Newsroom

Passage of Safeguard Mechanism essential for Australian business

Safeguard Mechanism crediting legislation before the parliament must be passed to provide energy certainty to Australian businesses.

Fiscal repair must be overriding priority of federal budget

Government must show expenditure restraint and commit to concrete structural fiscal repair, the nation’s largest business network has outlined today following the release of its 2023-24 pre-budget submission.

Price pressures remain concerning, business cautions

Figures released today show inflation at 7.8 per cent in the December quarter, renewing pressure on the Reserve Bank to continue raising interest rates when it meets for the first time for 2023.

Migration reform key to delivering workforce of the future

Expanding the skilled migration intake, offering temporary migrants a pathway to permanent residency and halving the levy employers pay to recruit foreign workers will be critical to delivering a sustainable increase to in-demand workers, the nations’ largest business network said today.

Rebuilding Australia’s workforce demands continued skills investment

A surge in the number of apprentices and trainees continues the positive trajectory of rebuilding our local skills base, but maintaining this strong growth and realising further gains will require continued investment.

Manufacturing sentiment dives as cost crisis hits

Growth in local manufacturing has been slashed as surging energy costs, rising interest rates, record labour shortages, and lingering supply chain challenges weigh heavily on the output and forward sentiment, the latest ACCI-Westpac Industrial Trends Survey has revealed.

Targeted price relief welcome, but price caps will cause supply problems

ACCI’s submission on the government’s proposed energy policy supports targeted relief for households and small businesses, but expresses concern over heavy-handed market intervention that will reduce incentives for supply and investment, creating bigger problems down the road.

GDP numbers point to uncertainty ahead