We hosted a breakfast with the Hon Julie Collins MP, Federal Minister for Small Business, for an intimate roundtable discussion with Victorian Chamber members. Her visit provided the opportunity to discuss critical matters affecting our small business community and Minister Collins was receptive to our views, paying tribute to the role small businesses plays as the employers of four million Australians. Her insights and commitment to supporting our local enterprises left a positive impression, and we are excited about the initiatives that may arise from this discussion.

We then hosted Victorian Opposition Leader John Pesutto and his team for the launch of their Tax Reform discussion paper. The Coalition’s aim is to reduce cost pressure for families, community groups and business through tax reform. And they are asking Victorians for their input to improve what is currently a “punitive” system. All Victorians are encouraged to provide feedback and views of the discussion paper, which can be found here.

Engagements such as these highlight the bipartisan nature of the Chamber. We maintain mutually respectful relationships with all levels and parties in Government to represent business’ agenda. We can be trusted to both keep confidence and also to give purposeful input based on member feedback and our analysis.

In what can only be described as a huge win, I’m hoping you caught the news of the Hanwha contract, with operations to be headquartered in Avalon. Building our defence industry has long been a VCCI ambition, and we congratulate both the State and Federal Government on the announcement. I know many in the State who have been working on this for as long as four years, so it’s a huge congratulations to Minister Ben Carroll and his team. It is significant, builds on our capabilities and will have long-lasting positive opportunities.

There were several noteworthy developments in the ever-evolving economic landscape this week that are important to keep across.

It would be remiss not to touch on today’s IBAC report. Our reputation as a State at every level must be restored to one of “Beyond Reproach” and an appropriate response to the report’s recommendations should be forthcoming. We cannot allow Victoria’s reputation to be sullied by questionable business practices, corruption risks and improper conduct.

The Federal Government’s industrial relations reforms have also been a hot topic, with workplace reform details suggesting that more than 850,000 casual workers could be given the option to become permanent employees if they wish to gain leave benefits over casual loading.

You may have spotted Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chief Executive Andrew McKellar across the news, commenting with our positioning, and you can also hear an interview he did on 6PR here.

I’d like to encourage you all to take part in the Victorian Government’s Business Innovation Survey, which collects information from Victorian businesses to better understand what innovation looks like across different parts of the state. The results of the survey will help the Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions create more effective place-based policies to support innovation by Victorian businesses and is a fantastic opportunity to help inform future innovation policies and tailor support to businesses in your region. The survey can be found here and is open until midnight, Monday 31 July 2023.

Finally, you may have noticed an influx of additions to our online events page! There is so much to look forward to in the coming months, so make sure you clear your diaries and secure your spots now to things like our Housing Taskforce Roundtables; our next Business After Dark networking event; our Innovation event with Minister Ben Carroll MP; and our When Buyer Met Seller mini tradeshow! All details can be found here.

It has been wonderful seeing the displays and engagement in the FIFA Women’s World Cup across the city, particularly in Federation Square, and I have no doubt that there will be a massive show of support from both our Aussie supporters and Nigerian community tonight as the two teams go head-to-head. Good luck to our Matildas! And of course good luck to the Australian cricket team at the Oval in the UK tonight, and the Wallabies as they return to the MCG on Saturday night. We might even dream a little about how a Rugby World Cup Final in 2027 might look at the MCG too!

Have a wonderful weekend.