15 Apr 2019 | Archive
One of the most important election campaigns in a generation has begun.
The policies of whoever wins will have a profound impact on businesses.
That matters, because all of us benefit from the jobs that businesses provide, and the wages, dividends and taxes that businesses pay.
And you don’t need a microscope to see how important small business is. Ninety-eight percent of Australian businesses are small businesses. Five million Australian workers are employed by small businesses.
Small business employs a third of young working Australians and 40% of apprentices.
So it’s no surprise that the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s campaign to coincide with the federal election is called “Small Business is a Big Deal”.
When chambers of commerce and industry associations across the country speak, we speak on behalf of more than 300,000 businesses.
We speak for wealth creators, risk takers and job makers. We share a vision to make Australia the best place in the world to do business, so that Australians have the jobs, living standards and opportunities to which they aspire.
These are the three things our members have told us their businesses, and the millions of workers they employ, need from the next federal government.
We are calling on the next federal government to help employers and employees to work together.
Small business needs more support to hire people and work together with them.
We want no more scare campaigns and threats.
We want to work in the spirit of collaboration – not conflict.
The reality is that unions only represent 9% of the private sector workforce.
They must not be given the power to deny the other 91% of employees they don’t represent the right to work.
The next Australian Government must recognise that despite the rhetoric coming from some about low wages, Australia, in fact, has the second highest minimum wage in the world, only marginally second to Luxemburg.
Further, more than 98% of employees are paid more than that.
And despite what some may say, casual employment is not increasing.
The next Federal Government must ensure workplace laws work for small businesses and their employees, with straight-forward rules that make it easier to create jobs and run their businesses well.
Our next federal government must deliver affordable and reliable electricity – and with lower emissions.
Small businesses are paying too much for power.
There has been no policy certainty in the energy sector for decades.
This has distorted and discouraged investment.
The National Energy Guarantee – more commonly referred to as the NEG – plus recommendations from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) will encourage more competition, address reliability, pricing and emissions reduction.
The next federal government must encourage more investment and more competition so the price of power comes down, and emissions are reduced.
The next federal government must put an end to the collapse in skills.
Small businesses needs skilled workers. There are not enough people being educated and trained for the jobs on offer.
Government investment has fallen so far that the number of apprentices has fallen from 516,000 to 265,000 in just four years.
The next federal government must help small businesses generate 350,000 new apprenticeships and traineeships over the next three years with adequate funding and less red tape.
Chambers of commerce reach into every community through their members – your newsagent, your butcher, your pharmacist, your dentist, and your local cafe.
And together, we will be reminding politicians that Small Business is a Big Deal.
James Pearson, CEO Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
13/09/2019
The Australian Chamber is delighted to announce Bryan Clark, Director of ACCI Trade & International Affairs, has been appointed to the Government’s Deregulation Taskforce, announced...
8/08/2019
The Australian Chamber is calling on the country's political leaders to agree to reform our vital Vocation Education and Training (VET) system, to deliver the skills...
6/08/2019
The Australian Chamber backs the latest call for greater balance in the unfair dismissal system to better support small business owners trying to do the right...
5/08/2019
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry welcomes today’s announcement that the Productivity Commission will focus on streamlining regulation in the resources sector. "The joint announcement...
30/07/2019
By James Pearson, Chief Executive Officer In August 1985 Bob Hawke proclaimed that the Australian government had had enough of “the Building Labourers Federation’s complete...
23/07/2019
The Government has called time on union officials with deep pockets, arrogant attitudes, and combative lawyers thumbing their nose at our laws, our courts and...
22/07/2019
By James Pearson It's the year 2030. China has overtaken the US as the world's largest economy. The fastest growing cities are located in...
18/07/2019
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), Australia’s employer representative to the United Nations’ International Labour Organisation (ILO), says union opposition to proposed legislation...
18/07/2019
Today’s release of a report on Government-funded vocational training by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) showing a further decline in investment, reinforces the...
4/07/2019
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Australia’s largest and most representative business network, warmly welcomes the passage of the personal income tax package through the Senate. “The...
4/07/2019
Australia's largest and most representative business network, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry welcomes the Federal Government's reintroduction of the Fair Work (Registered Organisations)...
1/07/2019
Australia’s largest and most representative business network, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry calls on the Parliament to pass the Government’s personal income tax...
1/07/2019
Australian Chamber – Tourism, the peak body of Australia’s tourism organisations welcomes the expansion of the Working Holiday Maker visa program. “The Australian Chamber-Tourism has...
24/06/2019
Australia’s largest and most representative business network, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, welcomes the Prime Minister’s commitment to review Australia’s Industrial Relations system...
19/06/2019
Australian Chamber – Tourism, the peak body of Australia’s tourism organisations, acknowledges the release of the International Visitors Survey today. The survey shows strong performance for...
18/06/2019
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry – Westpac Survey of Industrial Trends for the June quarter 2019 released today, shows a slowing in manufacturing business...
11/06/2019
By James Pearson With the final seats being declared in the federal election, the government and opposition frontbench teams in place and parliament set to...
5/06/2019
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Australia’s largest and most representative business network, today expressed disappointment at the latest National Accounts figures showing lower...
4/06/2019
The Reserve Bank Board’s decision to lower the cash rate to 1.25% today has been welcomed by Australia’s largest business network, the Australian Chamber of...
3/06/2019
Australia’s largest business network, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, congratulates the new Labor Shadow Ministry on their appointments and welcomes Federal Opposition Leader Anthony...