Industry heads react to new federal government positions

Both Labor and the Liberal Party have made changes over the past few days, with Albanese announcing an updated federal cabinet for his second term, and the Liberals announcing their new leader – spurring reactions from various workplace leaders.

Becoming the first woman to lead the Liberal Party in its history, Sussan Ley has been voted into the top job tasked with overcoming a monumental federal election defeat at the hands of the Labor Party.

Ley – a senior minister within the party who has overseen various portfolios – defeated shadow treasurer Angus Taylor by way of an in-party vote for the right of party leadership, kicking off the new era for the Liberals.

Australian Industry Group (Ai Group) chief executive Innes Willox congratulated Ley, reiterating how imperative a strong opposition is to develop policies that can uplift Australian business.

“We congratulate Sussan Ley on her election as Australia’s opposition leader,” Willox said.

“A well-functioning democracy needs a strong opposition to test and challenge government policies and develop a coherent alternative policy agenda.

“We look forward to working with the new opposition, just as we look forward to working with the new ministry sworn in today to develop and implement policies that build the prosperity and productivity of all Australians in what is a challenging economic environment.

“Apart from the COVID period, this is the toughest time in over 30 years to be in business.”

The Liberals, of course, haven’t been the only ones making moves, with re-elected Prime Minister Anthony Albanese making his new cabinet selections for his second term, leading to a reshuffle of Employment and Workplace Minister Murray Watt shifting to the environment portfolio, with the former minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), Amanda Rishworth, taking his place.

Willox also congratulated Rishworth, touching on the importance of her role amid what has been described as turbulent times for employers.

“We also welcome the appointment of Amanda Rishworth as the new Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. She moves into the portfolio at a time of great challenge for employers, their workforce and the broader economy.

“Building workplace productivity to provide for sustainable wage increases must be a real focus of the new government,” Willox said.

“This is the toughest time to be in business, with the economy growing at its slowest pace since we were last in recession in the early 1990s. We are seeing declining business investment, our inefficient tax system is crying out for reform, and our workforce needs to be upskilled and made more flexible to achieve our future ambitions.”

Australian Retailers Association (ARA) chief executive Chris Rodwell also shared Willox’s sentiment.

“We look forward to engaging with her on practical reforms that reduce complexity and balance worker protections while supporting Australian retailers to compete with a surge of low-cost international competition,” Rodwell said.

Dr Anne Aly was also announced as the Minister for Small Business, leading to Rodwell asserting the importance of Aussie small businesses and the need for SMB-tailored legislation.

“We also congratulate Dr Anne Aly on her appointment as Minister for Small Business. Small retailers sit at the heart of our communities and continue to grapple with spiralling operating costs. We look forward to working with the minister to help support small business resilience and productivity gains,” Rodwell said.