Activities & Achievements APRIL - JUNE 2019 Activities & Working for business. Working for Australia. Achievements APRIL - JUNE 2019 www.australianchamber.com.au | 02 6270 8000 | @AusChamber Working for business. Working for Australia. Activities & Achievements Activities & Achievements APRIL - JUNE 2019 CEO Report CEO Report Chief Executive Officer : James Pearson CEO This quarter the Australian Chamber Jim Chalmers, Liberal Party Director played a strong and influential role the Hon Nick Greiner AC, ALP in national and international policy Federal President Wayne Swan and Report debates affecting Australian business Federal Campaign Experts Brian in the lead up to, and after, the Loughnane and Bruce Hawker. Federal Election. A stand out event was the Campaign In April, we welcomed positive Luncheon with Federal Treasurer announcements in the Federal Budget Josh Frydenberg, attended by “Small business people are for small business and skills including politicians, senior members of the the increase in the instant asset media, Australian Chamber and NSW write-off and establishment of a Business Chamber members and the paying power bills twice. National Skills Commission to drive broader business community. long-term Vocational training reform. Once in the shop and once We welcomed the re-election of the We launched our new small business Morrison Government, and the new again when they get home campaign ‘Small Business is a Big minister reflecting the right mix of Deal’ to advocate alongside members stability and program for the for their households. for better workplace relations, business community. lower power prices and action to address the collapse in skills. In late May, we responded strongly Energy prices have got to to the Fair Work Commission’s We welcomed the government’s decision to lift minimum and award come down and stay down” pledges during the election to cut wages by 3%, gaining national media power bills by up to 25%, and $525 attention for our commentary about James Pearson in discussion with Josh Frydenberg million apprenticeship and vocational the effects the tenth straight annual education package to target skills increase above inflation would have at the ACCI/NSWBC Campaign Luncheon shortages. on small business and the people they employ. with the Treasurer in Sydney. We also launched our policy manifesto, ‘Getting on With Business: At the International Organisation Policy priorities for the next Federal of Employers (IOE) in Geneva. In Government’. May and June, our workplace relations team worked on a We hosted 14 member events with declaration of the International Politicians, Regulators and Campaign Labor Organisation’s (ILO) priorities experts across the Federal Election for the next decade and finalised a campaign including Liberal Senator new convention on violence and Arthur Sinodinos, Shadow Treasurer harassment at work. www.australianchamber.com.au | 02 6270 8000 | @AusChamber Working for business. Working for Australia. www.australianchamber.com.au | 02 6270 8000 | @AusChamber Working for business. Working for Australia. Page 1 Activities & Achievements APRIL - JUNE 2019 Activities & Achievements APRIL - JUNE 2019 CEO Report Our trade team has also been working hard to ensure the voice of Australian business is heard in international policy debates and business forums. In June they attended the International Chamber of Commerce’s World Chambers Congress in Rio as well as Indian Ocean Rim Association meetings in Durban, South Africa. We have a leading role in national policy debates on vocational education and training, Working for business. working with members and with Government to identify issues and progress responses to the Joyce VET review. Working for Australia. We continued to make the case for sensible practical reforms to work relations that will help make Australia a better place to do business, for the benefit of all. We’ve been busy in our political engagement hosting meetings and networking events with the re-elected Coalition Government, the Labor Party and the Crossbench Senators as we lobby for members on issues that impact members and the businesses they represent. Paul Kelly, Editor-at-Large on The Australian,Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Australian Chamber CEO, James Pearson in a panel discussion on the economy during the Federal Election Campaign. Page 2 www.australianchamber.com.au | 02 6270 8000 | @AusChamber Working for business. Working for Australia. www.australianchamber.com.au | 02 6270 8000 | @AusChamber Working for business. Working for Australia. Page 3 Activities & Achievements APRIL - JUNE 2019 Activities & Achievements APRIL - JUNE 2019 Employment, Education and Training Employment, Education and Training Director: Jenny Lambert Employment, We held a Tertiary Education into early thinking on the operation roundtable with members in June of the announced Skills to discuss possible models for organisations pilots, emphasising Education and Tertiary Education reform and the importance of bringing together options for VET reform. Members workforce planning and agreed that a number of models development into skills clusters. Training based on the agreed set of principles was needed as well as a We met with Minister for Citizenship measurement of success of any and Multicultural Affairs, the Hon The quarter began with the release of the Steven Joyce VET Review reform in the tertiary education David Coleman MP, post the report and the Government providing a partial response to the report in area. The roundtable was elections to reiterate our policy the Federal budget. held alongside an address from position and engaged with the Minister Cash where she outlined Department of Home Affairs on The Australian Chamber drafted a response to all 71 the Government’s commitment and the Global Talent Scheme and as a recommendations of the Joyce report and held several meetings with focus on VET reform guided by the follow up to actions recommended the Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business. We Joyce report and the importance of to the Minister to improve the also met with the Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family industry engagement. We followed migration programme. Business, Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash and the Assistant these engagements up with Minister for Vocational Education, Training and Apprenticeships, the correspondence to the Minister to Jenny continued her engagement on Hon Steve Irons and their officials to understand the Government’s encourage action in four important the Global Talent Industry Advisory full response to the report. areas relating to VET, Group, Disability Employment apprenticeships and labour Services Advisory Group, Industry market analysis. Advisory Committee on Veterans’ Employment and the Collaborative During the quarter, the Chamber Partnership on Mature Age has also provided extensive input Employment. From left to right: Dr Jeremy Johnson AM, President, Australian Chamber with Minister Cash and Don Rankin, President, Victorian Chamber. Page 4 www.australianchamber.com.au | 02 6270 8000 | @AusChamber Working for business. Working for Australia. www.australianchamber.com.au | 02 6270 8000 | @AusChamber Working for business. Working for Australia. Page 5 Activities & Achievements Activities & Achievements Economics and Industry Policy, and Sustainability Economics and Industry Policy, and Sustainability Acting Director: Jenny Lambert Economics and Our efforts have not just been We are also leading on a regulatory concentrated on the Coalition, with reform initiative with members to Industry Policy, Jeremy Johnson and our CEO James cut red tape, reduce the Pearson meeting with Opposition administrative burden on Leader Anthony Albanese. James businesses and reduce the time and Sustainability and Jenny also met with Shadow taken for environmental Treasurer Chalmers, as well as assessments and approvals. Our Shadow Ministers King (Infrastructure), regulatory reform master list raises Following the election, we have been treading the boards of Parliament to Giles (Population and Urban important matters that aim to lift understand the Government’s and Opposition’s policy priorities for the 45th Infrastructure) and O’Connor productivity and create a more Parliamentary term, and progress the Australian Chamber’s key policy asks (Employment and Industry; Science; competitive economy. We are also from Getting on with Business on tax reform, Government spending, Small and Family Business). one of a handful of industry red-tape reform, energy, infrastructure and small business. associations invited to shape the The Economics and Industry Policy Government’s advanced James and our team met with Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, and Committee met in June, with the manufacturing strategy, led by Ministers Taylor (Energy and Emissions Reduction), Tudge (Population, discussion covering issues arising Minister Karen Andrews. Cities and Urban Infrastructure) and Ley (Environment). There have also from the Federal Budget, changes to been several events including roundtables with Deputy Prime Minister Ministerial portfolios post-election, For small and medium businesses, Michael McCormack (Infrastructure), Karen Andrews (Industry) and energy policy priorities and small the Government is proposing Ben Morton (Assistant to the Prime Minister on Regulation). business issues. and/or implementing many policies, including the Payment Times The Committee identified Energy Reporting Framework, Single and Tax Policy as priority issues Touch Payroll,