Break their funding: McKenzie calls for penalties on universities that teach white guilt

Original article by David Crowe
The Age – Page: Online : 24-Jun-26

National Party senator Bridget McKenzie has used a speech in London to argue that social factors – including respect for ‘Australian values’ – should be a key criteria in determining the migrant intake. McKenzie said that Australia has become "addicted" to immigration, and she argued that this carries a social cost if it does not deliver a fair outcome for families. She contended that Australia needs to curb the number of fee-paying international students, given their growing share of the nation’s population. McKenzie also called for an overhaul of the funding model for universities, particularly ones that teach students doctrines such as ‘white guilt’ and ‘climate catastrophe’. McKenzie is a former maths teacher and university lecturer.

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NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Australians hold some of the least favourable views of US, Trump

Original article by Michael Koziol
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: Online : 24-Jun-26

A global survey undertaken by the Pew Research Centre has found that 76 per cent of Australians now have an unfavourable opinion of the US. Other countries that have an unfavourable view of the US include France (70 of respondents), Canada (66 per cent) and the UK (58 per cent). Meanwhile, just 37 per cent of Australians now rate the US as a reliable partner, compared with 79 per cent in 2022, while 82 per cent of Australians said they have no confidence in President Donald Trump to do the right thing in world affairs. The researchers note that most of the interviews in 36 countries were conducted after the Iran war began on 28 February.

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PEW RESEARCH CENTER FOR THE PEOPLE AND THE PRESS, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Labor-Greens deal clips the wings of SMSFs

Original article by Anthony Keane, Noah Yim, Cliona O’Dowd
The Australian – Page: 4 : 24-Jun-26

Treasurer Jim Chalmers estimates that changes to the rules governing the purchase of residential properties via self-managed superannuation funds will boost government revenue by about $50m over four years. Labor has agreed to scrap the limited recourse borrowing arrangements for SMSFs in return for the Greens’ support for its budget tax reform legislation in the Senate; Chalmers contends that this will only affect "a very small part" of the housing market. However, economists and financial advisers contend that the changes will make SMSFs less attractive and result in fewer new ones being established, while boosting demand for industry super funds.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

ANZ-Roy Morgan Inflation Expectations were at 5.8% in late June – down 0.5% points from the month of May

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 24-Jun-26

The weekly ANZ-Roy Morgan Inflation Expectations declined sharply in the month of May 2026, and have continued this downward trend so far during June; Inflation Expectations are at 5.8% for the week of 15-21 June, down 0.5% points from the month of May. The latest weekly reading is now below the average for Inflation Expectations over the first 24 weeks of 2026 of 6.1%. A look at monthly Inflation Expectations for May shows the measure at 6.3% for the month – down 0.7% points from the prior month of April, returning to its level in March (also 6.3%). Inflation Expectations spiked to a record weekly high of 7.3% (23-29 March) and record monthly high of 7% for April, following the US and Israel attack on Iran, but have dropped significantly over the last two months as a ceasefire was called. 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 4,104 Australians aged 14+ in May 2026.

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

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence up 2.1pts to 72.8 driven by more people saying good time to buy major household items

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 24-Jun-26

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence rose 2.1pts to 72.8 in in the week to 21 June, its highest rating since early March. Consumer Confidence is still 13.9pts lower than a year ago (86.7), but 1.6pts above the 2026 weekly average of 71.2. Analysis by State shows that Consumer Confidence increased in New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia, was unchanged in South Australia, and down in Victoria. Now just 16% of Australians (down 1ppt) say their families are ‘better off’ financially than this time last year, while 53% (down 1ppt) say their families are ‘worse off’. Looking forward, 22% (up 1ppt) of respondents expect their family to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year, while 43% (unchanged) expect to be ‘worse off’. Only 6% (unchanged) of respondents expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months, while 42% (down 4ppts) expect ‘bad times’. Meanwhile, 22% (up 3ppts) of Australians say now is a ‘good time to buy’ major household items, while 42% (down 2ppts) say now is a ‘bad time to buy’.

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

New One Nation MP David Farley sides with teals and Greens

Original article by Brittany Busch, Nick Newling
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: Online : 24-Jun-26

The House of Representatives has voted against an amendment to the fuel tax credit scheme that was proposed by independent MP Nicolette Boele. She sought to cap the annual rebate for mining companies at $50m and an "orderly phase-out" of fuels that are eligible under the scheme. The amendment was supported by the Greens, Teal MPs and One Nation’s recently-elected MP for Farrer, David Farley; however, both Labor and the Coalition voted against it. Meanwhile, Farley has responded to comments made by One Nation leader Pauline Hanson on the need for Australia to be a "monoculture". He contended that the nation is multicultured, multiracial and multifaith; however, he agreed that migrants must "blend in" by "acting Australian".

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ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Labor predicts budget backlash will fade

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 24-Jun-26

The federal government has secured the Greens’ support for its capital gains tax and negative gearing reforms in the Senate, in return for several concessions. Self-managed superannuation funds will be banned from borrowing to buy residential properties, while the government has agreed to extend a Senate inquiry into its National Disability Insurance Scheme reform bill for eight weeks; delaying the passage of the NDIS legislation until mid-August is expected to cost the budget hundreds of millions of dollars, given that the reforms were intended to start on 1 July. Finance Minister Katy Gallagher believes that the general public’s concerns about the tax reforms will quickly abate.

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AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE

Pressure to stagger fuel excise increase

Original article by Matthew Denholm
The Australian – Page: 5 : 17-Jun-26

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has indicated that the federal government will make a decision on extending the fuel excise reduction next week. The temporary halving of the excise to $0.263 per litre is slated to end on 30 June, and the Australian Trucking Association has called for the full tax to be phased in over three months to avoid a sudden spike in petrol prices. The Australasian Convenience and Petroleum Marketers Association and the ServoPro industry body for independent service station operators also favour reinstating the full tax over a period of time.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN TRUCKING ASSOCIATION LIMITED, AUSTRALASIAN CONVENIENCE AND PETROLEUM MARKETERS ASSOCIATION, SERVPRO

KPMG referred to national anti-Corruption watchdog

Original article by David Ross
The Australian – Page: 13 & 19 : 17-Jun-26

Greens senator Barbara Pocock has referred KPMG to the National Anti-Corruption Commission in response to the accounting firm’s audit scandal. Pocock is concerned that KPMG may have breached the Commonwealth Supplier Code of Conduct, while she contends that a temporary ban on new public contracts is inadequate. The three-month ban does not apply to extensions on existing contracts; KPMG holds some $653m worth of public contracts with the federal government. Pocock is a vocal critic of the nation’s four major accounting firms.

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KPMG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. NATIONAL ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Strategy of the rebellion: Joyce to take on Chalmers

Original article by Sarah Ison, Greg Brown
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 17-Jun-26

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson will make her first National Press Club speech today, as the increasingly popular party prepares to allocate portfolios to its team of six MPs and senators. Former deputy prime minister and National Party defector Barnaby Joyce expects to be given the treasury portfolio; Joyce contends that he is best suited to take on Treasurer Jim Chalmers, given that he is a former accountant and served on the expenditure review committee when the Coalition was in office. Meanwhile, independent economist Saul Eslake has called for One Nation have its policies costed by the Parliamentary Budget Office; he says the party’s cost-of-living measures would not help to reduce the underlying inflation rate.

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ONE NATION PARTY, NATIONAL PRESS CLUB (AUSTRALIA), NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. PARLIAMENTARY BUDGET OFFICE