O75 Public Administration

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence drops 4.4 points to 71.2 – lowest rating since mid-June

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 29-Jul-26

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence fell 4.4 points to 71.2 in the week to 26 July; Consumer Confidence is now 15.5pts lower than a year ago (86.7), and 0.6pts below the 2026 weekly average of 71.8. Analysis by State shows that Consumer Confidence has fallen in the five mainland States of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia. Now 16% of Australians (down 1ppt) say their families are ‘better off’ financially than this time last year, while 52% (up 1ppt) say their families are ‘worse off’. Looking forward, 20% (down 2ppts) of respondents expect their family to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year, while 43% (up 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 41% (up 2ppts) expect ‘bad times’. Meanwhile, just 17% (down 3ppts) of Australians say now is a ‘good time to buy’ major household items, while 44% (up 4ppts) say now is a ‘bad time to buy’.

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

How Ben Carroll became premier – and the monumental task ahead

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Original article by Kieran Rooney, Patrick Hatch, Angus Delaney
The Age – Page: Online : 29-Jul-26

Sources have indicated that Victoria’s former premier Jacinta Allan does not intend to contest the state election in November, after resigning ahead of a partyroom meeting yesterday. Allan says she is confident that she would have fended off a leadership challenge but decided to step down to avoid a drawn-out ballot just four months before the election. Ben Carroll was sworn in as Victoria’s 50th Premier later in the day, after Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny withdrew from the leadership race. Carroll used his first press conference to announce that establishing a royal commission into the construction industry will be his first priority. He will also consider potential changes to the controversial Suburban Rail Loop project. Gabrielle Williams will succeed Carroll as the state’s Deputy Premier.

CORPORATES
VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

ACTU leaders to step down this year

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 28-Jul-26

ACTU secretary Sally McManus will step down in August, while president Michele O’Neil will retire at the end of the year. McManus and O’Neil were elected in 2017 and 2018 respectively, and the two are the longest serving ACTU leadership team since 1969. The ACTU has secured 47 new workers’ rights under their leadership, and they have been credited with the announcement last week by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s that a specialist industrial relations court will be resurrected; neither of the two have any interest in going into politics.

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ACTU, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Labor in thrall to Islamists and far left

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Original article by Ben Packham, Elizabeth Pike, Greg Brown
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 28-Jul-26

The Labor Friends of Israel group’s co-convenor Mike Kelly has criticised the removal of explicit references to the disarming of Hamas from Labor’s national policy platform. Kelly says the changes that were endorsed at Labor’s national conference underline the "unholy alliance" between the ultra-left and Islamist extremists. Former federal MP Michael Danby in turn contends that Labor has been "hijacked" by extremists; he adds that the far left and Islamists have been allowed to dominate Australians streets since the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel in October 2023. However, Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Labor MP Josh Burns have expressed support for the policy platform changes.

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AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE

Labor refuses to rule out taxpayer-funded housing for ISIS brides after insisting no assistance would be provided

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Original article by Oscar Godsell, Laurence Karacsony
News24 – Page: Online : 28-Jul-26

The Department of Home Affairs has failed to clarify if the ISIS brides have been provided with housing since their return to Australia or whether they will be entitled to government-funded accommodation in the future. Questions on the issue have been referred to state and territory authorities, which have stated that they ae not in a position to comment. Meanwhile, former Australian Federal Police detective David Craig says the government is likely to provide the Jihadist women and their children with housing; he adds that they should be subject to control orders, including curfews, access to a limited number of electronic devices and restrictions in who they are permitted to associate with.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE

Libs face fresh confusion over possible One Nation coalition

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Original article by Paul Sakkal
The Age – Page: Online : 28-Jul-26

Federal opposition leader Angus Taylor has dismissed a suggestion that the Liberal Party should consider joining forces with One Nation after the next election to form a governing majority. The suggestion came from Coalition housing spokesman Andrew Bragg, who said on Monday that if there is a chance of forming a government to defeat the "communist Labor" one, then the possibility should be considered. Coalition frontbencher James Paterson said he would be "surprised if Andrew Bragg is advocating for a coalition with One Nation", with Bragg’s comments coming as Labor steps up its arguments that a vote for the Coalition is effectively a vote for Pauline Hanson

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, ONE NATION PARTY

ALP maintains election-winning lead; One Nation overtake the L-NP Coalition on primary vote

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 28-Jul-26

This week ALP primary support is unchanged at 27.5%, One Nation up 3% to 25.5%, L-NP Coalition, down 1% to 22% – Liberals 18.5% (down 2%) and Nationals 3.5% (up 1%), Greens unchanged at 14%, and Independents/ Other Parties down 2% to 11%. If a Federal Election were held now the ALP would win a majority against either One Nation or the L-NP Coalition. When preferences are allocated for Coalition, Greens, Independent, and Other Party supporters between the ALP and One Nation, Roy Morgan estimates the ALP 53.5% (down 1.5%) in front of One Nation 46.5% (up 1.5%). If the contest is between the ALP and L-NP, on a two-party preferred basis (based on how electors said they’d ‘vote’ their preferences), the ALP is also ahead – ALP 54% (down 2%) cf. L-NP 46% (up 2%) according to the Roy Morgan Poll conducted from 20-26 July, with a representative Australia-wide cross-section of 1,643 electors.

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

Three-storey new houses should be the norm: PC

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Original article by Michael Read, Michael Bleby
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 28-Jul-26

A report to be released by the Productivity Commission today will propose measures aimed at boosting the supply of new housing. Amongst other things, the report will recommend a reduction in the minimum size of housing lots and encouraging developers to build upwards by allowing three-storey homes in most residential areas. Meanwhile, the Productivity Commission notes that it now takes the average family 11 years to save for a housing deposit of 20 per cent, compared with just eight years in 2005.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION

PM moves to shore up fuel security

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Original article by Geoff Chambers, Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 28-Jul-26

The federal and Western Australian governments will jointly finance a $4m pre-feasibility study into the construction of an oil refinery. The proposed refinery would be built by Perdaman in WA and would be the first new one in Australia since the 1960s. The push to boost the nation’s fuel security has coincided with the Treasury’s warning that the conflict in the Middle East is making the oil market more vulnerable; the Treasury has also cautioned that crude oil prices are likely to remain elevated in the near-term and could rise further if the war continues. Meanwhile, Opposition leader Angus Taylor has stated that the Coalition would support any new fuel relief measures, provided that they are not inflationary; the current fuel excise cut will end on 2 August.

CORPORATES
PERDAMAN GROUP, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Turmoil as ALP Jacintagrates

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Original article by Shannon Deery, Matt Johnston, Ryan Bourke
Herald Sun – Page: 4 & 5 : 28-Jul-26

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan is expected to face a leadership spill at Labor’s partyroom meeting at 10am this morning. Deputy Premier Ben Carroll has confirmed via social media that he intends to pursue a leadership challenge, stating that Allan has clearly lost majority support in Labor’s caucus. However, Allan has advised state secretary Steve Staikos that she intends to nominate for the leadership in the event of a spill. Meanwhile, Allan demanded the resignation of six ministers and MPs – including members of both the Left and Right factions – on Monday after they urged her to step down; the members of the cross-factional delegation refused to comply with her request.

CORPORATES
VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY