Media Releases August 2016

"South Australia's energy woes will go national unless the COAG Energy Council follows through on difficult reforms to increase gas supply, reward demand response, and build a more flexible and connected electricity market," Australian Industry Group Chief Executive Innes Willox said today.

"Upgrade work on SA's vital Heywood electricity interconnector has triggered a new price surge event that will ultimately hit energy users," Ai Group SA Head Stephen Myatt said today.

"An Ai Group National CEO survey released today has found that an exchange rate of 75 US cents to the Australian dollar is the sweet spot for business growth. The report tracks the positive impact of the lower dollar on Australian businesses and manufacturers in particular," Australian Industry Group Chief Executive, Innes Willox, said today.

The Australian Industry Group has welcomed the strengthened industry engagement in training offered by the new framework outlined by the Minister for Training and Skills, the Hon. Steve Herbert MP.

"Next week, a five-Member Full Bench of the Fair Work Commission (FWC) will hear final submissions in the long-running Casual and Part-time Employment Case. Ai Group is playing a leading role in representing Australian employers in the case. Ai Group is strongly opposing union claims for an absolute right for casuals to be converted to permanent employment after six months of regular work, and for a four-hour minimum engagement period for casuals. The evidence in the case shows that it is in the interests of employers and casual employees that the unions' claims be decisively rejected," Innes Willox, Chief Executive of the Australian Industry Group said today.

"The Mapping Australian higher education 2016 report just released by the Grattan Institute should not be used as an argument to undervalue the contribution that Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM) skills make to our economy and future workforce," Ai Group Chief Executive, Innes Willox, said today.

The national construction industry expanded for a second consecutive month in July, though at a slower pace, with the Australian Industry Group/Housing Industry Association Australian Performance of Construction Index (Australian PCI^®) falling 1.6 points to 51.6 (readings above 50 indicate expansion in activity, with the distance from 50 indicating the strength of the increase).

"There is no comfort for employers in the latest NAPLAN results released this week and business remains concerned about the levels of literacy and numeracy of our school students," Australian Industry Group Chief Executive, Innes Willox, said today.

The Australian Industry Group Australian Performance of Services Index (Australian PSI^®) lifted by 2.6 points to 53.9 in July, indicating a stronger rate of expansion in activity in the services sector's third consecutive month in positive territory (results above 50 points indicate expansion, with the distance from 50 points indicating the strength of the expansion).

In announcing today’s decision the Governor of the RBA drew attention to falling business investment.  While lower interest rates should assist in boosting investment,  delivering at least the first tranche of the proposed company tax cuts would provide a more decisive and very timely lift to investment incentives,” Australian Industry Group Chief Executive, Innes Willox, said today.