Politics and Policy
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Have your say: Future COAG Regulatory Reform Agenda Stakeholder Consultation Paper
Helen Hull | September 27, 2011COAG’s Business Regulation and Competition Working Group is inviting businesses to comment on future reform priorities that address barriers to the effective functioning of national markets and ways to improve Australia’s productivity and competitiveness.
Closing date for submissions: Friday 21 October 2011.
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The small to medium sized business impact from carbon pricing: challenges and opportunity
Matthew Tukaki | September 21, 2011
Matthew Tukaki, CEO of the Sustain Group and Australian Representative to the United Nations Global Compact looks at the challenges and opportunities for small to medium sized business.
The debate about climate change policy is all around us from front page spreads in the national mastheads, the nightly television news through to talkback radio. There are those who are for setting a price on carbon and then there are those who oppose it. The reality is, this week, the legislation will be before the Parliament and likely well in place before the end of the year in time for a go live day of 1 July 2012. -
ARA supports calls for company tax cut at Tax Forum
Helen Hull | September 20, 2011The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) has openly supported sentiments by the Greens and Council of Small Business of Australia (COSBOA) for company tax cuts to form part of the discussion at the Tax Summit on 4 and 5 October.
ARA Executive Director Russell Zimmerman said ARA’s own submission to the Tax Forum called for company tax cuts as the retail industry becomes increasingly trade exposed and globally vulnerable to competition from lower taxed nations.
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Fair trading can improve your bottom line
Anthony Roberts | September 11, 2011Most businesses work hard to attract customers. Whilst business development is a priority, it is worthwhile considering what service really means to your customers. Doing so can help you maintain the customers you’ve worked hard to attract, particularly if something goes wrong.
We all intuitively understand that solid and professional customer service plays an essential role in building a network of loyal customers; those who will return to your business and recommend your company to others. Consequently, good businesses work to minimise customer complaints through excellent customer service.
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Have your say: Tax Reform
Helen Hull | August 30, 2011
The Federal Government will hold a forum on tax reform in October to help identify priorities and directions for the future of taxation in Australia.
I’d like to invite First 5000 members to share their views on the way forward by presenting their ideas as blogs on our site ahead of the forum. -
Have your say: Digital Local Government
Helen Hull | August 29, 2011The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy has called for stakeholder comments on draft guidelines for the Digital Local Government program.
Comments from First 5000 members will help to develop the final guidelines, which will determine how the program is implemented.
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What is our economy to become: The future of manufacturing requires us to plan
Matthew Tukaki | August 22, 2011It is a dilemma that many businesses across Australia in some of our most traditional sectors are grappling with at the moment – and that is the future.
The recent announcement by Bluescope Steel to close its Western Port hot strip mill at Hastings and its No.6 blast furnace at Port Kembla, near Wollongong are not only blows for the more than 1,000 workers and contractors it means a significant loss for the local communities where those plants reside.
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Challenges confront Australian retail industry
Les Pickett | August 9, 2011
Workplace flexibility, trading hours, enterprise bargaining, productivity measures, regulatory restrictions, online retailing and exemptions from GST are all included in the Australian Government Productivity Commission draft report on the Economic Structure and Performance of the Australian Retail Industry.
Australia’s 140,000 retail businesses employ around 10.7 per cent of our workforce and accounts for 4.2 per cent of our GDP. -
Shopping online from a Fair Trading perspective
Anthony Roberts | August 1, 2011For consumers, shopping online offers ease, convenience, variety and the potential for considerable savings.
For retailers, selling online is an opportunity to expand their market, reduce costs and increase turnover.
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Have your say: energy efficiency standards
Helen Hull | August 1, 2011Would you like to be involved in the development of government policy?
The Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency is coordinating consultation on the draft Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards Bill 2011 (GEM) and invites written submissions regarding the GEMS consultation paper by Thursday 18 August 2011.
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Carbon theory at odds with SME business reality
Peter Anderson | July 12, 2011Most business owners are like the rest of us. We’re not political insiders, preferring politics in small doses. We’re interested in getting things done that make a difference, instead of political argument and bureaucracy.
This is why I don’t blame business people being confused about the carbon tax announcement. There are so many mixed signals from the government, with claim and counter claim dominating the headlines.
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Paid Parental Leave Scheme kicks in
Jo-Anne Hui | June 29, 2011
As of Friday (1 July), the Paid Parental Leave Scheme will be mandatory for all businesses – now is the time for all employers to register their business with the Family Assistance Office.
According to Adrienne Unkovich, executive director at Workforce Guardian, regardless of whether or not you may have employees about to go on parental leave, it’s important to register your business to prepare for the future. -
Have your say: Mining industry
Helen Hull | June 22, 2011Would you like to be involved in the development of government policy?
The Business Consultation website allows you to keep on top of potential changes to business and industry and have your say on issues that affect you.
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Independents key to change
Glenn Druery | May 24, 2011It is easy to fall into the trap of believing that politics is something that only happens in the hallowed halls of Canberra or the sandstone buildings of Macquarie Street.
You could be forgiven for thinking that that the most impact you can have in politics is by the exercise of your democratic right once every few years.
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Australian retail community under threat
Jost Stollmann | May 20, 2011The digital economy will allow the big retailers to expand their domination further squeezing the remaining retail community.
The increasing preponderance of smartphones and ever-present broadband access allows the big retailers to deploy customer engagement strategies bundling financial and marketing services capabilities.
