Media Releases October 2017

The Australian Industry Group Australian Performance of Manufacturing Index (Australian PMI®) fell 3.1 points to 51.1 in October, recording its 13th consecutive month of growth, albeit at a slower rate than the previous six months (readings above 50 indicate expansion in activity, with the distance from 50 indicating the strength of the increase).

"The potential for anti-trade sentiment is the biggest threat to Australia's historical support of Free Trade and we are encouraged that the Federal Opposition is joining the conversation on this issue," Ai Group Chief Executive, Innes Willox said today.

Statement by Shane Rodgers, Queensland Head, Ai Group

"The Australian Industry Group (Ai Group) is calling on all sides of politics in Queensland to support a fresh emphasis on facilitating the higher levels of business investment needed to support an increase in jobs growth and further improvements in the competitiveness of the Queensland economy," Ai Group's Queensland Head, Shane Rodgers, said today.

"Ai Group is pleased to announce the appointment of Shane Rodgers as our new head of Ai Group in Queensland to be based in Brisbane," Ai Group Chief Executive, Innes Willox, said today.

"The Australian Industry Group (Ai Group) today publicly released its submission on the Fair Work Laws Amendment (Proper Use of Worker Benefits) Bill 2017, which is before a Senate Committee inquiry. The Bill would deliver vital and long overdue reforms to protect workers' entitlements. The current lack of governance of worker entitlement funds that hold billions of dollars in workers' entitlements is indefensible," Innes Willox, Chief Executive of Ai Group, said today.

"Ai Group welcomes the focus the Treasurer placed on productivity in his speech to CEDA today in Canberra. This productivity agenda has the support of the Australian business community to help achieve the broad-based economic and social benefits that can flow from a concerted effort to lift national prosperity," Ai Group Chief Executive, Innes Willox, said today.

The Ai Group Defence Council, the peak body for the Australian defence industry, says Australian industry has the capability, capacity and determination to meet the Naval Shipbuilding Plan challenge

"Tomorrow's final closure of the Holden production line in Elizabeth is a sad day for the auto assembly sector and its workers. Manufacturing, however, is still going strong and it is promising that many of the displaced workers have found new employment in a big part thanks to the efforts of Holden itself," Australian Industry Group Chief Executive, Innes Willox, said today.

"The Australian Industry Group (Ai Group) expressed strong support today for the Federal Government’s Fair Work Laws Amendment (Proper Use of Worker Benefits) Bill 2017, which is set to be introduced into Parliament today. The Bill addresses the widespread, highly inappropriate current practice of unions deriving millions of dollars a year from money contributed by employers to employee entitlement funds which are meant to be for the benefit of their own employees," Chief Executive of the Australian Industry Group, Innes Willox, said today.

"Today's announcement by the Prime Minister offers a plausible new direction for energy policy with a welcome focus on energy security but further work will be needed by all concerned to help significantly drive down energy prices for hard-pressed domestic and industrial energy users," Australian Industry Group Chief Executive Innes Willox said today.