Your morning Briefing: CEO’s warn: stop toxic policy drift

Your 2-minute digest of today’s top stories and must-reads.

Hello readers. CEOs warn the government that ‘toxic policies’ must stop as gloom grips the business outlook, and Jeff Kennett says long-serving MPs should make way for new blood.

CEO of the Australian Industry Group Innes Willox delivers a speech with Executive Director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute Peter Jennings at the National Press Club in Canberra, Wednesday, April 5, 2017. (AAP Image/Lukas Coch) NO ARCHIVING

‘Stop toxic policies’

The nation’s chief executives are warning that business conditions in 2019 will be tougher than last year, amid growing fears populist domestic policies risk worsening the economic impact of global shocks such as Brexit and the US-China trade dispute. Australian Industry Group chief executive Innes Willox has used the release of the annual CEO Business Prospects Survey to sound the alarm on concerns over skills shortages, inflexible workplace relations and rising ­energy prices.

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AFL Round 20. 04/08/2018. Hawthorn v Essendon at the MCG. hawthorn president Jeff Kennett after match .Pic: Michael Klein

‘Time to go’

Liberal Party elder Jeff Kennett is urging long-serving government MPs, including Julie Bishop and Kevin Andrews, to follow Kelly O’Dwyer’s example and stand down at the next election to make way for fresh talent and help party renewal. The former Victorian Liberal premier yesterday praised Ms O’Dywer for her decision to prioritise her young family amid criticism from detractors she was one of the first “Turnbull ­Coalition rats leaving the sinking ship” in 2019.

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10/12/2018 Peter Costello arrives at an event in Toorak to mark 25 years of the Higgins 200 Liberal fundraising club.Picture : David Geraghty / The Australian.

Best PM we never had

Kelly O’Dwyer’s departure from politics at the next election is a blow to the government. But, with bold thinking, there is a massive opportunity, writes Peter Van Onselen. Peter Costello left politics long before his time should have been up. He was both exhausted and frustrated at the end of the Howard years, not having become prime minister courtesy of an ­orderly handover. If Costello returned at the next election in his old seat of Higgins, he would hold it,

staving off a challenge by the Greens.

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Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas, left, is congratulated by Switzerland's Roger Federer after winning their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. (AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)

All Greek

Greek sensation Stefanos Tsitsipas last night ended the Australian Open reign of two-time defending champion Roger Federer in an audacious display of brilliant shot play at Melbourne Park. Ash Barty, meantime, silenced Maria Sharapova’s grunts in the biggest win of her short career, as hopes reached fever-pitch for a first homegrown winner since 1978.

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Johannes Leak’s view

Johannes Leak Letters Cartoon for 21-01-2019. Version: Letters Cartoon (1280x720 - Aspect ratio preserved, Canvas added)COPYRIGHT: The Australian's artists each have different copyright agreements in place regarding re-use of their work in other publications.Please seek advice from the artists themselves or the Managing Editor of The Australian regarding re-use.