WITH AREEA Chief Executive Steve Knott meeting key Australian Government ministers in Canberra this week, members are encouraged to get involved in the discussions by letting us know what priorities you want raised with our national decision makers.
Mr Knott will meet with Senator the Hon. Michaelia Cash, Minister for Employment and Minister for Women, tomorrow (Wednesday 14 September), followed by new Minister for Resources Matt Canavan on Thursday (15 September).
“It is extremely important that AREEA’s members – resources and allied sector companies employing over 500,000 people – have their priorities put directly to our nation’s key policy makers on a regular and forthright basis,” Mr Knott said.
“It is through the partnership and engagement we have with our members that AREEA can collectively influence and drive changes in the industry and workplace policy environment that is so critical to our operations.”
Items already on the agenda for discussion with the ministers include:
- Feedback from AREEA members in our 2016 Federal Election Survey, which showed that only 1 in 20 resource employers believe the current workplace relations system reflects the needs of the modern Australian economy.
- AREEA’s “5 Reforms Over 5 Years Campaign”, which is heavily advocating changes across enterprise bargaining; union workplace entry laws; agreement making options; unfair dismissals and adverse action laws; and reforming Australia’s employment institutions.
- The importance of the planned reduction in the company taxation rate to 25 per cent.
- The need to reduce red tape and improve approval processes for new resources projects (see example page 71 here).
Members with other key issues policy they would like AREEA to raise in discussions with ministers and other key decision makers should contact our policy and government relations team via [email protected] or call (03) 9614 4777.