SUMMIT MEETINGS – AUSTRALIA

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

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

GST warning in roundtable revamp

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Original article by Matthew Cranston, Greg Brown, Sarah Elks
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 25-Jun-25

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had pitched the federal government’s plans to bring unions, business leaders and community groups together in August as a productivity roundtable. However, Treasurer Jim Chalmers has sought to broaden the scope of the summit by describing it as an "economic reform roundtable". He has also reiterated that the goods and services tax will be on the agenda; Chalmers adds that changes to the GST will only be considered if they are revenue-neutral and in the national interest.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Wong urges ASEAN leaders to guard against conflict

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Original article by Joe Kelly, Sarah Ison
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 5-Mar-24

Foreign Minister Penny Wong has told the ASEAN-­Australia special summit that a conflict in South-East Asia could cause the same level of devastation currently being seen in the ongoing wars in Gaza and Ukraine. She urged ASEAN leaders to be bold and to commit to a "preventive architecture" in order to prevent the outbreak of conflict in the South-East Asia region, with Wong saying she wants to see a region where each country can pursue its own aspirations, and one where no country dominates and no country is dominated.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE

Albanese backs grand bargain with big business and unions

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Original article by Rachel Baxendale
The Australian – Page: 5 : 30-May-22

The ACTU and the Business Council of Australia have indicated they hope to use the federal government’s employment summit in September to implement an co-operative agenda that will see growth in productivity and higher wages. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the key to achieving such a "grand bargain" is a government that is willing to broker it, and that brings people together. He claims he has always said that unions and businesses have common interests, and that the best way to boost both wages and profits without putting pressure on inflation is by increasing productivity.

CORPORATES
ACTU, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

ANZ boss calls for QE summit

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Original article by Tony Boyd, Vesna Poljak
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 22 : 10-Oct-19

The growing prospect of negative interest rates and unconventional policy measures such as quantitative easing has prompted ANZ Bank CEO Shayne Elliott to propose holding a summit on the issue. He says it should include representatives from the major banks, regional banks, industry regulators, the Treasury and the Reserve Bank. Elliott says that amongst other things, the summit could discuss issues such as the broader economic implications of QE and the role of banks in the economy.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE. INSTITUTE OF APPLIED ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RESEARCH, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK, BANK FOR INTERNATIONAL SETTLEMENTS

PM calls back reform summit

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 29-Sep-15

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has organised a summit with key representations of the business and community sectors to discuss economic reforms. The summit will be held on 1 October 2015, and will include Australian Industry Group CEO Innes Willox, ACTU secretary Dave Oliver, Business Council of Australia Jennifer Westacott and Australian Council for Social Services CEO Cassandra Goldie. Issues such as superannuation tax breaks are likely to be on the agenda.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, ACTU, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL FOR WOMEN, COUNCIL ON THE AGEING, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIAN YOUTH AFFAIRS COALITION INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, SYDNEY INSTITUTE

China summit to help build two-way silk road

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Original article by Greg Earl
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 28-Aug-15

China wants to link its "silk road" infrastructure scheme with the Abbott Government’s plans to develop northern Australia. It sees Australia as one end of a maritime link in its ambitious One Belt One Road program to stimulate economic activity in Asia and the Pacific. Cooperation was discussed by Chinese and Australian ministers at a strategic economic dialogue in Canberra.

CORPORATES
FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, CHINA. ECONOMIC PLANNING COMMISSION, CHINA UNION PAY, BANK OF CHINA GROUP, CHINA EASTERN AIRLINES CORPORATION LIMITED

Private sector will lead the way: Birrell

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Original article by Annabel Hepworth, Andrew White
The Australian – Page: 6 : 17-Nov-14

The creation of a new global infrastructure hub is one of the key results of the Group of 20 leaders’ summit held in Brisbane on 15-16 November 2014. Mark Birrell, chair of the Federal Government’s Infrastructure Australia body, has welcomed the news and pledged his full support for the initiative. Similar comments have come from WestConnex Delivery Authority chair Tony Shepherd and IFM Invest­ors CEO Brett Himbury

CORPORATES
GROUP OF TWENTY (G-20), INFRASTRUCTURE AUSTRALIA, NEW SOUTH WALES. WESTCONNEX DELIVERY AUTHORITY, IFM INVESTORS PTY LTD, WORLD BANK, BUSINESS 20 (B20)

Trade action pivotal to G20

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Original article by Annabel Hepworth
The Australian – Page: 21 : 12-Nov-14

BHP Billiton chief executive Andrew Mackenzie is also the chair of the trade taskforce of Business 20 (B20), the body advising the Australian Government on the Group of 20 (G20) leaders’ summit in Brisbane in mid-November 2014. He argues that the G20 goal of additional global GDP growth worth $A2trn-plus relies heavily on increased investment in trade-related infrastructure. G20 nations such as India have pledged tariff reductions. GE Mining CEO and B20 human capital taskforce chair Steve Sargent also wants the leaders to roll out new job creation measures

CORPORATES
GROUP OF TWENTY (G-20), BUSINESS 20 (B20), BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, GE MINING SERVICES HOLDINGS PTY LTD, DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS PTY LTD, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG, SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION