O75 Public Administration

Energy secretary backs nuclear, attacks net zero

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Colin Packham
The Australian – Page: 4 : 19-Feb-25

The Coalition’s plan to build seven nuclear power stations if it wins the upcoming federal election has received tacit support from the US Energy Secretary, Chris Wright. He has told the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship conference in London that he would love to see Australia embrace uranium, but he says the federal government will need to shrug off its ideological opposition to the energy source. Wright adds that the net zero emissions target of 2050 is a "sinister goal" that has had tremendous costs and no benefits.

CORPORATES
UNITED STATES. DEPT OF ENERGY

The one-cut wonder

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Greg Brown, Jack Quail, Sarah Ison
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 19-Feb-25

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the first official interest rate cut in more than four years will have no impact on the timing of the federal election, and that the budget is still set for 25 March. However, the Reserve Bank of Australia’s 25 basis point interest rate cut on Tuesday has provided Albanese with a trigger for an early election. RBA governor ­Michele Bullock has downplayed expectations of further interest rate relief, contending that the central bank’s board will need more evidence that inflation is falling to the middle of its 2-3 per cent target range. The RBA’s preferred measure of underlying inflation fell to 3.2 per cent in the year to December, and the central bank now expects it to fall to 2.7 per cent in June. The election must be held no later than 17 May.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

Long wait for living standards to recover

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Jack Quail, Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 19-Feb-25

The Reserve Bank of Australia now expects growth in real household disposable income of just 3.1 per cent in the year to June; it had previously forecast growth of 3.9 per cent for this metric, which is regarded as a proxy for living standards. The central bank estimates that real household disposable income per capita is about one per cent lower than prior to the pandemic. Meanwhile, shadow treasurer Angus Taylor says the federal government’s own forecasts show that the nation’s living standards will not return to the levels prior to the last election until 2030.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Small business in recession as public service thrives

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Millie Muroi
Brisbane Times – Page: Online : 18-Feb-25

Deputy Opposition leader Sussan Ley says the number of small businesses that employ people in Australia has fallen from around 953,000 to 922,000 since Labor won the federal election in May 2022. Ley adds that the nation appears to experiencing a small business recession, while the federal government has hired about one permanent public servant for every small business that is collapsing. The Coalition has flagged public service cutbacks if it wins the upcoming election, with Labor having hired an additional 36,000 public servants during its first term in office.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

In January Australian unemployment increased to 10.1% due to a growing workforce with not all new entrants finding jobs

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 18-Feb-25

In January 2025, Australian ‘real’ unemployment increased 78,000 to 1,620,000 (up 0.4% to 10.1% of the workforce) with more people looking for both part-time and full-time work. The Australian workforce increased by 297,000 to a record high of 16,115,000 with unemployment up 78,000 to 1,620,000 and employment up 219,000 to 14,495,000. The increase in unemployment was driven by rises in people looking for part-time work (up 36,000 to 837,000), and people looking for full-time work (up 42,000 to 783,000). In addition to the unemployed, a further 1.81 million Australians (11.3% of the workforce) were under-employed, i.e. working part-time but looking for more work, up 137,000 from December – a new record high level of under-employment. In total 3.43 million Australians (21.4% of the workforce) were either unemployed or under-employed in January – the highest combined figure since June 2020.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Cost hit for health: bulk billing going backwards in every seat since ALP came to power

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Noah Yim
The Australian – Page: 5 : 18-Feb-25

Analysis of data from the Department of Health shows that the national bulk-billing rate for general practitioners fell to 77.3 per cent in 2023-24, compared with 88.3 per cent in 2021-22. It equates to a decline of about 40 million bulk-billed GP visits over this period. Shadow health Anne Ruston says it is particularly concerning that bulk-billing rates have declined in all federal electorates since Labor took office in May 2022; she adds that many Australians simply cannot afford to see a doctor. Health Minister Mark Butler contends that Labor’s record investment in Medicare resulted in an additional six million bulk-billed GP visits between November 2023 and December 2024.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH AND AGED CARE

Gender on the cards for census

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Stephen Lunn
The Australian – Page: 6 : 18-Feb-25

The Australian Bureau of Statistics has advised that the 2026 census will see people asked their "sex recorded at birth" for the first time. The change to how the census asks people about their sex at birth is intended to distinguish it from new questions on gender and sexual orientation. Other changes to the census in 2026 will include counting the number of children who are home-schooled and increasing the the number of ancestries collected from two to four, so as to get a better understanding of cultural diversity.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS

Roy Morgan Poll: Federal vote unchanged; Coalition 51.5% cf. ALP 48.5%

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 18-Feb-25

If a Federal Election were held now the result would be a hung parliament, with the Coalition on 51.5% (unchanged) just ahead of the ALP on 48.5% (also unchanged) on a two-party preferred basis. The Coalition or ALP would require the support of minor parties and independents to form a government, the latest Roy Morgan survey finds. This week primary support for both major parties decreased, with the Coalition down 1% to 39.5% and the ALP down 1% to 28%. Support for the Greens increased 1.5% to 12.5%. Support for One Nation increased 1.5% to 5.5%, support for Other Parties dropped 1.5% to 4.5% and support for Independents increased 0.5% to 10%.

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

PM, Dutton get ready to rumble – officially

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 5 : 18-Feb-25

Federal government MPs are believed to have been told to prepare for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to formally announce the date of the election sometime between 3 and 11 March. Strategists from all political parties and activist groups such as Climate 200 now anticipate an election on either 5 or 12 April, with the latter seen to be the most likely. Climate 200 will help fund candidates in 35 seats nationwide, although this includes just four seats that are currently held by Labor. Meanwhile, history may be against Opposition leader Peter Dutton, given that no federal government has lost office after only one term since 1931.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, CLIMATE 200 PTY LTD, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

ALP’s Michele bollocking: cut rates now

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Greg Brown, Jack Quail
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 18-Feb-25

Labor MP Mike Freelander says the Reserve Bank of Australia should reduce the cash rate by 50 basis points at its board meeting today. He is among a number of Labor backbenchers who have urged the RBA to ease monetary policy, even though Treasurer Jim Chalmers has told government MPs to avoid publicly commenting on the issue. Opposition leader Peter Dutton favours a rate cut, arguing that families need interest rates relief after 12 increases under the current government. However, EQ Economics’ chief economist Warren Hogan says the case for a rate cut is pretty weak at present, and the RBA should leave the cash rate on hold.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, EQ ECONOMICS PTY LTD