The Business Council of Australia says the tapering mining
boom meant the federal government had to continue making tough long term
economic decisions despite setting an election date
Council president Tony Shepherd says he hopes the setting of
September 14 as an election date did not mean there would be no reform for the
next seven-and-a-half months.
Multi-factor productivity should be the number one priority
and the government's first task should be getting modern workplaces for the
future, he said.
Workplaces had to be adapted, flexible and relevant to the
digital age and Australia's engagement with Asia.
"Workplaces that are focused on improving the
productivity of people but that doesn't mean less pay for more work, that just
means smarter work, more flexibility, more attuned to the demands of the
economy," he told ABC TV's Inside Business.
"You've got to look at the causes of the poor
productivity performance of Australia and address them and those things are
taxation, regulation, workplace reform, infrastructure and skills and they are
the priorities.
"But everything the government does should be looked at
through the prism of does this improve our productivity, particularly given the
fact that a lot of our sectors are battling against a very high Australian
dollar which I think we are going to have for some time."
Shepherd said the enormous investment in resources had been
masking low productivity and weakness in other sectors and as the boom tapers
off, productivity had to improve or there would be real problems in resources,
the rest of the economy and employment.
