Each morning we post a selection of our favourite news stories from the day’s news. These posts also give you a chance to see how we can summarise news for you.
Audit office to take a look after Labor accused of sports rorts pork-barrelling
Original article by Rob Harris, Paul Sakkal
The Age – Page: Online : 9-Sep-26
The Australian National Audit Office will examine the allocation of funding via the federal government’s Major and Local Community Infrastructure Program. Auditor-General Caralee McLiesh says it will then decide whether to undertake a full audit of the "invitation-only" $560m scheme, which was established prior to the 2025 federal election with the aim of funding community projects. Analysis by the Centre for Public Integrity has found that 73.2 per cent of the program’s funding was allocated to safe Labor seats and marginal electorates that Labor wanted to win. It has also been revealed that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese failed to declare an honorary membership of the Marrickville Golf Club on his parliamentary register of interests; the club was promised a $6m grant via the infrastructure program. The ANAO will also decide whether to audit a $170m government program for multicultural communities; about 85 per cent of funding was allocated to Labor-held seats.
CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL AUDIT OFFICE, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE AUDITOR-GENERAL, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET
No east coast gas crisis: Santos
Original article by Colin Packham
The Australian – Page: 13 & 19 : 9-Sep-26
Santos CEO Kevin Gallagher will address the National Press Club in Canberra today; he will use the speech to contend that Australia’s east coast is not facing an imminent gas crisis and that it will have adequate supplies until at least 2030. He will also reject claims that Queensland’s LNG export industry has caused supply issues for the east coast market. Gallagher will in turn urge the federal government to make changes to its proposed domestic gas reservation scheme, arguing that the "must sell" clause on reserved gas should be replaced by an obligation for producers to offer gas to the domestic market on commercial terms.
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SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO
RBA sees housing slump but no recession
Original article by John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 24 & 26 : 9-Sep-26
Bond traders now consider the chances of an official interest rate rise in September to be about 70 per cent. The Reserve Bank of Australia’s assistant governor Sarah Hunter has told a property summit that the central bank is still concerned about inflation, and its monetary policy board could increase the cash rate later this month. Hunter also said that the downturn in the housing market is hurting the broader economy, and it will result in lower dwelling construction activity in 2027 and 2028. However, she has rejected concerns that the housing market downturn will trigger a recession.
CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA
National tax grab up 60pc since Covid
Original article by Matthew Cranston, David Tanner
The Australian – Page: 4 : 9-Sep-26
Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that the combined tax revenue of the nation’s federal, state and local governments has risen to $893bn a year. This is 61 per cent higher than at the onset of the pandemic, including growth of seven per cent in 2025-26. Stamp duty revenue has increased by 112 per cent over the last six years, while personal income tax revenue is up 63.8 per cent and the corporate tax take has risen by 70 per cent. Corinna Economic Advisory economist Saul Eslake notes that Australia has recorded GDP growth just 47 per cent over the same period.
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AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, CORINNA ECONOMIC ADVISORY PTY LTD
Roy Morgan Business Confidence up 3.1pts to 79.1; driven by a jump of 16.7pts in Victoria after Premier Allan resigns
Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 9-Sep-26
In August 2026, Roy Morgan Business Confidence increased by 3.1 points to 79.1; it was a record fifth straight month below the mark of 80, and just above the all-time record low reached in July. Business Confidence is down 19.5 points from a year ago; it fell in five out of the six States, and was below 80 in four States. The surprising exception was Victoria, with Business Confidence of 92.4pts in August – just three months before the State Election, and virtually unchanged on a year ago (up 0.2pts). Meanwhile, 27.2% (up 8.5ppts) of respondents say their business is ‘better off’ financially than a year ago, while 45.3% (down 3ppts) say the business is ‘worse off’. Only 33.2% (up 4.1ppts) of respondents expect the business to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year, while 31.8% (down 1ppt) expect the business to be ‘worse off’. Some 31.8% (up 6.3ppts) of respondents say the next 12 months will be a ‘good time to invest’ in growing the business, while 48.2% (up 0.2ppts) say the next 12 months will be a ‘bad time to invest’.
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ROY MORGAN LIMITED
ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence drops 3pts to 71.9 in early September, lowest rating since late July
Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 9-Sep-26
ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence fell 3pts to 71.9 in the week to 6 September; it was the second straight weekly fall after the ABS announced higher-than-expected official inflation for July. Consumer Confidence is now 17.4pts lower than a year ago (89.3), and 0.5pts below the 2026 weekly average of 72.4. Analysis by State shows that Consumer Confidence has decreased in New South Wales, Victoria, and Western Australia for a second straight week, while it is down in Queensland but up slightly in South Australia. Now just 14% of Australians (down 4ppts) say their families are ‘better off’ financially than this time last year, while 54% (up 4ppts) say their families are ‘worse off’. Looking forward, 22% (down 1ppt) of respondents expect their family to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year, while 41% (up 1ppt) expect to be ‘worse off’. Only 5% (down 2ppts) of respondents expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months, while 39% (down 1ppt) expect ‘bad times’. Meanwhile, only 16% (down 4ppts) of Australians say now is a ‘good time to buy’ major household items, while 41% (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
Japan-China the ultimate flashpoint from Xi’s Taiwan ambitions
Original article by Joe Kelly, Dennis Shanahan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 9-Sep-26
China’s President Xi Jinping has repeatedly made it clear that the reunification of Taiwan is a priority. However, former federal bureaucrat Michael Thawley says the key issue for both Australia and the US is not whether China will invade Taiwan but whether China will attack Japan if the latter decides to support Taiwan in the event of a conflict. Thawley was Australia’s ambassador to the US at the time of the 11 September terrorist attacks in 2001. Tom Schieffer, who was America’s ambassador to Australia at the time, says the two nations must prepare for an even more aggressive China. He adds that the AUKUS defence alliance will change the "strategic balance" in the Pacific region.
CORPORATES
In mid-2026 over 2.5 million New Zealanders read newspapers and more than 1.6 million read magazines
Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 9-Sep-26
Roy Morgan’s readership results for the 12 months to June 2026 show that 57.4% of New Zealanders aged 14+ (an estimated 2.52 million people), now read or access newspapers in an average 7-day period via print or online (website or app) platforms. In addition, 37.6% (an estimated 1.66 million) read magazines, whether in print or online. The New Zealand Herald was the nation’s most widely read publication in the year to June, with a total cross-platform audience of 1,742,000; this is more than four times the audience of any other newspaper. Meanwhile, 23 of the 45 magazines measured increased their print readership during the year to June; New Zealand’s most widely read magazine is still the driving magazine AA Directions, which now has an average issue readership of 397,000 (almost 200,000 ahead of any other magazine). These are the latest findings from the Roy Morgan New Zealand Single Source survey of 6,410 New Zealanders aged 14+ over the 12 months to June.
CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED
BHP fails to end pay dispute
Original article by Nick Evans, Valerina Changarathil
The Australian – Page: 15 : 9-Sep-26
BHP has held further talks with a coalition of unions that represent workers at its Port Hedland iron ore hub in the Pilbara. However, BHP failed to reach a deal with the unions, despite offering a pay rise of 17 per cent over four years (one per cent higher than its previous offer), an increase in roster allowances and a $25,000 cash ‘transition payment’ over the first two years of a new enterprise agreement. BHP’s Port Hedland workers have already taken industrial action twice in recent months, although no further industrial action is believed to be planned at this stage. Meanwhile, there have been reports that China Mineral Resources Group has directed some steel mills to put iron ore purchases from Rio Tinto on hold, in a similar pricing dispute to the one that BHP resolved earlier this year.
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BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP
National Football League comes to Melbourne and millions of Australians are likely to be watching
Original article by By Michele Levine, Roy Morgan CEO
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 9-Sep-26
If you’re in Melbourne this week, you’ll have noticed an influx of Americans for the NFL season opener between the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams. Roy Morgan’s latest data on sporting viewership shows why the Americans are here – with almost 1.2 million Australians watching American Football regularly or occasionally – and nearly four-fifths (940,000) are men compared to only one-fifth (240,000) being women. By age, Millennials are the biggest audience – numbering 320,000, just ahead of Generation X (310,000), and Baby Boomers (280,000). In addition to those likely to watch, a further 4.5 million Australians are willing to watch if someone else in the household is watching – almost 20% of Australians. In addition, around 400,000 Australians already bet on American Football – and this is even more heavily skewed to men (340,000) over women (60,000).
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ROY MORGAN LIMITED, NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS, LOS ANGELES RAMS
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