As I outlined in my column in the Herald Sun today, it’s incumbent on whoever forms government to put in place the right policy settings to ensure business can thrive and continue to power Victoria and Australia’s prosperity.

During the campaign we have kept a scorecard of the major parties’ promises as they relate to business. We are pleased that so far half of the 61 recommendations in our state election platform, Powering Victoria’s Future, have been either fully or partially adopted by the major parties.

These include boosting training and skills, providing additional funding for manufacturing, expanding housing supply in Regional Victoria, cuts to payroll tax and stamp duty, creating a clean energy roadmap and implementing ways to regulate the energy market to ensure certainty of supply and price.

This is a significant outcome and reflects the influence of Victorian business. I want to thank all of our members who’ve played a role in building our platform and amplifying it during the campaign, including our popular advocacy videos. You can find the latest on Regional Victoria featuring Sunified Co-Founder Michael Anthony talking about how we can grow our regions here.

We’ve also released the latest episode of our Business Voice podcast in which we speak to the Chief Executive of Visit Victoria Brendan McClements about the important role tourism and events will play in driving Victoria’s economy. We also catch-up with Sean Sammon from the York Park Group about what we might expect this Saturday.

At a federal level, we joined with the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other State Chambers to publish an open letter to Senators in national newspapers this week to express our concerns about the Federal Government’s proposed workplace relations changes.

More than 650 people attended the Victorian Chamber’s free webinar on Tuesday where our experts explained the content of the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Secure Jobs, Better Pay) Bill 2022, further demonstrating business’ concerns and appetite for clarity about the proposed changes. If you missed it, you can watch it here.

We know finding workers remains one of the biggest challenges for many businesses, including in Regional Victoria. Regional Development Victoria, in collaboration with East Gippsland Shire Council and Latrobe City Council will host two sessions on skilled migration next month: one on 7 December in Traralgon and one on 8 December in Bairnesdale.

It was great to catch up with a number of members at last night’s President’s Dinner at the NGV. This was our first dinner presided over by our new President Adrian Kloeden and we also celebrated two of our 50-year members, Jenome and McHarry’s Buslines Pty Ltd.

Finally, I want to thank everybody who attended another fantastic AFLW Grand Final Lunch at Marvel Stadium today. The AFL is to be congratulated on another outstanding AFLW season and we wish both Brisbane and Melbourne all the best for this Sunday’s Grand Final.

Enjoy the rest of the week.