Media Releases October 2020

"The failure of the Victorian Government to today provide guidelines for the reopening of Melbourne is a hammer blow for business confidence," Innes Willox Chief Executive of the national employer association Ai Group said today.

The Australian Industry Group has called on the State Government to ease restrictions on Melburnians tomorrow, despite a number of new virus cases being found.

Ai Group has today released the latest in its series of monthly reports on Australia’s business experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Victoria's public holiday for the Grand Final tomorrow is a "slap in the face" for Victorian employers attempting to deal with the economic hardship created by the pandemic and the State's glacial path to reopening.

The national employer association Ai Group has presented the Victorian Government with its response to the 20 recommendations of the Inquiry into the Victorian On-Demand Workforce. Ai Group has emphasised the importance of taking a national approach to any legislative or other changes.

A poll of Ai Group member companies has found a growing incidence of insurance stress related to huge price spikes, reduced coverage or inability to secure insurance at all.

"Australia’s national interest demands that the Victorian Government move faster and more coherently towards reopening its shattered economy," Innes Willox, Chief Executive of the national employer association Ai Group, said today.

"When the Victorian Premier stands up on Sunday to announce changes to the State’s harsh lockdown laws, he needs to take into account health considerations...all of them," Tim Piper, Victorian Head of the peak employer association Ai Group said today.

The Australian Industry Group Australian Performance of Business Index (Australian PBI) fell by 4.5 points to 38.1 in September, pointing to a further contraction in activity and at an accelerating pace. This reflects the ongoing impact of COVID-19 and renewed activity restrictions and border closures in response to it (results below 50 points in the Australian PBI indicate deteriorating business conditions, with lower numbers indicating a faster pace of deterioration in the month).

The Australian Industry Group Australian Performance of Services Index (Australian PSI®) fell by 6.3 points to 36.2 points in September 2020 (seasonally adjusted), indicating a further reduction in activity and at a faster pace than in August (results below 50 points indicate contraction, with lower numbers indicating a stronger pace of decline).