O75 Public Administration

Inflation Expectations increase to 3.7% in February – higher in Country Regions than Capital Cities

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 5-Mar-21

In February, Australians expected inflation of 3.7% annually over the next two years, up 0.1% points on January, and the highest since February and March 2020 (4.0% for both). Inflation Expectations are now 1% point below their long-term average of 4.7%. Inflation Expectations have now increased by 0.5% points in the last six months, the fastest increase for the index since late 2016/early 2017 when the index increased by 0.6% points in only two months. Inflation Expectations are higher in Country Regions of Australia (4%) than in the Capital Cities (3.5%) and this is borne out in each mainland State. The largest gap of 1% point is within South Australia with Inflation Expectations of 4.4% in Country SA (the highest figure for any area) compared to only 3.4% in Adelaide. The next largest gap of 0.8% points is within Western Australia, with Inflation Expectations of 4% in Country WA compared to only 3.2% in Perth – the lowest figure for any Capital City. In both Victoria and Queensland there is a gap of 0.6% points between Country Regions and the respective Capital Cities. Inflation Expectations are 4.2% in Country Victoria compared to 3.6% in Melbourne and 3.9% in Country Queensland compared to only 3.3% in Brisbane. The smallest gap of only 0.3% points between the two areas is in NSW. Country NSW has Inflation Expectations of 4% compared to 3.7% in Sydney and in-line with the national average.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED

National cost of pandemic response to reach $327bn over five years

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Original article by Patrick Commins
The Australian – Page: 4 : 5-Mar-21

The Parliamentary Budget Office estimates that the combined net debt of Australia’s three levels of government will blow out to almost $1.3tn in the five years to 2024. Federal, state and local governments are forecast to collectively spend some $327bn on COVID-19 measures over the five-year period. The independent budget watchdog now expects the national net operating balance across all levels of government in 2020-21 to be a deficit of 11.1 per cent of GDP; it had previously forecast a surplus of 1.7 per cent of GDP for the current financial year.

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AUSTRALIA. PARLIAMENTARY BUDGET OFFICE

Porter’s alleged victim insisted we shut the case: police

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Original article by Rosie Lewis, Sharri Markson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 5-Mar-21

The family of the woman who was allegedly raped by Attorney-General Christian Porter in 1988 has expressed support for an inquiry into the circumstances that led to her death. Labor leader Anthony Albanese has also pushed for an independent inquiry into the allegations against Porter, but Prime Minister Scott Morrison says there is no precedent for such an inquiry. Meanwhile, New South Wales police say the alleged victim advised that she did not want to make a formal statement on 23 June, citing medical and personal reasons. The woman took her own life the following day.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NEW SOUTH WALES POLICE FORCE

How COVID-19 bumped the handshake

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Original article by Andrew Taylor
The Sunday Age – Page: 8 : 27-Feb-21

A recent survey of more than 1,000 people by Roy Morgan has found that just 30 per cent want to shake hands with a colleague or stranger, down from 88 per cent prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The percentage of people wanting to hug family and friends has declined from 87 per cent to 67 per cent, while the percentage that are happy to kiss family and friends has fallen from 63 per cent to 37 per cent. Zarife Taylor from the Australian School of Etiquette says the pandemic has resulted in an immediate change to personal greetings, but that shaking hands will remain a fundamental part of personal interaction.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN SCHOOL OF ETIQUETTE

Increased rollout after jab target miss

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Original article by Adeshola Ore
The Australian – Page: 5 : 1-Mar-21

The federal government’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout has fallen well behind schedule; just 30,000 people nationwide received the Pfizer vaccine in the first week of the rollout, compared with the government’s target of 60,000 by the end of February. However, Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the arrival of the first 300,000 overseas-made doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine will allow the inoculation of priority groups to be ramped up. Meanwhile, Victoria has recorded no new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, although residents in 10 suburbs in Melbourne’s east have been put on alert after virus fragments were detected in wastewater.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, PFIZER INCORPORATED, ASTRAZENECA PLC

Split over aged-care reforms

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Original article by Simon Benson, Geoff Chambers, Stephen Lunn
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 1-Mar-21

The federal government will release the final report of the aged-care royal commission on 1 March. The two commissioners, Tony Pagone QC and Lynelle Briggs, are believed to be in agreement on more than 100 recommendations. However, they are said to be in conflict on a number of issues and will make some separate recommendations. Amongst other things, they are believed to have disagreed with regard to the future oversight and funding of the aged-care sector.

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AUSTRALIA. ROYAL COMMISSION INTO AGED CARE QUALITY AND SAFETY

ANZ-Roy Morgan New Zealand Consumer Confidence down slightly by 0.7pts to 113.1 in February

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 1-Mar-21

ANZ-Roy Morgan New Zealand Consumer Confidence fell 0.7pts to 113.1 in February, consolidating a bit short of its historical average of 120. Consumers’ perceptions of their current financial situation fell 6 points to -2%, while a net 27% of consumers expect to be better off financially this time next year, down 1 point. Meanwhile, a net 20% of consumers think it is a good time to buy a major household item, down 1 point. Perceptions regarding the next year’s economic outlook lifted 3 points to 2%; the five-year outlook also lifted 3 points to +20%. CPI inflation expectations lifted 0.1%pts to 4.6%.

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

ABC ignored ‘don’t broadcast’ plea from family of alleged rape victim

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Original article by Sharri Markson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 1-Mar-21

The federal government is under further scrutiny following allegations that a current cabinet minister raped a woman in 1988. Labor leader Anthony Albanese says Prime Minister Scott Morrison should consider removing the minister concerned until the matter is resolved. Meanwhile, a friend of the alleged victim – who took her own life in mid-2020 – has criticised the ABC for reporting the story, arguing that her family had been through enough. The allegation against the unnamed minister follows revelations that a former government staffer was raped by a colleague in March 2019.

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AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

Crossbench on front foot over IR

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 8 : 17-Feb-21

The federal government will not proceed with legislation to allow coronavirus-hit employers to temporarily bypass the Fair Work Act’s ‘better off overall test’. The ACTU and Senate crossbenchers have welcomed the decision, but contend that further changes to the industrial relations omnibus bill are needed. Shadow industrial relations minister Tony Burke says the government had only backed down because it would not get the proposed reform through the Senate. Business Council of Australia CEO Jennifer Westacott says the remaining changes in the omnibus bill will ‘reinvigorate’ the enterprise bargaining system.

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AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence declines 1.5pts to 109.9 during Victoria’s 5 day lockdown and border closures

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 17-Feb-21

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence fell 1.5pts to 109.9 on February 13/14. Consumer Confidence is now 0.5 points below the 2021 weekly average of 110.4, yet remains 0.8pts higher than the same week a year ago (109.1). Now 25% (down 1ppt) of Australians say their families are ‘better off’ financially than this time last year, while 27% (down 1ppt) say their families are ‘worse off’ financially. In addition, 37% (down 3ppts) of Australians expect their family to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year, and 14% (up 1ppt) expect to be ‘worse off’ financially. Some 19% (down 1ppt) of Australians expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months, while 20% (up 1ppt) expect ‘bad times’. Meanwhile, 42% (down 1ppt) of Australians say now is a ‘good time to buy’ major household items, while 25% (down 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