VECCI Chief Executive Mark Stone has welcomed the introduction of legislation to Federal Parliament that will extend unfair contract term protections to small business.

"This legislation will see the consumer unfair contract terms protections extended to cover contracts, fitting the prescribed criteria, entered into by small business," Mr Stone said.

"It will give a court the power to strike out a term of a small business contract that it considers unfair.

"The protections will apply to small business contracts where at least one party has fewer than 20 employees and the contract value is below the prescribed threshold of $100,000, or $250,000 for a multi-year contract.

"VECCI’s Small Business Taskforce report, Small business. Big opportunities, released in April this year, urged the Federal Government to commit to implementing the protections detailed in this legislation.

"Prior to this, leading-up to the 2013 federal election, VECCI, as part of the united chamber movement led by ACCI, ran the Small Business. Too Big to Ignore campaign in support of small business.

"The campaign highlighted the fact that there are over 2 million small businesses in Australia, employing more than 7 million Australians, which need government support to grow jobs and remain competitive.

"Today’s announcement demonstrates a commitment to help small business grow and we commend the Federal Government for this action."

The Victorian Employers' Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VECCI) is the most influential business organisation in Victoria, informing and servicing more than 15,000 members, customers and clients around the state.

vecci.org.au

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Australian Mines and Metals Association statement by Chief Executive, Steve Knott

AUSTRALIA’S national resource industry employer group, AMMA, congratulates the Coalition government and ALP for negotiating an agreed reduction in the Renewable Energy Target (RET) that has passed through the Senate with bipartisan support.

In principle, AMMA does not agree that legislated targets are the most effective mechanism to encourage investment in renewable energies. Our position is that there is a need for both renewables and non-renewables, and that the market remains the best determinant of the value and viability of various energy sources.

However, given political circumstances and various community views about a RET, we welcome the government providing certainty for all energy users and the reduction in the target from 41,000 gigawatt hours to 33,000GWh - aligned with changing energy demands.

Resource industry employers in particular are facing enormous global competitive pressures and are highly dependent on certainty and stability in energy cost and supply. This is especially critical when making long-term investment decisions that bring projects, jobs and economic benefits to our country.

AMMA also welcomes the agreement to exempt aluminium smelting from the RET. This represents sound political decision making that will support the ongoing competitiveness of this sector and ensure the significant employment it provides in Australia is not lost offshore.

After months of speculation and uncertainty, we are pleased to see this issue resolved through a cooperative, bipartisan process and hope such an approach can be applied to other policy issues of national significance.

www.amma.org.au

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COUNCIL of Small Business Australia (COSBOA) will welcome the Hon Joe Hockey MP to its Vodafone National Small Business Summit, taking place on Thursday 16 and Friday 17 July, at Doltone House Jones Bay Wharf, Sydney.

The Hon Joe Hockey MP will open the Summit breakfast on Friday 17 July and will talk about passion for small business. He adds:  “This Government understands that small businesses are the engine room of the Australian economy.

“We are committed to ensuring Australia is the very best place to start and grow a small business.

“Our Jobs and Small Business package is part of that commitment. It will create the right conditions for Australian businesses to thrive and grow.”

Peter Strong, CEO for COSBOA, commented: “This year’s Summit is set to address key policies that affect small business. The attendance of Mr Hockey adds to our greater programme, which has a focus on competition policy review, workplace relations and small business influence on national security.”

Highlights of the programme also include:

The passion of small business and affect on Australian economy, with: 

NSW Government - The Hon. John Barilaro

Antony Sault – GM Sales Vodafone Australia

Chris Jordan, Commissioner, ATO

Small Business and the Workplace Relations system, with Iain Ross, President of the Fair Work Commission

Has Harper hindered or helped? An industry response to The Competition Review, with:
Matthew Lobb, General Manager of Public Policy at Vodafone
Jos de Bruin, CEO of Master Grocers Australia
Su McCluskey, Chief Executive Officer of the Regional Australia Institute, part of the Competition Review Panel with Professor Ian Harper
Danny Gilbert - from Gilbert + Tobin, an independent cooperate law firm

Registrations are open for the Vodafone National Small Business Summit. For more information please visit www.nationalsmallbusinesssummit.com.au

In 2015, small businesses will be invited to attend the inaugural Summit Start Up on Wednesday 15 July; a pre-Summit networking event where the community, culture, and diversity of small businesses will be celebrated. The Summit Start Up will be opened by Hon Bruce Billson, the Federal Small Business Minister.

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The Chairman of the Australia Saudi Business Council, Tom Harley, will discuss how Australia can grow its $2.2 billion in exports to Saudi Arabia with federal parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade at a public hearing in Canberra tomorrow.

The Trade sub-committee’s inquiry into trade with the Middle East will also hear how to build on the nearly $5 billion of Saudi investment in Australia last year. Australia also invested nearly a $1 billion into projects and businesses in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2014.

Saudi Arabia is the Middle East’s largest economy with a 2013 budget surplus of $55 billion and population of over 30 million. The Kingdom, which is estimated to hold more than 20 per cent of the world’s conventional oil reserves, has become Australia’s second-largest trading partner in the Middle East behind the United Arab Emirates.

This oil-rich economy has helped build massive construction projects that have in turn fed increased demand for imports, services and education. The Saudi infrastructure and transportation sectors received US$17.3 billion in their 2014 budget.  Major Saudi projects include roads, railways and sea ports, as well as upgrading airports. 

Saudi Arabia also remains the largest market for Australian-built motor vehicles, importing $748 million worth of cars in 2014 – mostly Toyota Camrys.

Food security remains a key concern for Saudi Arabia, with Australia well placed to assist by exporting more than $310 million in Australian beef and other meats to the Kingdom last year. The Australian government believes there are opportunities to increase the trade in barley and wheat to Saudi Arabia to cement Australia’s place as a long-term grain supplier.

Education for its young population is another priority area with Saudi Arabia allocating US$56 billion to education and training in 2014, including almost US$6 billion to fund 185,000 students studying abroad. More than 10,000 Saudis are enrolled at Australian universities under the global King Abdullah Scholarships Program. Vocational education and training is also seen as a growth area.  

Public hearing:
Date/Time: Wednesday 24 June 2015, 11:10 am
Location: Committee Room 1R3, Parliament House, Canberra
Organisations: Australia Saudi Business Council
Live audio broadcast will be available at www.aph.gov.au/live

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