O75 Public Administration

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence up to 108.1

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 11-Dec-19

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence rose 0.8% to 109.0 in the week ended 8 December, continuing the upward momentum of the previous week. Households’ views towards current financial conditions rose 1%, while views towards future financial conditions fell 3.9%. Consumers’ views toward current economic conditions rebounded from a four-year low, rising 3.9%; views towards future economic conditions gained 2.7%, but both remain well below average. The ‘time to buy a household item’ index gained 1.9%, building on the previous week’s gain of 5.3%, although it remains well below its long-run average. The four-week moving average of inflation expectations was down 0.1ppt to 3.9%, as the weekly reading softened to 3.9%.

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

Tourists not warned of risks

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Original article by Rachel Baxendale, Mark Schliebs, Tessa Akerman
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 11-Dec-19

New Zealand police have confirmed the death of a sixth person in the White Island volcano eruption, with fears that the death toll will rise. Three Australians are believed to be among the dead, and Prime Minister Scott Morrison has warned that more casualties are expected, with up to eight Australians still missing. Meanwhile, tour operators are under scrutiny for allowing people to explore the volcano’s crater only weeks after GNS Science upgraded the island’s seismic alert classification to level 2.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, GNS SCIENCE, NEW ZEALAND. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Business Confidence improves, up 2.4pts to 108.4 in November

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 10-Dec-19

In Australia, Business Confidence rose 2.4pts (+2.3%) to 108.4 in November 2019, according to the latest Roy Morgan Business Single Source survey. Driving the first increase since August was improving sentiment about the year ahead. Business Confidence is 5.4pts lower than it was year ago and 7pts below the long-term average of 115.4. Now 50.8% (up 9ppts) of businesses expect the business to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year, while 20.4% (virtually unchanged) expect the business to be ‘worse off’. Meanwhile, 44.8% (up 4.1ppts) of businesses expect the Australian economy to have ‘good times’ economically over the next year, while 50.8% (down 1.6ppts) expect the economy to have ‘bad times’. Some 49.0% (down 1.4ppts) of businesses say the next year will be a ‘good time to invest in growing the business’, while 37.9% (up 2.1ppts) say it will be a ‘bad time to invest’. The Roy Morgan Business Confidence results for November are based on 1,086 detailed interviews with a cross-section of Australian businesses from each State and Territory.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Labor MP pushes industry bargaining to fix IR system

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 2 : 10-Dec-19

Labor senator Tim Ayres says Australia’s long period of sustained economic growth has led to complacency with regard to industrial relations. He argues that factors such as low wages growth and the decline in enterprise bargaining means Labor needs to rethink its policy on IR. Ayres adds that Labor should consider the sector-wide bargaining model of Scandinavian countries. Former Labor leader Bill Shorten had flagged a shift to sector-wide bargaining, although employer groups warned that it would lead to the levels of industrial unrest of the 1970s.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, UNITED WORKERS UNION, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP

Leaders say fiscal stimulus is the answer

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Original article by James Thomson, Tony Boyd
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 27 : 10-Dec-19

Tax cuts and increased spending on infrastructure are among the suggestions from business leaders to help stimulate the Australian economy. Rio Tinto CEO Jean-Sebastien Jacques has urged the federal government to revive its push for corporate tax relief, while Woodside Petroleum CEO Peter Coleman has called for the introduction of an investment allowance to boost business confidence. Meanwhile, Telstra CEO Andy Penn has stressed the importance of innovation to Australia’s future economic growth.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, WOODSIDE PETROLEUM LIMITED – ASX WPL, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, COCA-COLA AMATIL LIMITED – ASX CCL, BENDIGO AND ADELAIDE BANK LIMITED – ASX BEN, ENERGYAUSTRALIA PTY LTD, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, SEEK LIMITED – ASX SEK, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Slide in wages could risk tax cuts, surplus

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Original article by Matthew Cranston
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 10-Dec-19

The Wage Price Index growth rate for 2019-20 is forecast to be 2.75 per cent, but wages increased by just 2.2 per cent in the September quarter. Westpac economist Bill Evans expects the federal government to downgrade its wage growth forecast in the mid-year budget update; he warns that this in turn may affect the size of the surplus and the Coalition’s ability to bring forward the second stage of its income tax cuts package. Evans notes that the price of iron ore is trading well above the government’s forecasts, which will help offset any revenue shortfall from slowing wages growth.

CORPORATES
WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS PTY LTD, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE

World Anti-Doping Agency bans Russia from Olympics for four years over doping scandal

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Original article by
abc.net au – Page: Online : 10-Dec-19

The World Anti-Doping Agency has imposed a four-year ban on Russia taking part in major sporting events, including the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games and the 2022 soccer World Cup in Qatar. The ban results from WADA’s finding that Russia had manipulated laboratory data in an effort to prevent drug cheats being detected. Russian athletes deemed to be ‘clean’ will be allowed to compete under a neutral flag. Russia has also been banned from bidding for, hosting or being awarded major championships.

CORPORATES
WORLD ANTI-DOPING AGENCY

Hayne rebukes directors, PM on climate risk failure

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Original article by James Fernyhough
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 9-Dec-19

Royal commissioner Kenneth Hayne says there is no excuse for inaction when it comes for the need for directors to deal with climate change risk. Hayne says it is now international expert consensus that such risk exists, and that Australia’s financial regulators are all clear that climate change represents real and measurable financial risks. Hayne was speaking at a recent gathering of business leaders, regulators and government officials that was organised by the Centre for Policy Development.

CORPORATES
CENTRE FOR POLICY DEVELOPMENT LIMITED, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, QBE INSURANCE GROUP LIMITED – ASX QBE, COLES GROUP LIMITED – ASX COL

New heart drives Morrison agenda

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Original article by Simon Benson, Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 5 : 9-Dec-19

A senior Coalition source has indicated that a streamlined Expenditure Review Committee is now the ‘heart of government’. The source claims that the federal government’s major decisions and broad economic strategies are made by the ERC, and it now comprises just six permanent members, including Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg. Meanwhile, some cabinet ministers have highlighted the extremely close relationship between Morrison and Frydenberg.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. EXPENDITURE REVIEW COMMITTEE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Wages growth Labor’s priority

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Original article by Patrick Commins
The Australian – Page: 7 : 6-Dec-19

Shadow treasurer Jim Chalmers will urge the federal government to address issues such as low wages growth, underemployment and falling productivity in its mid-year economic outlook. He will tell a Chifley Research Centre conference that the economy is not working for ordinary Australians, while warning of the dangers associated with the rise of populism. Chalmers will also emphasise the need for Labor to reengage Australians in the ‘politics of progress’ in the wake of its election defeat in May.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, CHIFLEY RESEARCH CENTRE