Media Releases December 2019

"Businesses of course have a duty to protect the health and safety of their employees. However, the ACTU's call for WHS regulations and codes about excessive heat and air particles need to go through the established WHS consultation channels," Ai Group Chief Executive, Innes Willox, said today.

Six leading organisations representing Victorian workers, business, investors, community and the environment have joined forces for the first time to call for decisive and responsible Victorian Government action on climate change.

"In the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO) released today the Government has taken into account the easing of growth that set in during the second half of 2018 which is proving difficult to shrug off. The revisions to the estimates of output growth, employment, household consumption, incomes and investment have seen a considerable reduction in the fiscal position over the forward estimates," Ai Group Chief Executive, Innes Willox, said today.

"Ai Group is encouraged by the Federal Government's decision to consult further following the release of the Government response to the ACCC's final report on the Digital Platforms Inquiry," Ai Group Chief Executive, Innes Willox, said today.

"Today, the High Court of Australia granted special leave to Mondelēz International and the Australian Government to appeal the problematic decision of the Federal Court in the Mondelēz v AMWU case about the quantum of personal/carer's leave that employees are entitled to. The appeal will be heard next year and the outcome will be extremely important for industry," Australian Industry Group Chief Executive, Innes Willox, said today.

Ai Group's Queensland Branch President Ken Bridges has marked the 150 year milestone of Downer Group's Maryborough operations with a presentation to  Downer's Executive General Manager, Andrew Spink, at an Ai Group meeting in Brisbane yesterday (10 December). Mr Spink was presented with a plaque of appreciation on behalf of Ai Group members in Queensland and across Australia.

"Ai Group welcomes the State Government's bid for the 2032 Olympics. Hosting the Olympics would impact positively on the State and on our regions as well as Australia more broadly and it would build our reputation nationally and globally," Ai Group Queensland Head, Rebecca Andrews said today.

"Ai Group welcomes the release today by the Australian Government of a second exposure draft of the Religious Discrimination Bill," Ai Group Chief Executive, Innes Willox said today.

The Australian Industry Group/Housing Industry Association Australian Performance of Construction Index (Australian PCI®) dropped 3.9 points to 40.0 in November, despite interest rate cuts and an easing in bank lending restrictions producing encouraging signs of a stabilisation in house building activity (readings below 50 indicate contraction in activity, with the distance from 50 indicating the strength of the decrease).

As Australia and our international peers gather at the UN Climate Conference in Madrid, it is clear that the world is not yet on track to stay within the temperature limits set out in the Paris Agreement. Getting there will require more ambition and action around the world, including in Australia. Our organisations, representing broad sections of the community and meeting as the Australian Climate Roundtable, today announced the next steps in our work to help Australia play our fair part in these efforts while maintaining and increasing our prosperity.