Roy Morgan New Zealand Poll: Support for National-led Government and Labour-led Opposition now tied

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 1-Apr-26

Roy Morgan’s New Zealand Poll for March 2026 shows the National-led Government (National, ACT & NZ First) on 47.5%, up 1% point and effectively tied with the Labour-Greens-Maori Party Parliamentary Opposition on 48% (up 1% point). Amongst the Government support for National fell 4.5% to 26.5% (its lowest level of support since National was elected to Government in late 2023), support for NZ First was up 1.5% to 11% (its highest level of support since being elected to Government), and support for ACT increased by 2% to 10%. For the Parliamentary Opposition, support for Labour increased 4% points to 34%, support for the Greens dropped 3.5% points to 11%, and support for the Maori Party was up 0.5% to 3%. A further 4.5% (unchanged) of electors supported a minor party outside Parliament. The survey results for March would lead to the National-led Government winning 60 seats (down eight seats from the election) and the Labour-led Parliamentary Opposition would win 60 seats (up five seats). This latest New Zealand Roy Morgan Poll on voting intention was conducted by telephone – both landline and mobile – with a New Zealand-wide cross-section of 872 electors from 23 February 23 to 22 March. Meanwhile, the Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating dropped 6.5 points to 78 in March

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED, MORGAN POLL, NATIONAL PARTY OF NEW ZEALAND, ACT NEW ZEALAND, NEW ZEALAND FIRST PARTY, LABOUR PARTY (NEW ZEALAND), GREEN PARTY OF AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND, THE MAORI PARTY

Seismic 40pc pay ruling set to reshape teen jobs

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 2 : 1-Apr-26

Coles, Woolworths and McDonald’s are expected to be amongst the large companies that will be affected by the Fair Work Commission’s decision to abolish junior pay rates for young adults. The landmark ruling will apply to more than 500,000 employees aged 18-20 across the fast food, retail and pharmacy sectors; they will be progressively shifted to adult wages over the four years from December, resulting in them receiving pay rises of up to 42 per cent. The Shop, Distributive & Allied Employees’ Association has likened the decision to the awarding of equal pay for women in the 1970s. However, the Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry’s CEO Andrew McKellar warns that employers in the affected sectors are likely to hire staff who are older and have more experience.

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AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, COLES GROUP LIMITED – ASX COL, WOOLWORTHS GROUP LIMITED – ASX WOW, McDONALD’S AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Labor’s draft party platform more assertive on China and omits mandatory jail term stance

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Original article by Dan Jervis-Bardy
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 1-Apr-26

The first draft of Labor’s 2026 national party platform shows that some key issues have been omitted since the last such document was prepared ahead of the 2025 election. Amongst other things, the initial draft does not include any references to carbon, capture and storage technology or Labor’s long-standing opposition to mandatory jail terms. However, it does reaffirmed Labor’s support for the AUKUS alliance and a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, while stating that Labor will continue to assert Australia’s interests in the "face of China projecting power" in the Indo-Pacific region. The new national platform will be refined before it is debated at Labor’s triennial national conference in July.

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AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Card surcharge ban to lift fees, rates

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Original article by James Eyers
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 12 & 17 : 1-Apr-26

Treasurer Jim Chalmers says the Reserve Bank of Australia’s decision to ban credit and debit card surcharges from 1 October will provide cost-of-living relief for consumers and businesses. The federal government itself had previously committed only to banning debit card surcharges. The RBA estimates that the move will save consumers about $1.6bn a year; however, Alan Machet from Visa warns that credit card fees and interest rates will rise, while the RBA has conceded that some businesses may seek to offset the abolition of surcharges by increasing their prices. The central bank has also advised that the cap on interchange fees for credit cards will be reduced to 0.3 per cent of the value of a transaction, compared with 0.8 per cent at present.

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RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, VISA INTERNATIONAL

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence down 4.3 points to 58.8 – a record low for Consumer Confidence as average retail petrol prices hit record high above $2.50 per litre

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 1-Apr-26

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence fell 4.3 points to 58.8 in the week to 29 March; it is now 26.5pts lower than a year ago (85.3), and 16.5pts below the 2026 weekly average of 75.3. This is a second consecutive record low level for Consumer Confidence in the index stretching back over 50 years since 1972, and the first time the index has ever dipped below 60. Analysis by State shows Consumer Confidence falling in all five mainland States this week. Now just 12% of Australians (down 2ppts) say their families are ‘better off’ financially than this time last year (a new record low for this indicator), while 61% (up 4ppts) say their families are ‘worse off’ (a new record high for this indicator). Looking forward, 17% (down 1ppt) of respondents expect their family to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year (a new record low for this indicator), while 51% (up 2ppts) expect to be ‘worse off’ (a new record high for this indicator). Only 4% (down 2ppts) of respondents expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months (the lowest figure for this indicator since April 2020), while 56% (up 2ppts) expect ‘bad times’ (the highest figure for this indicator since April 2020). Meanwhile, just 13% (down 1ppts) of Australians say now is a ‘good time to buy’ major household items (the lowest figure for this indicator for six years since March 2020), while 54% (down 1ppt) say now is a ‘bad time to buy’.

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

No longer a low-debt country

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Original article by Greg Brown, Matthew Cranston, Lachlan Leeming
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 1-Apr-26

Former NSW premier Mike Baird notes that Australia’s state and territory governments now account for about half of the nation’s total public debt. Baird contends that the states need to be more accountable for the nation’s growing debt; he argues that treasurers should issue a fiscal statement ahead of their annual budgets outlining the consequences of their spending decisions for the coming 10 years, rather than simply the four-year budget cycle. Meanwhile, federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers has declined to make a commitment to produce net saving in the May budget, amid growing speculation that it will feature new government spending measures in response to the oil shock and cost-of-living pressures.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Sydney and Melbourne home prices fall

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Original article by Lucy Slade
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 1-Apr-26

Data from Cotality shows that dwelling prices rose by 2.1 per cent nationallly during the first three months of 2026. The prices of homes in Sydney and Melbourne fell by 0.2 per cent and 0.6 per cent respectively in the March quarter; in contrast, Perth recorded price growth of 7.3 per cent, ahead of Brisbane with 5.1 per cent growth. ANZ Bank economist Madeline Dunk notes that there has been no growth in dwelling prices in Sydney and Melbourne since November; the prospect of further interest rate rises could put further downward pressure on both housing markets.

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COTALITY, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

Kyle and Jackie O chase ARN for twice its value

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Original article by Sam Buckingham-Jones
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 : 1-Apr-26

The market capitalisation of listed radio stations group ARN Media has fallen by more than 75 per cent over the last three years, to just $73.5m. In contrast, former KIIS FM breakfast show hosts Kyle Sandilands and Jackie Henderson are suing ARN for a combined $167m. The latter contends that she had been unfairly sacked after advising ARN that she could no longer work with Sandilands on the long-running Kyle & Jackie O Show. ARN has indicated that it will defend the claim, and says it is too soon to estimate the potential financial impact of the legal proceedings. ARN’s shares closed 19 per cent lower to $0.235 on Tuesday.

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ARN MEDIA LIMITED – ASX A1N, KIIS1065

Iron ore leverage in quest for diesel

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Original article by Brad Thompson
The Australian – Page: 17 : 1-Apr-26

The Chamber of Minerals & Energy of Western Australia’s CEO Aaron Morey says the world is now in an era of strategic competition and sovereign industrial capability. He contends that leverage matters in this environment, and Australia has the commodities that the world needs, particularly iron ore and LNG. Morey adds that it therefore makes sense for Australia to use iron ore exports as leverage to secure a supply deal with China regarding diesel fuel. Morey has also cautioned the federal government against imposing a so-called ‘windfall tax’ on the oil and gas sector; he notes that a similar tax imposed in the UK four years ago has curtailed investment in gas well drilling in the North Sea.

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THE CHAMBER OF MINERALS AND ENERGY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED

ABC slightly sweetens its pay offer to staff

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Original article by James Madden
The Australian – Page: 5 : 1-Apr-26

Jocelyn Gammie from the Community & Public Sector Union says it will recommend that members vote in favour of a revised pay offer from the ABC. The improved pay deal has also been welcomed by the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance, a week after members of the two unions staged a 24-hour strike at the public broadcaster. The ABC has proposed a pay rise of 10.5 per cent over three years, which represents an 0.5 per cent improvement on its initial offer; however, the broadcaster has removed a $1,000 bonus from the negotiating table.

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AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC SECTOR UNION, MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT AND ARTS ALLIANCE