Victoria’s vaccine passport too easy to forge, says academic

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Clay Lucas
The Age – Page: Online : 12-Oct-21

The trial of a COVID-19 vaccine passport commenced in six local government areas in regional Victoria on 11 October. Cryptography expert Professor Vanessa Teague from the Australian National University has expressed concern that the vaccine passport is easy to forge and argues that it should not be linked to the QR code check-in system; she notes that the latter is highly invasive and already collects too much data on users. Victoria reported 1,612 new locally-acquired COVID-19 cases on Monday, plus another eight deaths from the current outbreak. About 59 per cent of Victorian adults are now fully vaccinated, putting the state on track to achieve the 70 per cent target for reopening the economy up to a week ahead of schedule.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

Next freedom day in NSW set for October 25

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Mary Ward
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: Online : 12-Oct-21

Some 74 per cent of New South Wales residents aged 16+ are now fully vaccinated. Based on current rates of vaccination the state should reach the 80 per cent target in just over a week. This would allow the next easing of COVID-19 restrictions in Sydney to occur on 25 October, in line with the state’s reopening roadmap. Premier Dominic Perrottet says the government is unlikely to bring forward this date after refusing to bring forward the first ‘freedom day’ despite reaching the 70 per cent vaccination milestone ahead of schedule. NSW reported 498 new locally-acquired COVID-19 cases and eight additional deaths on Monday.

CORPORATES
NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

Inflation Expectations up 0.2% points to 4.5% in September; highest for three years since October 2018

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 12-Oct-21

In September 2021, Australians expected inflation of 4.5% annually over the next two years, up 0.2% points and the highest Inflation Expectations since October 2018. Inflation Expectations are now 1.2% points higher than a year ago (3.3%). Inflation Expectations are still 0.2% points below their long-term average of 4.7%, but a full 1% point higher than the record low 2020 monthly average of 3.5%. A look at Inflation Expectations by Generations shows that there is now agreement between people of different ages about how much prices are set to rise. Inflation Expectations have increased across the board but have increased most rapidly for Australians aged under 60 – led by Millennials – up 1.6% points from a year ago to 4.5% in September. Generation X, now aged from 45-60, have the highest Inflation Expectations at 4.6% in September, an increase of 1.3% points from a year ago. The Inflation Expectations of Generation Z have also increased significantly, up 1.2% points to 4.5% – matching the increase of Australians overall. Although Inflation Expectations for Baby Boomers are in line with the national average at 4.5% this is an increase of only 0.7% points from a year ago while older Australians, aged 75+, the Pre-Boomers, now have the lowest Inflation Expectations at 4.2%, up only 0.6% points from a year ago. On a State-based level Inflation Expectations are highest and well above the national average in Tasmania at 5.1%. Inflation Expectations are above the national average in New South Wales at 4.7%.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Movement in the Sydney CBD at only 17% of pre-pandemic levels before Greater Sydney prepared to leave lockdown

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 12-Oct-21

A special analysis of movement data in Australia’s Capital City CBDs since the COVID-19 pandemic began shows that movement in the Sydney CBD and Melbourne CBD was at only 17% of pre-pandemic levels in early October, just before the lockdown of Greater Sydney was set to end. The average 7-day movement level in the Sydney CBD hit a low of 8% of pre-pandemic levels in late July and have slowly increased since then as restrictions have been eased as vaccination rates have increased rapidly. Late last week NSW hit a mark of 70% of the population aged 16+ being fully vaccinated, which is the mark that was set for the ending of the lockdown of Greater Sydney this week. Average movement levels in the Melbourne CBD have tracked closely with those in the Sydney CBD over the last two months since Greater Melbourne entered its record sixth lockdown in early August. However, full vaccination rates in Victoria are at under 60%, well behind those in NSW, and Greater Melbourne is not set to end its current lockdown until the last week of October. The movement levels in other Capital City CBDs have increased over the last few weeks as Australia emerged from Winter. Once again it is the Adelaide CBD which has average movement levels closest to pre-pandemic ‘normal’ at 74%, just ahead of the Perth CBD at 73% of pre-pandemic averages. Notably, this is the highest level of movement in the Perth CBD for nearly six months. Roy Morgan has partnered with leading technology innovator UberMedia to aggregate data from tens of thousands of mobile devices to assess the movements of Australians as we deal with the restrictions imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, UBERMEDIA

Star loses $1b in value as probe widens

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Lucas Baird
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 20 : 12-Oct-21

Shares in Star Entertainment fell by 22.9 per cent on 11 October, following the publication of allegations that it allowed money laundering and infiltration by organised crime figures at its Gold Coast and Sydney casinos. NSW Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority chairman Philip Crawford said it would investigate the allegations, but that it would do so in private, claiming that the logistical and cost challenges were too great for the Authority to facilitate a public hearing. Shareholder and gambling-reform activist Stephen Mayne claims the allegations against Star show the need for a national casino regulator, a view shared by Independent federal MP Andrew Wilkie.

CORPORATES
THE STAR ENTERTAINMENT GROUP LIMITED – ASX SGR, NEW SOUTH WALES. INDEPENDENT LIQUOR AND GAMING AUTHORITY

CBA tops complaint list for third straight year

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Michael Read
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 12-Oct-21

Data from the Australian Financial Complaints Authority shows that it received a total of 67,613 complaints from customers of financial services providers in 2020-21. This follows a record 76,874 complaints in the previous financial year. About 25 per cent of all complaints were about the nation’s four major banks, with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia topping the list with 5,815 complaints. A CBA spokesman says the number of complaints it received fell by 11 per cent in 2020-21, while it resolved almost two-thirds of complaints without needing to refer them to the ACFA.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL COMPLAINTS AUTHORITY, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA

Social media’s self-policing plan laughable

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Paul Smith, Miranda Ward
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 21 & 23 : 12-Oct-21

Public interest groups have dismissed DIGI’s plans to establish an independent panel to oversee the voluntary code of conduct governing misinformation and disinformation that appears on the platforms of technology companies such as Facebook and Google. Dhakshayini Sooriyakumaran of Reset Australia says DIGI’s code is little more than a public relations stunt, and she contends that self-regulation of the sector does not work.

CORPORATES
DIGI, FACEBOOK AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, GOOGLE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, RESET AUSTRALIA

Andrews loses fourth minister to branch stacking scandal

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Sumeyya Ilanbey
The Age – Page: Online : 12-Oct-21

Luke Donnellan resigned as Victoria’s Aged Care Minister on the first day of an Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission inquiry, after he was named as being part of a Labor branch-stacking operation led by former minister Adem Somyurek. Donnellan is the fourth member of the state government to have resigned in connection to the branch-stacking scandal; Somyurek, Marlene Kairouz and Robin Scott were forced to resign in 2020 after the media exposed the scandal.

CORPORATES
VICTORIA. INDEPENDENT BROAD-BASED ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Investors pump billions into new companies as listings soar

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Richard Henderson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 28 : 12-Oct-21

Data from Refinitiv shows that 121 companies have listed on the Australian sharemarket so far in 2021, compared with just 84 new listings in 2020. It is the highest level of listing activity since 2007, when 136 companies debuted on the local bourse. Some $6.7bn has been raised via IPOs during 2021, while the proposed floats of Judo Bank and GQG Partners would boost this by around $2bn. IPO activity was subdued earlier in the year, following the fallout from the ill-fated float of Nuix in late 2020.

CORPORATES
REFINITIV AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, JUDO BANK PTY LTD, GQG PARTNERS INCORPORATED – ASX GQG, NUIX LIMITED – ASX NXL

Myer has the right stuff to lead revival

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Eli Greenblat
The Australian – Page: 15 : 6-Oct-21

Myer Holdings’ chair JoAnne Stephenson has urged shareholders to vote against any motion to spill the department store group’s board of directors. There has been speculation that major shareholder Premier Investments will push for board renewal at Myer’s annual general meeting on 4 November. Stephenson was officially appointed as chair on 16 September, having been in the role on a temporary basis since predecessor Garry Hounsell stepped down in 2020. Stephenson says Myer’s board has an appropriate mix of skills, experience, diversity and independence.

CORPORATES
MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, PREMIER INVESTMENTS LIMITED – ASX PMV