O75 Public Administration

Movement in the Melbourne CBD was at only 23% of pre-pandemic levels in late October as the city begun re-opening

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 2-Nov-21

A special analysis of movement data in Australia’s Capital City CBDs since the COVID-19 pandemic began shows that movement in the Melbourne CBD was at only 23% of pre-pandemic levels in late October as the city began to re-open after over two months of lockdown. The average 7-day movement level in the Melbourne CBD hit a low of 8% of pre-pandemic levels in late July and had increased to 23% on the first weekend after the end of the lockdown on Friday October 22. Although Melbourne’s lockdown officially ended over a week ago many stores remained closed during the first week post-lockdown. Melbourne’s non-essential retail stores were only allowed to fully re-open over the last weekend and many hospitality venues remained closed to in-store dining due to ongoing restrictions. Meanwhile, life has continued to return to the Sydney CBD and in late October the average 7-day movement levels were at 31% of pre-pandemic levels, up 4% points from a week earlier. Almost 90% of adults in New South Wales are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Following the end of the short and sharp three-day lockdown in southern Tasmania the average 7-day movement levels in the Hobart CBD had recovered to 49% of pre-pandemic levels by late October. The movement levels in other Capital City CBDs continued to improve over the last few weeks. The Adelaide CBD is again the standout with average movement levels closest to pre-pandemic ‘normal’ at 83% – the highest level of movement since mid-April. Roy Morgan has partnered with leading technology innovator UberMedia to aggregate data from tens of thousands of mobile devices to assess the movements of Australians as we deal with the restrictions imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, UBERMEDIA

Inflation Expectations jump 0.3% points to 4.8% in October; highest for seven years since November 2014

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 2-Nov-21

In October 2021, Australians expected inflation of 4.8% annually over the next two years, up 0.3% points, and the highest Inflation Expectations since November 2014. Inflation Expectations are now 1.3% points higher than a year ago (3.5%). Inflation Expectations are also now 0.1% points above the long-term average of 4.7%, the first time the measure has been above the long-term average since June 2012. A look at Inflation Expectations by Gender and Age shows that the gap between women and men is persisting and has widened slightly in recent months. Women’s Inflation Expectations are at 5.3% in October 2021, compared to 4.2% for men. Inflation Expectations are highest for people aged 50-64 at 5.0%. Women in this age group have Inflation Expectations of 5.6% compared to only 4.4% for men. There is also a large ‘Gender Gap’ of 1.3% points for people at either end of the age spectrum. For people aged under 35 women have Inflation Expectations of 5.4% compared to 4.1% for men, and those aged 65+ women’s Inflation Expectations are 5.3% compared to 4.0% for men. The only exception to this trend is for people aged 35-49 who have Inflation Expectations of 4.6% – the lowest of any age group. In this group the ‘Gender Gap’ is only 0.4% with women’s Inflation Expectations of 4.8% slightly higher than that for men of 4.4%.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Labour support down and Government Confidence Rating drops to lowest since Jacinda Ardern became PM in 2017

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 2-Nov-21

Support for New Zealand’s Labour/Greens government was down 5% points to 50% in October, as support for the Labour Party dropped 6% points to 39.5%. During this period the lockdown of New Zealand’s largest city of Auckland was extended throughout October. Support for the Greens was up 1% point to 10.5%. The governing parties are now only 6% points ahead of the Parliamentary opposition National/Act NZ/Maori Party on 44%, up 3% points since September. The increase was driven by a rise in support for National, up by 3% points to 26%. Act NZ was unchanged at a record high of 16% and support for the Maori Party was unchanged at 2%. A small minority of 6% of electors support other minor parties outside Parliament, with support for New Zealand First up 1% point to 2.5%, The Opportunities Party down 0.5% points to 1% and support for the New Conservative Party at 1.5%. 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 929 electors during October. Meanwhile, the Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating dropped by 15.5pts in October to 109.5, to be at its lowest since Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern came to office four years ago in October 2017.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, MORGAN POLL, LABOUR PARTY (NEW ZEALAND), GREEN PARTY OF AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND, NATIONAL PARTY OF NEW ZEALAND, ACT NEW ZEALAND, THE MAORI PARTY, THE OPPORTUNITIES PARTY, NEW CONSERVATIVE PARTY

Morrison outlines $2 billion funding pledge to UN climate summit

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Original article by David Crowe
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: Online : 2-Nov-21

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has used the COP26 climate summit to announce that Australia will contribute $2bn over five years to programs that will assist developing countries in the Pacific region to deal with climate change. He also reiterated the importance of technology in achieving net zero targets. Morrison noted that Australia has reduced its carbon emissions by 20 per cent since 2005, while the economy has grown by 45 per cent over the same period; he added that Australia’s emissions are on track to fall by 35 per cent by 2030, well ahead of its commitments under the Paris agreement. Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has told the summit of a ‘doomsday’ scenario if action is not taken to address climate change.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Federal government offers Hongkongers Australian permanent residency pathway

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Original article by Joshua Boscaini, Stephen Dziedzic
abc.net.au – Page: Online : 2-Nov-21

The federal government will offer two new permanent residence visa streams for Hong Kong passport holders who have lived in Australia for at least four years. Almost 9,000 people are expected to be eligible to apply for the new visas from 5 March, including temporary skilled workers, temporary graduate workers and student visa holders. Applicants for the new visas will not need to be sponsored by an employer or be in a job that is on the list of current skills shortages. In 2020, the government agreed to offer "safe haven" for Hong Kong passport holders after China’s introduced new national security laws in the former British colony.

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PM sinks Macron’s subs lie

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Original article by Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 2-Nov-21

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has responded to the latest furore over the decision to cancel Naval Group’s $90bn submarines contract. French President Emmanuel Macron has accused Morrison of lying about both the submarines contract and Australia’s decision to establish the AUKUS alliance. Morrison says he did not lie to Macron and informed him in mid-June that Australia had concerns about the Naval Group project and was looking at alternative submarines. Morrison says the decision to cancel the contract was made in the national interest. The federal government attempted to inform Macron of the decision two days before the AUKUS deal was announced, but Macron advised that he was not available to take a call from Morrison.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NAVAL GROUP

Australia commits 10 million vaccines to south-east Asia

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Original article by Anthony Galloway
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: Online : 28-Oct-21

Prime Minister Scott Morrison addressed the Association of South-east Asian Nations on Wednesday. He said that Australia will supply south-east Asian nations with 10 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines by mid-2022, in addition to the four million doses it has already provided. Morrison also advised that Australia will provide the region with $124m to address "complex and emerging challenges" such as terrorism and energy security. He also stressed that the AUKUS alliance – and Australia’s deal to acquire nuclear-powered submarines – will have no impact on Australia’s commitment to both ASEAN and nuclear non-proliferation.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH-EAST ASIAN NATIONS

PM’s no to methane cut

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Original article by Simon Benson, Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 28-Oct-21

The federal government will not agree to sign the Global Methane Pledge at the upcoming COP26 climate summit in Glasgow. The pledge is backed by the US and Europe, and would require signatories to reduce methane emissions by 30 per cent by 2030. Refusal to sign the pledge is believed to have been a key commitment made by Prime Minister Scott Morrison to gain the National Party’s support for a net zero emissions target of 2030. It was feared that Australia would be particularly hard hit by such a pledge, given the economy’s reliance on industries such as agriculture and coal mining.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Aged-care boosters on agenda as TGA backs third-jab plan

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Original article by Natasha Robinson
The Australian – Page: 4 : 28-Oct-21

The Therapeutic Goods Administration has formally approved the use of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine as a booster shot. It will be administered six months after a person has received their first dose of any coronavirus vaccine. Studies have suggested that the efficacy of vaccines declines significantly 3-6 months after they have been administered. However, TGA head John Skerritt has stressed that two doses of an approved vaccine provides strong protection against serious illness, hospitalisation and death. Aged-care residents will be given priority for booster shots, which are expected to become available to the general population from 8 November.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. THERAPEUTIC GOODS ADMINISTRATION

ALP (54%) increases lead over the L-NP (46%) as the Federal Government discusses "Net Zero" carbon dioxide emissions

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 28-Oct-21

The latest Roy Morgan Poll on Federal voting intention shows that support for the ALP has increased to 54% (up 1% point since mid-October), cf. the L-NP on 46% (down 1% point) on a two-party preferred basis. The 1% point swing to the ALP came after the governing Liberal and National parties have spent the last few weeks ‘haggling’ about a change in policy for the Government to support a target of "Net Zero" carbon dioxide emissions for Australia by 2050. If a Federal Election were held now the ALP would be elected with a similar margin to that won by John Howard at the 1996 Federal Election (ALP 53.6% cf. L-NP 46.4%). Primary support for the L-NP was down 1% point to 36.5% in October and is still ahead of the ALP which was also down 1% point to 35%. In contrast to the two major parties, Greens support increased by 2% points to 13.5% as media attention in October turned to Australia’s response to global warming and climate change. Support for One Nation was up 0.5% points to 3.5% while support for Independents/Others was down 0.5% points to 11.5%. Meanwhile, the Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating has increased by 3ps to 98 in late October. Now 41% (up 1% point) of Australians say the country is ‘heading in the right direction’, while 43% (down 2% points) say the country is ‘heading in the wrong direction’. This Roy Morgan Poll on Federal voting intention and Roy Morgan Government Confidence was conducted via telephone and online interviewing. Roy Morgan interviewed 2,778 Australian electors aged 18+ on the weekends of October 16/17 & 23/24.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, MORGAN POLL, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, ONE NATION PARTY