Activities & Achievements
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Activities & July-September 2016 Achievements July-September 2016 Highlights CEO: James Pearson This quarter we have sought to put into action the policies in our Top 10 in 10 election manifesto to improve Australia’s international competitiveness. To achieve results on these policies we are continuing our public advocacy while seeking to connect with key members of parliament. Minister for Small Business Michael McCormack MP, with Victorian Chamber CEO Mark Stone AM and Australian Chamber President Terry Wetherall Over the quarter Mr Pearson spoke prominently on behalf of in Melbourne. business, undertaking dozens of interviews across broadcast, print and digital media, writing several opinion pieces and maintaining a We welcomed to the team Jennifer Low (Acting Director of Work strong presence on social media. Health and Safety and Workers’ Compensation Policy), Jessica Wright (Media and Stakeholder Engagement Manager), Julie Chan As part of our parliamentary advocacy, we met with more than (Economic and Industry Senior Policy Adviser), Joe Doleschal- 15 ministers and shadow ministers, including Treasurer Scott Ridnell (National Policy Adviser), Gemma Sandlant (Employment, Morrison, Trade Minister Steve Ciobo, Shadow Finance Minister Jim Education and Training Policy Adviser), Lewis Hirst (Trade and Chalmers and Shadow Small Business Minister Katy Gallagher. We International Affairs Adviser) and Fen Cai (Finance Officer, on a also met representatives from crossbenchers in the Senate. maternity leave placement). We also farewelled several staff. In partnership with our state and territory chambers of commerce, we are hosting events to connect Small Business Minister Michael McCormack with small businesses across the country. We started with successful events in Launceston and Melbourne. We welcomed as new industry association members the Australian Arab Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Chiropractors’ Association of Australia, Medicines Australia, the Recruitment & Consulting Services Association and The Tax Institute, bringing our industry association membership to 68. We welcomed Visa as a new Business Leaders Council member, bringing the total number of participants to 39. Launch of the Minister McCormack event series in Launceston with the Mayor of Launceston Albert van Zetten, Minister for Small Business Michael McCormack MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business, Trade, and Red We brought members together at our General Council meeting in Tape Reduction, Roger Jaensch MP, Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Darwin, hosted with support from Chamber of Commerce Industry President Susan Parr, Australian Chamber Chief Executive James Pearson. Northern Territory. www.acci.asn.au | [email protected] | 02 6270 8000 | Twitter: @AusChamber Working for business. Working for Australia July-September 2016 Economics and Industry Director: Tim Hicks (outgoing) “We need to make it easier for the private sector, which provides jobs to four in every five The Australian Chamber has been at the forefront of public debate Australians in the workforce, to hire people.” over the Government’s economic agenda following the election. James Pearson, Australian Financial Review, August 19 We have continued to promote the importance of the company tax cut for improving Australia’s competitiveness, including through public comments, media releases and a submission to a Senate Employment, Education committee reviewing the legislation. and Training We have advocated for restraint in government spending, Director: Jenny Lambert including encouraging all parties to support the omnibus savings The Australian Chamber has been advocating policies that make it bill, which will deliver a $6.3 billion reduction in spending. easier for the Australian workforce to develop skills for the jobs of We have met with key ministers, including Treasurer Scott the future. Morrison and Finance Minister Mathias Cormann. We also met When the Department of Employment sought stakeholder input with Shadow Finance Minister Jim Chalmers and Shadow Small into the design of the Youth Jobs PaTH program to give young Business Minister Katy Gallagher. people training and internship opportunities, the Australian Chamber provided a detailed submission that aims to maximise the We are joining with Small Business Minister Michael McCormack program’s success. to visit small businesses across the country, with the support of state and territory chambers. As the new ministry and shadow ministry was announced we kept members informed of developments in this policy space and We began “Life in Business”, a series analysing statistical data developed an advocacy strategy to advance our agenda. on entrepreneurship in Australia. We met with Education and Training Minister Simon Birmingham Our quarterly Australian Chamber-Westpac Survey of and Employment Minister Michaelia Cash, as well as with Shadow Industrial Trends found that business performance rebounded Minister for Employment Services and Workforce Participation in the September quarter, reflecting strength across new orders, Ed Husic. output and overtime, and an emerging resilience in employment. We provided expert media comment on the growing trend of people working from home and the need to provide young people with more training opportunities. “No doubt our participation rate needs to be addressed, and addressed by us all. This is not simply a responsibility of Government alone.” Michael Bailey, Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry James Pearson launching the AusChamber-Westpac Survey of Industrial Trends with Andrew Hanlan, Westpac Senior Economist www.acci.asn.au | [email protected] | 02 6270 8000 | Twitter: @AusChamber Working for business. Working for Australia July-September 2016 We believe 21st century skills, beyond Work Health and Safety just literacy, numeracy and digital Director: Carolyn Davis (outgoing) and Jennifer Low (acting) literacy, will be required by individuals The Australian Chamber consulted with our members to inform our in order to succeed in this current position as an employer representative at Safe Work Australia, business environment. Such skills include the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency, the National Industrial collaboration, creativity, problem-solving, Chemicals and Notification Assessment Scheme and as a member persistence, curiosity and initiative. of the Mentally Healthy Workplace Alliance. Catherine Pham, Chamber of Commerce We wrote a joint industry letter to all work health and safety and Industry Queensland ministers around the country seeking their support to progress nationally harmonised explosives legislation. Workplace Relations We made submissions on regulations in Victoria and Western Director: Richard Calver (outgoing) and Dick Grozier (Acting) Australia as they move to align with the model work health and safety legislation. The Australian Chamber has continued its active participation in the Fair Work Commission’s Four-yearly Review of Modern We formally responded to regulatory impact statements on Awards, including defending against the ACTU’s common claims. issues including workplace exposure standards, managing risks associated with lead in the workplace and diving work. Our submission on the ACTU’s casual and part-time work claim presented modelling showing that the proposal put forward by the We contributed to Safe Work Australia activities on agriculture union movement would cost the Australian economy $3.7 billion a veterinary labelling, psychological claims management, mental year and lead to 19,000 fewer full-time equivalent jobs. health in the workplace, migrant workers, older workers, bullying in the workplace, health and safety in agriculture and working in heat. Our submission on domestic violence leave explained that family violence is a serious community issue so requires a community We met with Michaelia Cash, the Minister for Employment, to response rather than one that puts responsibility at the feet discuss the importation of products containing asbestos. of employers. The CEO joined a panel discussion at the Safety Institute of We provided updates to members, including through our Australia’s National Safety Convention. committee process, on developments at the Commission, including on interpretations of the Fair Work Act that have significant implications. From our survey of almost 1,000 NSW businesses, we estimate that NSW We have met with key members of parliament to explain the businesses are weighed down by around importance of bringing back the Australian Building and $10 billion in compliance costs each year, Construction Commission. We made submissions to a Senate with the annual cost of complying with committee on bills to reinstate the ABCC and to strengthen the government regulatory requirements governance of registered organisations. reported as being $58,000 for the average respondent. We have continued to represent Australian employers at Stephen Cartwright, the International Labour Organisation, including through NSW Business Chamber participation in a Committee of Experts on the issue of workplace violence. www.acci.asn.au | [email protected] | 02 6270 8000 | Twitter: @AusChamber Working for business. Working for Australia July-September 2016 Australian Chamber – “We want [the agreement] to be bold by going where no agreement has Tourism gone before.” Manager: Steve Whan Bryan Clark, Jakarta Post, August 3 The federal election was the culmination of a long campaign from Australian Chamber – Tourism that involved significant