This Month
Business Council rejects legislating fee-free TAFE
The government is hoping to bake into legislation 100,000 free TAFE places a year, but the Business Council of Australia is arguing against the idea.
- Julie Hare
December 2024
- Opinion
- Federal budget
Budget update sounds a clear warning
Jim Chalmers is good at relaxed rhetoric about the economy. The mid-year figures are much tougher to explain.
- Updated
- Jennifer Hewett
- Opinion
- Victorian budget
Victoria’s economic rescue plan is a joke but no one is laughing
The state’s new strategy resembles a political document drawn up in an episode of Utopia rather than a serious economic blueprint to revive the state.
- John Kehoe
Trophies and sequins as Australia’s business leaders gonged
A $70,000 Rolex and a sequined jacket show life is sweet for the victors, though the path isn’t always smooth.
- Updated
- Myriam Robin and Mark Di Stefano
Furious Stephen Conroy was dumped as Business Council lobbyist
When did the BCA exactly became a discredited rabble of a business lobby? And was it around the time Conroy’s TG Public Affairs ceased receiving a retainer?
- Myriam Robin
Stephen Conroy goes spluttering and unhinged against the BCA
The former Labor senator went troppo at the Business Council, whose members include his own lobby clients.
- Mark Di Stefano
Tesla’s Robyn Denholm to lead review of R&D settings
The Albanese government has ordered the first review of research and development spending in Australia in almost 20 years.
- Tom McIlroy
November 2024
- Exclusive
- Income tax
Victoria lags the country on anti-business payroll tax
Treasurer Jim Chalmers will host a meeting of his state and territory counterparts on Friday, in a bid to boost productivity and drive investment.
- Tom McIlroy and Gus McCubbing
‘Unhelpful’ governments driving up interest rates: BCA
Governments should put hard caps on spending growth to rebuild their finances, preventing the public sector from pushing up inflation, the Business Council says.
- Michael Read
AI gets real as big business finds its feet
An era of cautious, low-stakes experimentation is rapidly giving way to tangible changes in how some of Australia’s largest operations run.
- Paul Smith
Should regulators have a light touch with AI rules?
Managing AI risks is all about making the most of the human safety net.
- Alexandra Cain
Chalmers sets up $900m productivity fund
Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ new fund will offer incentive payments to streamline building approvals and enact other pro-productivity reforms
- John Kehoe
GP referrals to be axed under proposed health shake-up
Patients could skip a visit to their GP when obtaining referrals to some specialists under the recommendations of Labor’s inquiry into the healthcare system.
- Michael Smith
- Exclusive
- Mergers & acquisitions outlook
ACCC boss implores Coalition, Greens to back merger laws
Gina Cass-Gottlieb calls it the “most critical law change they are going to have to make a decision on in the life of this parliament”.
- Ronald Mizen
- Analysis
- Housing crisis
Five fixes to the housing crisis – from smaller homes to more builders
From more migrants with building skills to incentivising different types of housing, three chief executives give their suggestions on how to develop more homes.
- Campbell Kwan and James Eyers
Construction workers should be 10pc of migration, big developers urge
That was one of the key messages from a housing roundtable that focused on how to remove roadblocks to increasing the supply of affordable houses
- James Eyers and Campbell Kwan
October 2024
- Lifetime Achievement
- Energy Awards
Grant King: Energy fortune-teller has plenty more to offer
The former Origin Energy boss and former head of the Business Council has been recognised with the Lifetime Achievement award.
- Agnes King
- Opinion
- Australian economy
Australia is in the eye of an economic storm
The only course out of it is to raise the productive capacity of the economy, as we have done before. Stimulus policies have not worked.
- Angus Taylor
September 2024
- Opinion
- Opinion
Three ideas to sharpen up the Business Council of Australia’s act
Curiously, given business bangs on about innovation all the time, the BCA has failed to get the memo.
- John Kunkel
Woolworths, Coles price manipulation claims come at tough time for BCA
Liberal and Labor MPs say that the claims against the supermarkets undermine corporate Australia’s efforts to position itself as a critical plank of prosperity.
- Tom McIlroy