O75 Public Administration

Mediocre nation: business warns of competition crisis as Labor unrest grows

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Original article by Geoff Chambers, Sarah Ison
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 26-Aug-26

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese delivered the keynote speech at the Business Council of Australia’ annual dinner last night. He emphasised the need for business and the federal government to work together to keep the economy and democracy strong amid the rise of populism, and argued that Labor’s property tax reforms are the key to fighting populism and ensuring prosperity. Meanwhile, BCA president Geoff Culbert said every policy decision has consequences for business, investment and all Australians. Noting that the nation now ranks rank 21st out of 42 nations on the Competitiveness Index, he has called for action to reverse this, including more competitive tax rates, reduced red tape and government spending, and an overhaul of the planning system.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

Controversial NDIS bill passes Senate with substantial amendments as Labor and Coalition strike deal

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Original article by Sarah Basford Canales
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 19-Aug-26

Independent senator David Pocock says the federal government’s amendments to its National Disability Insurance Scheme reform bill have improved the legislation. However, Pococks adds that he still does not support the bill, due to measures such as a reduction in funding for NDIS participants’ social and community participation. The Senate passed the bill last night without Pocock’s support, after the Coalition agreed to back the government’s amendments. The bill will be put to a final vote in the lower house today, while legislation to repeal the so-called ‘widow tax’ is also expected to be passed; the Coalition had previously stated that its support for the NDIS reforms was conditional on removing the controversial tax.

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Warning bells ring out as business survival rate falls to decade low

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Original article by Matthew Cranston, David Tanner
The Australian – Page: 4 : 19-Aug-26

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that there was a net increase of just 85,000 businesses nationwide in 2025-26. Some 460,000 businesses were created during the financial year, while 375,000 ceased trading. Analysis of the data shows that just 61.9 per cent of new businesses survive for at least four years; businesses in the agricultural sector have the highest four-year survival rate, at 60.2 per cent, followed by healthcare and social assistance businesses (59.2 per cent). CreditorWatch’s chief economist Ivan Colhoun notes that a lot of new businesses are sole operators, and many of them do not survive.

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AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, CREDITOR WATCH PTY LTD

More than 2.6 million Australians will be living with cancer diagnosis by 2050

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Original article by Melissa Cunningham
The Age – Page: 6 : 18-Aug-26

Researchers have for the first time used scientific modelling to estimate the future prevalence of cancer in Australia. Nearly 1.7 million Australians either currently have cancer or are in the post-treatment phase of the disease; the researchers have predicted that the total number of Australians living with cancer will rise by 57 per cent by 2050, to more than 2.6 million people. About 44 per cent of them are expected to have an incurable cancer that will require ongoing treatment. The study predicts that breast cancer will be the nation’s most prevalent cancer in 2050, followed by prostate, melanoma, colorectal and kidney cancer. However, the researchers have predicted that cancer survival rates will improve in the future due to factors such as earlier detection and advancements in treatments such as immunotherapy.

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Coalition and One Nation to win narrow majority in Victoria’s upper house, new Roy Morgan poll finds

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Original article by Patrick Hannaford
News24 – Page: Online : 19-Aug-26

A new SMS Roy Morgan poll shows that the Victorian government would lose six of its 15 seats in the state’s 40-seat upper house at the election in November. The Greens’ representation in the upper house is projected to fall from four seats to just two. The poll also shows that the Coalition would be unable to reach an upper house majority in its own right at the election, with the Liberal and National parties projected to win a combined 11 seats. One Nation is in turn projected to win 10 seats, which would give the Coalition a narrow two-seat majority with One Nation’s support. Meanwhile, legislation to abolish group voting tickets passed the upper house last week, which will result in the number of minor and macro parties falling dramatically; they will also no longer be able to dictate the flow of preferences.

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

Costello’s formula to fix sickly Victoria

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Original article by Anthony Galloway
The Australian – Page: 6 : 19-Aug-26

Former federal treasurer Peter Costello will address an Institute of Public Affairs summit in Melbourne today. Costello will contend that although Victoria is in a "sickly" state, its financial position is "very serious" but not "hopeless". He will urge the winner of the election in November to adopt a " back-to-basics" approach to government, with a focus on core responsibilities such as roads, policing, schools, hospitals and affordable energy. Costello will also state that it will take at least several four-year terms in government to fix Victoria’s problems, and budget repair must be a priority for the next state government.

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INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS LIMITED

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence up 1.5pts to 76.5 – highest rating since early March after RBA leaves rates unchanged

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 19-Aug-26

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence rose 1.5pts to 76.5 in the week to 16 August; Consumer Confidence is still 12.9pts lower than a year ago (89.4), although it now 4.4pts above the 2026 weekly average of 72.1. Analysis by State shows a consistent theme, with Consumer Confidence increasing in all five mainland States. Now 18% of Australians (up 2ppts) say their families are ‘better off’ financially than this time last year, while 49% (down 2ppts) say their families are ‘worse off’. Looking forward, 25% (up 2ppts) of respondents expect their family to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year, while 36% (down 4ppts) expect to be ‘worse off’. Only 6% (down 1ppt) of respondents expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months, while 38% (up 1ppt) expect ‘bad times’. Meanwhile, 17% (down 2ppts) of Australians say now is a ‘good time to buy’ major household items, while 41% (down 3ppts) say now is a ‘bad time to buy’.

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

Roy Morgan New Zealand Poll: In July National-led Government leads Labour-led Parliamentary Opposition (49% vs. 41%)

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 5-Aug-26

Roy Morgan’s New Zealand Poll for July 2026 shows that support for the National-led Government (National, ACT & NZ First) is down 2% to 49%, but still with a clear lead over the Labour-Greens-Maori Party Parliamentary Opposition (down 1% to 41%). Amongst the Government support for National increased 1% to 32%, although support for New Zealand First was down 2% to 8.5% (the lowest level of support for New Zealand First so far this year), and support for ACT was down 1% to 8.5%. For the Parliamentary Opposition, support for Labour was unchanged at 25.5%, support for the Greens was unchanged at 13.5%, and support for the Maori Party fell by 1% to 2%. A further 10% (up 3%) of electors supported a minor party outside Parliament (the highest level of support for parties not represented in Parliament since the last election). The survey results for July would lead to the National-led Government winning 59 seats (down nine seats from the election), while the Labour-led Parliamentary Opposition would win 51 seats (down four seats). 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 881 electors from 29 June to 26 July. Meanwhile, the Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating fell 3 points to 85 in July.

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

Arson attack an act of terrorism

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 2 : 5-Aug-26

A multi-agency law enforcement team has confirmed that an arson attack on defence manufacturer Lovitt Technologies in July 2025 is being treated as an act of terrorism. Victoria’s Joint Counter Terrorism Team says it is investigating whether the perpetrators are "far-left extremists" with "anarchist and revolutionary ideologies"; the majority of terrorist attacks in Australia have been carried out by religiously motivated or right-wing extremists. Lovitt makes components for the F-35 stealth jet fighter, and an online video posted in the wake of the attack warned the company to "stop arming Israel or else". The JCTT includes investigators from the Australian Federal Police and Victoria Police.

CORPORATES
LOVITT TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, VICTORIA POLICE

Allan’s water bombshell: Secret Labor privatisation plan

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Original article by Anthony Galloway
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 5-Aug-26

Confidential cabinet documents show that Victoria’s Department of Treasury & Finance has been considering the privatisation of Melbourne Water since 2021. The documents also reveal that former premier Jacinta Allan and senior government ministers approved a business case in 2024 to investigate a partial sale of Melbourne Water. Reducing the state’s debt was cited as a key driver of the push to bring private investment into the water utility; however, some submissions on the proposal expressed concern about a voter backlash due to the perception that water infrastructure is a public asset. The proposal was put on hold but subsequently revived earlier this year, with the government appointing EY to examine options for privatising Melbourne Water.

CORPORATES
MELBOURNE WATER CORPORATION, VICTORIA. DEPT OF TREASURY AND FINANCE, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, ERNST AND YOUNG