O75 Public Administration

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence was virtually unchanged at 75.8 this week before RBA meeting

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 7-Jun-23

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence was virtually unchanged at 75.8 in the week to 4 June. Consumer Confidence has now spent 14 straight weeks below the mark of 80, the longest stretch below 80 since the index began being conducted on a weekly rather than a monthly basis in October 2008. Consumer Confidence is now 11.2pts below the same week a year ago (87), and 4pts below the 2023 weekly average of 79.8. Consumer Confidence was up in Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia, but down in NSW and SA. Now 17% of Australians (down 1ppt) say their families are ‘better off’ financially than this time last year, while 54% (up 1ppt) say their families are ‘worse off’ financially. Some 28% (down 1ppt) of Australians now expect their family to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year (the lowest figure for this indicator since April 2020 at the start of the pandemic), while 39% (up 4ppts) expect to be ‘worse off’ financially (the highest figure for this indicator since August 1989). Only 5% (down 2ppts) of Australians expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months, while 39% (down 1ppt) expect ‘bad times’. Meanwhile, 21% (up 2ppts) of Australians say now is a ‘good time to buy’ major household items, while 52% (down 2ppts) say now is a ‘bad time to buy’.

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

BHP seeks to lift nuclear barriers

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Original article by Geoff Carmody
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 7-Jun-23

It has been revealed that BHP used its pre-budget submission to urge the federal government to include nuclear power in the nation’s energy mix in order to help achieve its climate targets. BHP’s chief technical officer Laura Tyler had previously told a forum in 2022 that nuclear energy needs to be "part of the conversation" and that uranium should be considered as a source of baseload power. The International Energy Agency has also stated that nuclear power can play an important role in the energy transition, while Opposition leader Peter Dutton used his budget reply speech in May to argue the case for small modular nuclear reactors.

CORPORATES
BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP, INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Thousands flee homes as collapse of dam is blamed on Russian forces

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Original article by Dan Sabbagh, Julian Borger
The Guardian – Page: Online : 7-Jun-23

The Ukrainian government has accused Russia of deliberately engineering the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka hydro-electric dam. The dam is located in the part of Kherson region that is controlled by Russia’s occupying forces, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky alleges that it was mined and blown up by the Russians. He has also described the dam’s destruction as an act of terrorism, while European Union officials have suggested that it might constitute a war crime. The dam’s collapse has resulted in thousands of people being evacuated, and prompted concerns that it may take decades to recover from the resulting environmental disaster. Ukrainian officials say there is no immediate risk to the nearby Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, although there are fears about the plant’s long-term future.

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Pain, blame and, at this rate, it’s not over

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Original article by Patrick Commins
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 7-Jun-23

Reserve Bank of Australia governor Philip Lowe has defended the decision to increase the case rate by 25 basis points to 4.1 per cent on Tuesday. He says the 12th rate rise since May 2022 was necessary to provide greater confidence that inflation will return to the target range within a reasonable timeframe. He also cautioned that further rate rises may be needed, depending on the outlook for the economy and inflation. The Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry contends that the recent 5.75 per cent increase in the minimum wage had forced the RBA’s hand. However, Treasurer Jim Chalmers rejects suggestions that the minimum wage increase and the federal government’s 9 May budget were to blame for the latest rate rise. The cash rate is now at its highest level since April 2012.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Childcare first to test new workplace laws

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Original article by Ewin Hannan, Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 7 : 6-Jun-23

United Workers Union national secretary Tim Kennedy says unions and around 50 childcare employers are to lodge an application with the Fair Work Commission to enter into multi-­employer bargaining under the federal government’s new industrial relations laws. The government is expected to seek to be a party to the proceedings, as it would ultimately have to fund any pay rise that results from the bargaining process. Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke says he expects the new multi-­employer bargaining laws to be used in sectors that have not been able to get access to enterprise bargaining.

CORPORATES
UNITED WORKERS UNION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT AND WORKPLACE RELATIONS

Environmentalists take Tanya Plibersek to court over coal mine assessments

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Original article by Mike Foley
Brisbane Times – Page: Online : 6-Jun-23

The Environment Council of Central Queensland has launched legal action against Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek in the Federal Court. The Council is asking the court to review Plibersek’s decision not to take global warming into account when assessing Mach Energy’s application to expand its Mount Pleasant open-cut coal mine and Whitehaven Coal’s application to expand its Narrabri underground mine; both mines are in NSW. The Council is being represented in court by Environmental Justice Australia, with senior lawyer Retta Berryman saying if the judicial review is successful it could compel all coal and gas projects to be assessed for climate change impacts.

CORPORATES
ENVIRONMENT COUNCIL OF CENTRAL QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY, THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER, MACH ENERGY, WHITEHAVEN COAL LIMITED – ASX WHC, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AUSTRALIA

Hawkei armoured cars bound for Ukraine war in Australian support deal

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Original article by Peter Hartcher
The Age – Page: Online : 6-Jun-23

Defence Minister Richard Marles says he expects that details of Australia’s new support package for Ukraine will be announced soon, with its four-wheel-drive armoured car known as the Hawkei said to be on top of Ukraine’s wish list. Locally made, the Hawkei is designed to be fitted with the same Norwegian-American air defence system that protects the White House. It is likely that details of Australia’s latest package for Ukraine will be released by the time Prime Minister Anthony Albanese travels to a NATO summit in Lithuania in July. Australia is also said to be negotiating a deal to supply Ukraine with its fleet of F/A-18 Hornets, which have been retired from service by the RAAF; however, this would require approval from the US government.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF DEFENCE, NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANISATION

Australian unemployment drops to 8.4% in May – the lowest since September 2022 (8.1%)

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 6-Jun-23

In May unemployment dropped 0.1% points to 8.4%, according to the latest Roy Morgan employment series data – the fourth straight monthly drop. Unemployment is now at its lowest since COVID-19 restrictions lifted in late 2022. However, there was a rise in under-employment in May, up 0.9% points to 9.8%, to its highest level this year. The rise in under-employment came as part-time employment increased to 4.86 million – a fourth straight month of increases. The rising cost of living, with high inflation and increasing interest rates, are leading to more Australians in part-time employment needing to work more hours to earn a sufficient income. These people in part-time employment looking for more hours are considered under-employed – now nearly 10% of the workforce. Roy Morgan’s unemployment figure of 8.4% is more than double the ABS estimate of 3.7% for April, and is comparable to the combined ABS unemployment and under-employment figure of 9.8%.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED

PwC behind 15 schemes to help companies sidestep tax: ATO

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Original article by Neil Chenoweth, Edmund Tadros
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 31-May-23

Tax Commissioner Chris Jordan appeared before a Senate estimates hearing on Tuesday, where he discussed the ongoing PwC tax leaks scandal. Jordan revealed that the Australian Taxation Office had become aware in late 2017 that PwC partner Peter Collins had used confidential Treasury information to develop a large number of schemes to help multinational companies to evade new tax laws. However, he said that outdated secrecy laws had prevented the ATO from informing the Treasury. Jordan also disclosed that the ATO had told the Australian Federal Police about the leaks in 2018. The Treasury recently referred the tax leaks scandal to the AFP.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE, PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS AUSTRALIA (INTERNATIONAL) PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE

Same job, same pay IR reforms could hit public service

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Original article by Geoff Chambers, Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 31-May-23

The federal government continues to come under scrutiny over its proposed ‘same job, same pay’ policy for labour hire workers. Natalie James, the head of the Department of Employment & Workplace Relations, has told a senate estimates hearing that these laws are likely to cover the public sector. Analysis of AusTender contracts shows that the government has become a major user of labour hire firms, spending more than $1.2bn on such contracts since the federal election in May.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT AND WORKPLACE RELATIONS