WHATEVER policy measures come out of next week’s Federal Budget, they should be aimed at giving some respite to combat the threat to Australia’s AAA credit rating, by reducing the size of future budget deficits according to the Institute of Public Accountants (IPA).

“While we will continue to advocate for broad based reforms to our economy including taxation, we are not holding our breath in the short term,” said IPA chief executive officer, Andrew Conway.

“Reducing the size of future deficits will give the economy much needed breathing space to protect our current and much coveted credit rating status and time to continue the reform narrative that will drive Australia’s productivity and future growth.

“Our AAA sovereign credit rating is critical to our economy which relies on overseas capital. By keeping the budget deficits at bay, we keep the wolf from knocking on our door.

“By reducing our future deficits we have a better chance to keep our AAA rating intact which lowers the interest cost for all borrowers, including small businesses. This will give the Government some breathing space in the short term to tackle our long term structural problems, both in terms of revenue and expenditure, which are hurting productivity and our growth prospects.

“One measure being considered is a change to superannuation tax concessions for high income earners whilst providing a fairer system for low-income earners. Taxing high income tax concessions will reap billions which will narrow the size of future budget deficits ahead of structural reforms.

“While high-income earners pay over 45 per cent tax on every dollar they earn above $180,000, they only pay 15 per cent tax on money they divert to their superannuation; the same flat rate offered to low-income earners.

“We do caution, however, for governments not to lose sight of what our superannuation system is designed for; that is, to achieve better and sustainable retirement outcomes which will alleviate pressure on the need for future government paid pensions,” said Mr Conway.

publicaccountants.org.au

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DESPITE a busy Christmas and New Year trading period, the first quarter of 2016 has been a challenging one for many Victorian businesses, according to the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s latest Survey of Business Trends and Prospects.

Victorian Chamber Chief Executive Mark Stone said the survey, which captures the views of over 450 Victorian businesses, shows trading conditions were comparatively subdued in the first three months of 2016.

“Compared to the previous quarter, respondents to the survey reported a fall in exports, sales and profits.  Wage and labour on-cost pressures such as WorkCover premiums, payroll tax and penalty rates also continued to hit many businesses hard,” said Mr Stone.

“With seven of Victoria’s 13 public holidays taking place in the first quarter of the year, it is not surprising that many businesses were affected by higher operating costs, squeezing already tight cash-flow positions.”

Mr Stone said despite these difficulties, 22 per cent of respondents are anticipating stronger growth in both the Australian and Victorian economies over the next 12 months.

“Victorian business sentiment is positive, but it is also very fragile in the current economic environment.  What is needed is action to lift business sentiment and activity levels,” said Mr Stone.

Mr Stone said the forthcoming State and Federal Budgets provide a timely opportunity to do so with business-friendly initiatives that increase competitiveness, reduce business costs and create jobs.

“This is why the Victorian Chamber’s State Budget submission calls for practical measures to drive business growth such as an increase in the payroll tax threshold, a reduction in the average WorkCover premium rate, new productivity enhancing infrastructure and reforms to improve the quality of the state’s education and training system.”

For more information about the survey, please visit the Victorian Chamber website.

The Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, established in 1851, is the most influential business organisation in Victoria, informing and servicing more than 15,000 members, customers and clients around the state.

victorianchamber.com.au

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THE Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry calls on the Andrews Government to take action in tomorrow’s 2016-17 Budget to boost business competitiveness, enhance liveability and create new jobs.

“The government has already said that increases in payroll tax revenue are expected to help generate surpluses totalling $9.2 billion over the next four years,” said Victorian Chamber chief executive Mark Stone.

“It is important that Victorian business benefits from this strong financial position.”

“The Victorian Chamber has consistently called on the government to increase the payroll tax threshold from $550,000 to $850,000 and the budget’s strong financial position shows there is no better time to do so,” said Mr Stone.

Mr Stone said an increase in the payroll tax threshold would drive employment and keep Victoria competitive against other states.

“Victorian business is looking to the Andrews Government to introduce practical measures that lower business costs and encourage jobs growth,” said Mr Stone.

“That’s why our pre-budget submission also calls for a reduction in the average WorkCover premium, cuts to red tape, new productivity enhancing infrastructure and a new international engagement strategy.”

Mr Stone said the Victorian Chamber had welcomed the government’s recent announcement of $1.46 billion to progress the $5.5 billion Western Distributor project.

“We also seek a commitment to commence the Metropolitan Ring Road from Greensborough to Ringwood in this term of government and funding for a range of vital regional road and rail projects to reduce congestion and grow Victoria’s liveability,” said Mr Stone.

“With historically low interest rates and the fast growing Asian region on our doorstep, the government should use the budget to strengthen international engagement opportunities for Victoria’s priority sectors.

“The release last week of the government’s new China strategy, Partnerships to Prosperity, is a good example of how businesses can be supported to become more internationally competitive and forge new global business opportunities.”

Mr Stone said at a time of consistently high youth unemployment, tomorrow’s budget must also introduce reforms to improve the quality of Victoria’s education and training system.

“This means strengthening employment pathways and boosting apprenticeships and traineeships in the trades and key sectors such as retail, hospitality and tourism,” said Mr Stone.

“Pro-business measures like these will give Victorian business the best chance to stay competitive. They must be a priority in tomorrow’s budget,” said Mr Stone.

For a copy of the Victorian Chamber’s pre-budget submission, visit the website. 

THE Credit and Investments Ombudsman (CIO) has welcomed today’s announcement by the Treasurer, Scott Morrison, that the Commonwealth Government will establish an expert panel to review the role, powers and governance of financial sector external dispute resolution (EDR) schemes.

Ombudsman and CEO, Raj Venga said he was particularly pleased to see the recognition of the critical role played by EDR schemes in financial services, and the importance of ensuring that consumers and small businesses are able to have disputes resolved efficiently and at no cost to them.

“We are an important part of Australia’s consumer protection framework, and deliver tangible benefits to consumers, our members and the financial system as a whole," Mr Venga said. “We are also committed to continuous improvement, and look forward to working with the panel to identify where there might be scope to enhance the services we provide."

The panel will also be asked to assess the merits of better integrating existing schemes to improve complaints handling.

“We recognise the importance of working closely with the Financial Ombudsman Service, and have a number of measures in place that ensure the consumer experience is seamless," Mr Venga said. “Equally, however, we continue to see significant value in having more than one scheme, which has enriched the contributions of EDR to a range of policy and law reform initiatives. EDR schemes within and across sectors learn from each other, and together encourage and inspire innovation.”

ABOUT

The Credit and Investments Ombudsman (CIO) is an alternative dispute resolution scheme approved by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission to provide consumers with an alternative to legal proceedings for resolving disputes with financial services providers who are members of CIO. These include finance brokers, non-bank lenders, building societies, mutual banks, credit unions, financial planners, finance companies, debt purchasers, small amount short term lenders and mortgage managers.

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THE resource industry is briefing a sigh of relief this morning after Parliament supported the abolition of the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal (RSRT), however employers are disappointed that the Senate once again failed to restore the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC).

“It beggars belief that the Senate could get it so right on abolishing the RSRT and yet so wrong on the ABCC – choosing to continue to turn a blind eye to lawlessness, militancy and thuggery in Australia’s construction industry,” says AMMA executive director Scott Barklamb.

RSRT:

“Rarely is it a good idea to conflate safety with the self-serving workplace relations agendas of highly political organisations such as the Transport Workers Union (TWU),” Mr Barklamb continues.

“AMMA supports existing safety regulators being provided with any additional resources necessary to properly address safety issues for the road transport sector. We never supported an unnecessary new tribunal that was always going to try to force owner-drivers out of business and boost the TWU’s membership.

“The RSRT can now be consigned to history as a flawed and misguided experiment that was shut down before permanent damage was done. With oil, fuel and gas transport scheduled to be next on the tribunal’s rate setting agenda, the resource industry is breathing a sigh of relief.”

ABCC:

“After years of misleading campaigns, hysteria and deliberate attempts by the CFMEU and the Opposition to confuse the debate, AMMA is hardly surprised that the restoration of the ABCC again failed in the Senate,” Mr Barklamb says.

“That the CFMEU yesterday resorted to exploiting the very serious and very emotive social issue of ice abuse shows how desperate the construction union is to maintain its deep-seated culture of law breaking.  This came as our courts yet again handed a significant penalty to a CFMEU official and described the union as having a “woeful history” of contravening workplace relations laws.

“We are disappointed Senate crossbenchers couldn’t see through the spin to recognise that this issue is simply about upholding Australia’s workplace laws, and ridding Australia’s building sites of unlawfulness, thuggery and militancy.

“Resource employers now look to the next Parliament to restore the ABCC and deliver positive outcomes for productivity and lawfulness across Australia’s building and construction sector.”

A national survey of more than 100 resource industry employers, released yesterday, shows 82% support the urgent restoration of the ABCC.

www.amma.org.au

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ADVANCE CAIRNS believes that yesterday’s Government announcement that the tender for construction of 21 steel-hulled Pacific Patrol Boats has been awarded to Perth is a blow to the Northern Australian community.

Advance Cairns Acting CEO Rob Giason, expressed his disappointment saying, “Cairns put together an extremely professional and competitive bid that was based on proven experience and well developed expertise within the region.

“This decision represents a massive loss for Northern Australia and will have a genuine impact on downstream infrastructure development.  It was always going to be a David and Goliath battle - as a regional and remote area bidding against a major population centre such as Perth. But Cairns can be proud of the regional partnerships that were formed as part of the tender and the professionalism and capability that we demonstrated on the national stage.”

The Cairns bid, which was a collegiate and collaborative partnership, was one of only two that made it to the final stage of the tender process which was valued around $500m and will employ more than 130 people.

Rob Giason continued, “We are a proud regional community and although our sadness at this news may be drowned out by the celebrations of the much larger centres of population that were successful in their bid, now, more than ever, is the time for Advance Cairns and the Northern Australian region to make sure our united voice is heard and to maximise whatever local spin off opportunities might come from this contract.

“We will seek urgently to understand what maintenance contracts will remain in Cairns and also what infrastructure and capacity is needed to be competitive into the future.   We have a very competitive marine sector and so will now regroup to identify future opportunity to continue our proud and rich heritage in this sector.”

Mr Gaison said, "Advance Cairns has already been advocating through the 8+8 Infrastructure Priorities for broad development of our shipping industry through the development of HMAS Cairns and the Cairns Port Shipping Strategy and will continue our push to see renewed investment and development in this crucial sector."

www.advancecairns.com

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Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO) Kate Carnell said Federal Parliament’s vote to abolish the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal (RSRT) is a significant shot in the arm for small business owner-truck drivers, who were facing a bleak future as a result of the now defunct body.

“Common sense has prevailed with the passage of the Road Safety Remuneration Repeal Bill,” Ms Carnell said.

“Mum and dad owner-drivers around the country are this morning breathing a collective sigh of relief; they can now confidently get back on the road and on with the job of keeping their small businesses running, within a fair and competitive market.

“The RSRT Payment Order had the potential to send many small businesses to the wall, and I congratulate the Turnbull Government, along with the crossbench Senators who supported the repeal bill, for their swift action on this issue,” Ms Carnell said.

Ms Carnell said the decision to re-direct the savings from abolishing the RSRT to the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) is a welcome move. 

“The NHVR is best placed to develop practical measures to help ensure the truck drivers who go out to work on our roads every day, get home safely to their families,” Ms Carnell said.

Ms Carnell said even though the vote to dismantle the RSRT was successful, it will take time for the industry to get back to normal, and urged banks to bear these circumstances in mind.

“I encourage banks and other financial institutions to show some leniency towards owner-driver small business people; many have mortgaged the family home to cover the costs of running their enterprise and may be struggling financially due to the recent upheaval,” Ms Carnell said.

www.asbfeo.gov.au

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COMMERCIALISING research, fostering entrepreneurship and educating graduates for the future of work will be hot topics when the House Standing Committee on Education and Employment convenes a series of round-table style public hearings.

Over the next two weeks the Committee will conduct public hearings in Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane as part of its inquiry Innovation and creativity; a workforce for the future.

Committee Chair, Mr Andrew Laming MP, said representatives from government, industry, universities and local start-ups have been invited to participate in the hearings.

“Innovation is not just the domain of universities or start-ups. It requires close collaboration between businesses and universities to drive the development of new technologies and to ensure graduates’ skills are suited to the modern workplace.”

“The Australian Government also has an important role. Policy and legislation must keep pace with innovation by accommodating collaboration and encouraging entrepreneurship.”

“It’s important that the Committee hears a range of perspectives on these issues,” Mr Laming said.

“The inquiry findings will help shape a more innovative Australia able to remain competitive in the global economy and maintain high standards of living.”

PUBLIC HEARING DATE: Tuesday 19 April
VENUE: Committee Room 1R3, Parliament House, Canberra
PROGRAM: 3:30 pm until 6:30 pm

PUBLIC HEARING DATE: Tuesday 26 April
VENUE: Seek, 541 St Kilda Road, Melbourne
PROGRAM: 9:00 am until 1:45 pm

PUBLIC HEARING DATE: Wednesday 27 April
VENUE: TBC, Sydney
PROGRAM: 9:00 am until 1:00 pm

PUBLIC HEARING DATE: Thursday 28 April
VENUE: TBC, Brisbane
PROGRAM: 9:00 am until 12:30 pm

Members of the public are welcome to observe proceedings. For further information about the Committee or its inquiry, please visit the committee’s website.

INFORMATION ON THE INQUIRY: contact the Standing Committee on Education and Employment inquiry into innovation and creativity: workforce for the new economy on (02) 6277 4573, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit the committee website.

ENDS