Business networks outline key issues for re-elected government

The Business Council of Australia and The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry have voiced their plans to work immediately with the government to support the business environment.

Both bodies congratulated the Albanese government on its re-election and looked forward to working together “constructively”.

Andrew McKellar, chief executive of ACCI, said there was a significant agenda that businesses wished to address while working with the government.

“The role of the private sector is essential and we stand willing to work constructively with the government to improve productivity and competitiveness,” McKellar said.

“Among the issues which will need to be immediately addressed for business, are global trade, productivity, a reduction in the over regulation of business, especially small business and the cost of reliability of energy.”

He also noted that the government needed to make it easier for businesses to employ more Australians to create more jobs, more investment opportunities, and to grow the economy, which would require working with allies and key trading partners.

Bran Black, chief executive of BCA, confirmed business “stood ready to roll up its sleeves and assist in working through the biggest challenges facing the nation”.

The business representative recommended that the government prioritise a productivity agenda that unlocked investment and growth in the private sector, as this would be the only way to boost living standards and wages sustainably.

“We face so many global and domestic uncertainties and challenges – from tariff imposition to changing demographics – and so we must control what is within our scope to control, and that means establishing policy settings that facilitate national prosperity by supporting businesses to thrive,” Black said.

BCA also voiced its support for the government’s commitment to reform environmental approvals to deliver processes that improved outcomes for both businesses and the environment.

According to Black, BCA’s “big five” priorities for this term of parliament were improving living standards, increasing skills, boosting housing supply, delivering sustainable health and care services and achieving an affordable and reliable pathway to net zero.

“If we want a more productive economy, with more houses built and more projects to help achieve a successful energy transition, then fixing our cumbersome environmental approvals system is a must-do,” he said.

“These actions, along with harnessing AI, creating better investment attraction settings and achieving a balanced approach to industrial relations are all fundamental to boosting productivity and increasing prosperity for all Australians.”

Both ACCI and BCA emphasised the importance of ensuring the prosperity of Australian businesses, saying that it was crucial to reach a place that was strong and constructive.

Black said BCA would continue to work alongside the government as Australia faced many challenges.

“Business is at the heart of the solution to each of our greatest challenges and opportunities – with six out of every seven workers employed by the private sector, and 80 per cent of Australia’s economic output coming from businesses of all sizes.”