than it creates". Meanwhile, 25% of Australians believe that AI presents a risk of human extinction in the next twenty years, up from 20% in 2023. Women are more sceptical about AI than men, with 69% of women compared to 61% of men believing that overall, AI creates more problems than it solves. By age, Australians aged 35-49 are the least sceptical, with 62% saying AI creates more problems, while older Australians aged 65+ are the most sceptical at 68%.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED

US interested in critical minerals deal

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 15-Oct-25

Trade Minister Don Farrell recently met with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Malaysia; he says Greer indicated that the US is interested in striking a deal with Australia regarding critical minerals. The issue is set to be a key issue on the agenda when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese holds talks with President Donald Trump at the White House next week. The federal government remains hopeful that it can use critical minerals as ‘leverage’ in tariff negotiations. The US has imposed a 50 per cent tariffs on Australia’s aluminium and steel imports, and the baseline tariff of 10 per cent on other imports.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, UNITED STATES. DEPT OF COMMERCE

Warning to Aussies over new Russian weapon

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Original article by James King
Herald Sun – Page: Online : 15-Oct-25

The US Studies Centre will host a forum on Russian disinformation and foreign influence campaigns in Sydney on Thursday. The speakers include Ukraine’s ambassador to Australia, Vasyl Myroshnychenko; he will warn that Russia is targeting Australia with fake narratives that it could ‘weaponise’ against local communities in the event of conflict. He will emphasise the need to counter such disinformation before it spreads and becomes "too powerful". Former Ukrainian diplomat Natalia Solieva will in turn argue that unlike war on a battlefield, disinformation has no geographical borders, and it can emerge during elections or when society is most divided and vulnerable.

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UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY. UNITED STATES STUDIES CENTRE

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence down 1.2pts to 85.1 after Reserve Bank leaves interest rates unchanged

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 8-Oct-25

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence fell 1.2pts to 85.1 in the week to 5 October. Consumer Confidence is now 1.6 points above the same week a year ago (83.5), but 1.7pts below the 2025 weekly average of 86.8. Analysis by State shows mixed results, with declines in Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia, only partially offset by small increases in New South Wales and South Australia. Now 20% of Australians (down 2ppts) say their families are ‘better off’ financially than this time last year, while 41% (down 1ppt) say their families are ‘worse off’. Looking forward, 26% (down 3ppts) of respondents expect their family to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year, while 31% (down 2ppts) expect to be ‘worse off’. Meanwhile, just 9% (down 1ppt) of respondents expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months, while 30% (up 1ppt) expect ‘bad times’. Only 22% (down 1ppt) of Australians say now is a ‘good time to buy’ major household items, while 34% (up 1ppt) say now is a ‘bad time to buy’.

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

Israel and Frydenberg blast PM, Premier over pro-Hamas graffiti

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Original article by Josephine Quattrocchi, Ryan Bourke, Tom Wenn, Clare Armstrong
Herald Sun – Page: Online : 8-Oct-25

The Australian Federal Police will investigate a series of graffiti attacks in Melbourne that praised Hamas on the second anniversary of its terrorist attack on Israel. Amongst other things, a billboard in Fitzroy was vandalised with the phrase "Glory to Hamas", Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that defacing a billboard with terrorist propaganda is abhorrent, and those responsible must face the full force of the law. Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel has urged Albanese and Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan to take swift action in response to the vandalism, while former federal treasurer Josh Frydenberg says the two leaders must end the violence and hatred directed at Jewish Australians. Meanwhile, about 100 people attended a demonstration organised by the Free Palestine Coalition in the Melbourne CBD to mark the anniversary.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE

Mount Isa smelter set for bailout

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Original article by Ryan Cropp
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 8-Oct-25

The federal and Queensland governments are set to announce a taxpayer-funded support package for Glencore’s Mount Isa copper smelter. Industry sources have indicated that the package to be announced today will enable the plant to remain open for at least another four years. The federal and NSW governments are still holding talks with Rio Tinto regarding similar support for the Tomago aluminium smelter, while taxpayer assistance has previously been announced for the Whyalla steelworks and two zinc and lead smelters that are owned by Nyrstar Australia.

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GLENCORE PLC, GLENCORE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, TOMAGO ALUMINIUM COMPANY PTY LTD, NYRSTAR AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Roy Morgan Business Confidence increases in September, up 3pts to 101.6

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 8-Oct-25

In September 2025, Roy Morgan Business Confidence rose 3pts to 101.6; the increase followed the Reserve Bank’s decision to cut official interest rates by 0.25% in mid-August and the S&P/ASX200 closing at a record high above 9,000 in late August. However, Business Confidence is now 8.3pts below the long-term average of 109.9, although it is 7.3pts higher than in September 2024. Now 33.4% (up 4.9ppts) of businesses says their business is ‘better off’ financially than this time a year ago (the highest figure for this indicator so far this year), while 34.6% (down 0.8ppts) say the business is ‘worse off’. Meanwhile, 39.6% (unchanged) of respondents expect the business will be ‘better off’ financially this time next year, while 20% (down 4.3ppts) expect the business will be ‘worse off’. The latest Roy Morgan Business Confidence results for September are based on 1,198 detailed interviews with a cross-section of Australian businesses from each State and Territory.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Australia could be a winner from US trade war

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Original article by Michael Read
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 8-Oct-25

Modelling undertaken by EY Oceania has concluded that the Australian economy is likely to be a net beneficiary of the Trump administration’s reciprocal tariffs regime. The firm’s chief economist Cherelle Murphy said the results of the modelling are based on the fact that Australia’s exports to the US will be subject to the ‘baseline’ tariff of just 10 per cent, making the nation’s exports more price competitive; in contrast, some nations are facing punitive tariffs of up to 50 per cent. EY also suggests that the cost of imports will also fall, as some countries are likely to redirect their goods to Australia instead of the US.

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ERNST AND YOUNG