PM urged to adopt 2035 emissions reduction target of 70pc

Original article by Greg Brown
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 7-May-25

The federal government will decide its 2035 emissions reduction target later this year, based on advice from the Climate Change Authority. However, the Labor Environment Action Network’s convener Felicity Wade says the group wants the 2035 target to be at least 70 per cent lower than 2005 emission levels. Wade adds that the environment must be a top priority for Labor’s second term in office, while LEAN wants the government’s ­nature positive laws to be legislated within 12 months. There are already doubts as to whether Labor’s 2030 emissions reduction target is achievable.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LABOR ENVIRONMENT ACTION NETWORK

ANZ-Roy Morgan Inflation Expectations increased to 5.1% in late April – up from 4.7% for the month of March

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 30-Apr-25

The weekly ANZ-Roy Morgan Inflation Expectations were 5.1% for the week of 21-27 April, up 0.4% points from the month of March, following two straight weekly increases in late April. However, a look at monthly Inflation Expectations for March shows the measure at 4.7% for the month – an increase of 0.1% points from the nearly four-year low in February of only 4.6%. Looking back over the last year, weekly Inflation Expectations have moved in a band of 4.2% to 5.3% since the start of 2024, and averaged 4.9%. The data for the Inflation Expectations series is drawn from the Roy Morgan Single Source which has interviewed an average of around 5,300 Australians aged 14+ per month over the last decade, and includes interviews with 6,093 Australians aged 14+ in March 2025.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

The Role of Trust and Distrust in the 2025 Federal Election Webinar

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 30-Apr-25

Join Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine to learn why the 2025 Federal Election will be decided by distrust rather than trust. In this compelling webinar, Michele reveals why this will be ‘The Distrust Election’: who Australians distrust more – Prime Minister Anthony Albanese or Opposition Leader Peter Dutton; how cost-of-living pressures and economic uncertainty are intensifying the political battle; the surprising politicians Australians actually trust (and why): how distrust changes voter behaviour and reshapes election outcomes; and what unexpected decision or external shock could swing the election result. Discover the reshaping of Australia’s political landscape – and what it means for Election Day. Watch the webinar on YouTube.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence drops 2.1pts to 83.4 to lowest for over six months in week before Federal election

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 30-Apr-25

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence fell 2.1pts to 83.4 in the week to 27 April. Consumer Confidence is now 2.2 points above the same week a year ago (81.1), but 2.7pts below the 2025 weekly average of 86.1. Analysis by State shows mixed results; the weekly decrease was driven by falls in Victoria and Queensland, while Consumer Confidence was virtually unchanged in New South Wales and Western Australia, and increased slightly in South Australia. Now 15% of Australians (down 1ppt) say their families are ‘better off’ financially than this time last year (the lowest figure for this indicator since June 2023), while 47% (up 1ppt) say their families are ‘worse off’. Looking forward, 26% (down 3ppts) of Australians expect their family to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year (the lowest figure for this indicator since April 2020, in the early days of the pandemic), while 30% (up 4ppts) expect to be ‘worse off’. Now 10% (unchanged) of Australians expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months, while 29% (also unchanged) expect ‘bad times’. Meanwhile, 22% (unchanged) of Australians say now is a ‘good time to buy’ major household items, while 38% (down 2ppts) say now is a ‘bad time to buy’.

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

$250bn GDP forgone on weaker growth

Original article by Matthew Cranston
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 30-Apr-25

Australia’s productivity growth has averaged just 0.2 per cent a year over the last decade. The Coalition has committed to a new productivity growth target of 1.5 per cent a year if it wins the election on Saturday. In contrast, Labor’s first budget in 2022 included the assumption that productivity growth would average 1.2 per cent over the long-term. The Coalition contends that annual GDP would be about $250bn higher if productivity had grown at this pace, while annual tax revenue would have been $50bn higher.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Albanese’s budget deficit lie challenged

Original article by Phillip Coorey, John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 30-Apr-25

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is continuing to attract scrutiny over his claims regarding the size of the budget deficit that Labor inherited in May 2022. Albanese recently responded to a report from S&P Global on the future of Australia’s triple-A credit rating by stating that the Coalition had left Labor with a $78bn deficit, which it subsequently turned into a $22bn surplus. However, the $78bn deficit was merely a Treasury forecast during the 2022 election campaign, and the final budget outcome for 2021-22 was a deficit of just $32bn. The surplus of $22bn was in fact for 2022-23, which was Labor’s first full financial year in office.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

The Final Showdown: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s last debate before the Federal Election

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 30-Apr-25

On Sunday night Channel Seven hosted the final Leaders’ Debate between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton. Roy Morgan provided the studio audience of ‘undecided voters’ to assess both leaders on key questions. The results were conclusively in favour of Albanese, who won on five out of 7 questions – and overall. Importantly, his biggest win was on the Cost of Living – 65% of the undecided voters agreed with Albanese, compared to only 16% for Dutton. The Opposition Leader performed well on two issues, winning on the issue of Defence (Dutton on 43%, just ahead of Albanese on 37%) and a clear win on Indigenous Affairs (Dutton on 46% compared to Albanese on 27%). Overall though, the verdict was clear; Albanese easily won the debate, attracting 50% support of the undecided voters compared to only 25% who said Dutton won the debate; a further 25% of the audience was still undecided. The strong result for Albanese in this debate augurs well for the Government as we head towards election day on Saturday.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Chalmers stakes future on staying AAA

Original article by Greg Brown, Matthew Cranston
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 30-Apr-25

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has downplayed concerns that Australia’s coveted ‘AAA’ credit rating may be downgraded. S&P Global has warned of this possibility due to election campaign promises and the growing use of so-called ‘off-budget’ spending. Chalmers says the federal govermment respects the global ratings agency and concedes that its "opinion matters". However, he adds that Labor’s "responsible economic management" means there would be no reason for a credit rating downgrade if it retains office on Saturday. The Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry’s CEO Andrew McKellar says the S&P report is a "wake-up call" for both of the major political parties, and that budget repair must be a priority for the next government.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, S&P GLOBAL INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

Tax warning for 130,000: Labor out to get you

Original article by Matthew Cranston
The Australian – Page: 6 : 29-Apr-25

The federal government is continuing to attract scrutiny over its plans to tax the unrealised capital gains of superannuation funds. Shadow treasurer Angus Taylor says Labor is "coming after superannuation", despite stating prior to the 2022 election that it did not plan to do so; he adds that the policy will particularly affect people such as farmers and small business owners. However, Treasurer Jim Chalmers says it is only a "modest change" that will affect a small number of people with more than $3m in their superannuation fund. Meanwhile, Wilson Asset Management chairman Geoff Wilson has expressed concern about the policy in a letter to the firm’s 130,000 investors.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, WILSON ASSET MANAGEMENT

Cultural heritage laws face overhaul

Original article by Mohammad Alfares
The Australian – Page: 9 : 29-Apr-25

Shadow Indigenous Australians minister Jacinta Nampijinpa Price says a Coalition government will overhaul the nation’s cultural heritage protection laws, and that it will introduce a "national interest test" for cultural heritage claims. Nampijinpa Price said a national register of culturally significant sites would be set up to accelerate approvals, fees and processing times for cultural heritage applications will be capped, and penalties for making false cultural heritage claims would be introduced. She accused Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek of "dropping the ball" on promised heritage reforms, saying the federal government had preferred to listen to ‘fringe groups’ rather than doing what was best for Indigenous Australians and local communities.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY, THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER