EMPLOYERS’ ASSOCIATIONS – AUSTRALIA

Victoria hits back at worst for business ranking

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Original article by Marcus de Blonk Smith
The Australian – Page: 4 : 12-Nov-25

The Victorian government has responded to the Business Council of Australia’s finding that the state is the nation’s worst place to do business for a second consecutive year. The government contends that investment in Victoria has been "the strongest among all states" over the last decade, growing by 53 per cent over this period. A government spokesman also contends that Victoria continues to rank first in terms of home approvals and home completions, adding that the government has also reduced or scrapped taxes 65 times. The BCA has again ranked South Australia as the best place to do business.

CORPORATES
BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

Employers urge Ley to expand IR changes

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 22-Oct-25

Opposition leader Sussan Ley has committed to reviewing the federal government’s multi-employer bargaining laws. However, business groups want the Coalition to consider more extensive industrial relations reforms. The Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry’s CEO Andrew McKellar says the Coalition should look at increasing the legal definition of a small business from 15 employees to 25, contending that getting a fair deal for small business should be a priority. The Australian Resources & ­Energy Employer Association’s CEO Steve Knott in turn has identified the abolition of laws expanding union delegate rights, right-of-entry provisions and the Fair Work Commission’s intractable bargaining powers as reforms the Coalition should be pursuing.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIAN RESOURCES AND ENERGY EMPLOYER ASSOCIATION

ACTU’s training levy a ‘crock’, say business leaders

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 20-Aug-25

The ACTU has used the first day of the federal government’s economic roundtable to call for a national skills levy, with its idea being roundly rejected by employer and business groups. Australian Industry Group CEO Innes Willox claimed that the proposal would impact 71,000 businesses with a combined payroll of about $300 billion; the ACTU stated that its proposal would involve a levy of 1.5 per cent of payroll for companies with annual turnover above $500,000, unless a business already spends that amount on training. Business Council of Australia CEO Bran Black says incentives to boost training, such as those provided to take on apprentices, are preferable to taxes.

CORPORATES
ACTU, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

Employers pitch Fair Work reform

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 29-Jul-25

The Australian Resources & Energy Employers Association is calling for an end to politically-biased appointments to the Fair Work Commission ahead of the federal government’s productivity roundtable. With both Coalition and Labor governments having been accused of favouring people with employer or union backgrounds, respectively, when making FWC appointments, the AREEA has used its submission to the roundtable to call for them to be made by an independent panel; it would comprise the federal industrial relations minister, the ACTU and employer groups.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN RESOURCES AND ENERGY EMPLOYER ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ACTU

AI a Trojan horse for IR rules, business warns

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Original article by Phillip Coorey, John Kehoe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 23-Jul-25

A recent survey by KPMG found that Australians have lower levels of artificial intelligence use, training and confidence than their global peers. Meanwhile, business leaders are concerned that the union movement will use the federal government’s upcoming productivity summit to argue for increased workplace regulation due to the growing adoption of AI technologies. Business Council of Australia CEO Bran Black says the business community will oppose any attempt to use to summit to further shift the balance of power in workplaces from employers to unions.

CORPORATES
KPMG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

Renewables target: 82 per cent of no chance

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Original article by Greg Brown
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 4-Feb-25

Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry CEO Andrew McKellar doubts that the federal government’s 2030 renewable energy target is realistic. He says Labor will need to reconsider its goal of having 82 per cent of the nation’s electricity generated via renewables by the end of the decade. McKellar contends that while renewables will be the ‘backbone’ of the energy grid in the medium to longer term, there will need to be a strong focus on gas exploration, production and supply in the near-term. Council of Small Business Organisations Australia CEO Luke Achterstraat agrees that the renewables target should be reviewed.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, COUNCIL OF SMALL BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED

ACCI warns of need for cap on spending

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Original article by Sarah Ison
The Australian – Page: 6 : 30-Jan-25

The Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry will call for federal government spending to be capped at 25 per cent of GDP. The ACCI’s pre-election Agenda for Business policy blueprint will also advocate tax reform, the abolition of stamp duty and changing the definition of a small business to 25 employees or less, compared with the current threshold of 15 employees. CEO Andrew McKellar will use a speech on Thursday to argue that rising government spending is pushing up interest rates and adversely affecting productivity. Data released in late 2024 shows that government spending has risen to a record high of almost 28 per cent of GDP.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

Bosses reject ACTU’s new bargaining push

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 4 : 3-Dec-24

The Australian Resources & Energy Employer Association has called for restrictions on the use of multi-employer bargaining. Its submission to a review of the federal government’s ‘Secure Jobs, Better Pay’ laws has argued that it should only be available in workplaces where an employer has agreed to bargain collectively. AREEA also opposes the ACTU’s push to broaden the scope of multi-employer bargaining, while it has called for the intractable bargaining provisions to be wound back.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN RESOURCES AND ENERGY EMPLOYER ASSOCIATION, ACTU

Victoria: From Garden State to basket case

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Original article by Geoff Chambers
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 3-Dec-24

The Business Council of Australia has released a report which ranks Victoria as the worst state or territory as a place for doing business. The BCA has assessed each jurisdiction based on factors such as red tape, payroll taxes, retail trading hours, property taxes and planning regimes. BCA CEO Bran Black says Victoria has some of nation’s least competitive property taxes, payroll taxes and business licensing requirements; he contends that the state’s regulatory environment is putting a ‘handbrake’ on its economy. The report concluded that South Australia is the best state or territory in which to do business, ahead of Tasmania and the ACT.

CORPORATES
BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

ALP under fire over small business review

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 4 : 15-Oct-24

Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry CEO Andrew McKellar has defended its call for the federal government to change the legal definition of a small business. He contends that the push to change this from 15 employees to 25 is not aimed at undermining the rights of workers. The Council of Small Business Organisations Australia supports the ACCI’s push, says CEO Luke Achterstraat. He adds that the government’s refusal to consider the proposal has undermined the Fair Work Ombudsman’s own review of the definition of a small business; Labor had commissioned this to secure the support of independent senator David Pocock for its workplace reforms.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, COUNCIL OF SMALL BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED