O75 Public Administration

PM backs Reynolds despite offensive slur on ex-staffer

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

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

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds faces renewed scrutiny and potential legal action as the fallout from the alleged rape of an ex-staffer continues. The media has reported that Reynolds described Brittany Higgins as a "lying cow" in her office on the same day that the former media adviser publicly revealed that she had been raped by a colleague in March 2019. Higgins’ lawyers has raised the threat of legal action if Reynolds does not publicly withdraw her comment and apologise. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has described Reynolds’ comment as ‘inappropriate and wrong’, but stresses that she not referring to Higgins’ rape allegation.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF DEFENCE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Italy blocks export of 250,000 AstraZeneca vaccine doses to Australia

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Daniel Boffey
The Guardian – Page: Online : 5-Mar-21

The Italian government has ruled that AstraZeneca cannot ship 250,000 doses of its COVID-19 vaccine to Australia. Italy has become the first country to invoke the European Union’s export authorisation mechanism with regard to coronavirus vaccines. The EU has ordered some 400 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine; problems at the biotechnology group’s plant in Belgium means that it has now committed to supplying just 40 million doses in the March quarter, well down on the 120 million doses that it was meant to supply.

CORPORATES
ASTRAZENECA PLC, EUROPEAN COMMISSION

Record trade surplus adds to recovery

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Matthew Cranston
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 5-Mar-21

Australia’s trade surplus rose to a record $10.2bn in January, compared with market expectations of just $8.3bn. Strong growth in the resources sector’s exports was a key driver of the record trade surplus; the value of iron ore exports rose by 14.2 per cent month-on-month to $16.1bn, while LNG and coal exports rose by 7.9 per cent and 2.6 per cent respectively. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg notes that in addition to growth in iron ore export volumes in January, the price of the steel input remains well above the Budget forecast of just $US55 a tonne free on board.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

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

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

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.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

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

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

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.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. PARLIAMENTARY BUDGET OFFICE

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

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

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

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

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.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN SCHOOL OF ETIQUETTE

Increased rollout after jab target miss

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

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.

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

Split over aged-care reforms

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

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.

CORPORATES
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

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

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%.

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