Last night I was thrilled to be at the NGV with Gonul Serbest and the team at Global Victoria for the Governor of Victoria Exports Awards 2022. It was a brilliant night where many VCCI members took out awards for their success in exporting, including Bubs Australia, Swisse Wellness and SDI Ltd who, in addition to winning the International Health Award, also took out the Exporter of the Year Award! Congratulations to everyone who left the night with an award, and good luck at the National Awards later in the year. 

Today also marks the first annual Victorian Chamber Pitcher Partners Grand Final Lunch at the MCG since the pandemic began. Not only is it fantastic to be back in person but also an honour to host three great Indigenous champions in Gavin Wanganeen, Shane Edwards and Michael O’Loughlin in front of 500 guests as we look ahead to Saturday’s big game.

Tomorrow, we pause to remember Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for a life of extraordinary public service. She touched the lives of millions of Australians during her 70-year reign and was a frequent visitor to Victoria where her son and heir Kind Charles III also attended school.

On Friday, we will celebrate the return of the AFL Grand Final to Melbourne. Although a one-off, these back-to-back public holidays present challenges for businesses including extra costs at a time when many are still trying to regain their footing post-pandemic. You have heard my thoughts about what Governments can do to assist business with this.

Speaking of bouncing back, the Victorian Chamber supports calls to remove mask mandates on public transport in Victoria to bring us in line with NSW and other states. Throughout the pandemic, we have advocated for consistent rules and there’s no reason why masks should be mandatory on public transport south of the Murray River.

We’ve been delighted by the response to the release of our 2022 State Election Platform, ‘Powering Victoria’s Future’. Media coverage has been strong and included a number of interviews including with ABC Mornings, 3AW Drive and we also had an opinion piece published in the Herald Sun, which you can read in full here.

Thank you to everyone who has reached out and provided their feedback and support. As I said in the Herald Sun, we believe business needs to be front and centre of the coming State Election campaign and we will have a lot more say about each of the platform’s four key pillars in the lead-up to November 26.

A big part of Victoria’s success will be ensuring we’re able to deliver and perform the jobs of the future. We look forward to hearing from Federal Minister for Skills and Training, Brendan O’Connor, on October 12, for an exclusive lunch in partnership with the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He will share how we can build a skilled workforce for the future and lift productivity off the back of the recent Jobs and Skills Summit, and you can book your seat here.

Other events to look forward to include our Melbourne Cup Carnival Lunch on Friday October 14, celebrating the race that stops the nation with Melbourne Cup winning jockey Damien Oliver, VRC Chief Executive Officer Steve Rosich and racing personality Emma Freedman in The Atrium. And don’t miss our ever-popular Business After Dark returning on October 25 at RACV City Club. Find details and book your spot for all of our upcoming events here.

I hope you enjoy the long weekend. Good luck to Geelong and the Sydney Swans on Saturday and may the best (Victorian) team win!