More than 60 CEOs from WA provided Business News with detailed views on the year past, the next 12 months, their vision for the state, and what they expect from political leaders.
See more responses here.
What would you ask Colin Barnett to do for your business this year? | What would you ask Mark McGowan to do for your business this year? | What would you ask Tony Abbott to do for your business this year? | What would you ask Bill Shorten to do for your business this year? |
Michael McNulty, Deloitte | |||
N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Danny Psaros, Psaros | |||
Further streamline the planning process. | Put pressure on Colin Barnett to further streamline the planning process. | Introduces measures to increase productivity. | Not object to measures that will increase productivity. |
Hugh Gallagher, Kalgoorlie Boulder Chamber of Commerce & Industry Inc | |||
How will you support the business community as it generates your income. | How would you support business in balance with your social policy. | Could you change the political system to be trustworthy hence build confidence. | How would you balance your social and commercial policy. |
David Dodds, JAXON | |||
N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Christopher How, The Bethanie Group | |||
Provide all aged care providers a payroll tax exemption. | Provide a true blueprint for a WA ageing population. | Find a solution to the impact that a federated model has on a true seamless health care system. | Present a policy paper on a way forward for the national ageing agenda. |
Karen Giles, Clubs WA | |||
Work with Clubs WA to create a strong and vibrant club industry, which will strengthen local communities in this state. | Investigate the impact of current legislation on licensed clubs, particularly in regional areas. | Support opportunities for career pathways in the WA club industry. | Ensure legislation does not impact on the ability for WA Clubs to provide services for local communities. |
Michael Pailthorpe, Variety WA | |||
Build productive relationships with trading partners to provide opportunities for WA business. | Support the growth of business opportunities. The more business the more jobs for everyone. | Be prepare to compromise to get your budget measures through. | Drop the negativity, be supportive of reform that is good for Australia. |
Mark Whitehouse, ProCopy | |||
Get the NBN or better internet rolling out faster, it's imperative to business. | Stop bickering & show some proactive positive ideas. | Get the NBN or better internet rolling out faster, it's imperative to business. | Who? |
Irina Cattalini, WA Council of Social Service | |||
Work strategically to sustain services in a tighter economic climate. | Drive leadership in our Parliament for social justice and sustainability. | Rethink the Federal Budget and tax policies - we need a broader revenue base and fairer distribution. | Consult the views of the community, don't just be the opposite of the Government. |
Garry Ellender, Access Housing Australia Ltd | |||
Take a personal interest in the affordable housing plight faced by many Australians, and encourage and endorse the innovative solutions being progressed by Access Housing that tangibly increase affordable housing supply without significant impost on Government coffers. | Same response. | Put stringent conditions on Federal funding to the States for housing, requiring them to implement long term strategies to divest public housing assets and management to the NFP and private sectors, in order to provide a sustainable platform for a substantial increase in social and affordable housing supply and the revitalisation of ageing public housing assets | Support issues mentioned in previous response. |
Rob Hill, Australind Veterinary Clinic | |||
Help Business! | Help Business! Focus on business. The social and economic impacts are huge! | Make education affordable, we have high unemployment and unattainable education costs. The result of this will only widen the gap between the wealthy and not so wealthy. BUSINESS ASSISTANCE HAS TO BE A PRIORITY | Help Business! Help people to help themselves! |
Frank Hurley, Wrays | |||
Work with key stakeholders such as us to build an innovation strategy for the state and give it senior cabinet responsibility. | Same response. | Understand there is a strong positive link between patents filed and GDP by building incentives for industry to innovate, protect their IP and keep it in Australia. | Same response. |
Ian King, WA Road Transport Association | |||
Stop unnecessary spending please Premier. We do not have a bottomless pit as many people think. | Be proactive and tell us what you will do - at the moment there is a lot of talk with absolutely NO substance. Its not easy at the top, is it? | Be honest and stick to the game plan. Forget personalities just get the work done! | Easy being in Opposition - what would you do differently. Remember the deficit must be addressed...if you get a chance the Nation's microscope will be on you and then what? |
Tom Darbyshire, Kott Gunning Lawyers | |||
Eliminate payroll tax, control state debt. | Start looking like a credible premier. | Be consistent, start pricing carbon, get over to WA a bit more often. | Start looking like a credible PM. |
Martyn Weir, PDC | |||
Maintain a long term focus on building infrastructure. | Support the government inititiaves. | Support innovative companies and growing the economy. | Support growing the economy. |
Graham Francis, SwanCare Group | |||
Listen, respond and be visionary. | Take the high road on issues of importance. | Continue with making the hard decisions. | Proactively and constructively challenge, but don't hinder. |
Colm O'Brien, Aspermont Limited | |||
Continued promotion of WA business internationally. | Same response. | Focus on free trade agreements. | Focus on the economy. |
Chris Hall, MercyCare | |||
To maintain momentum and continue to build upon the strength of the partnership between the WA government and WA NFP community sector. | To challenge those in power to ensure the vulnerable and those with significant need for support and assistance are not forgotten or overlooked. | To ensure that the Australian Government prevents creating an Australian society divided into the “haves” and “have nots” and the “deserving” and “undeserving” poor. | To truly value the social benefit of the NFP sector to the Australian community. |
Nigel Satterley, Satterley Property Group | |||
I'd like to encourage him to continue to push for a reduction in the red and green tape to improve the efficiency of my industry. I also think its very important he works to keep household charges under control and find a sound and responsible approach to State debt. | Keep the pressure on the Government around issues such as State debt and sound decisions to create employment in WA. | Looking for a real commitment to reducing red and green tape and continue to build business relationships with our most important trading partners. | Work productively with the Government on the issues outlined above. |
Geoff Simpson, Allen & Overy | |||
Sell some stuff. | Don't get in the way of Colin selling some stuff. | N/A | N/A |
Peter Mott, CEO Hollywood Private Hospital | |||
Commit to the light rail hub. | Same response. | Maintain the right balance between public and private medicine. | Same response. |
Michael Heath, St Ives Group | |||
Reinstate the payroll supplement for private aged care providers. | Ask Colin Barnett to reinstate the payroll supplement. | Decrease regulation in aged care and enable a free market on Home Care for the aged. | Put the rights of the aged higher on the agenda. |
Sue Murphy, Water Corporation | |||
Make a long term infrastructure plan that is bipartisan. | Agree to the same long term infrastructure plan as Colin. | Focus on job creation. | Work with Tony on creating jobs. |
David Reid, David Reid Group | |||
More investment to help small business owners thrive. | Get your head around small business owners and what they do for this state. | Rethink your strategy on renewable energy. We have several great clients in this space who need clarity and support. | Invest more time in WA and find out what is going on over here. |
Kashif Saleem, Trackem Pty Ltd | |||
Continue to support local business and introduce policies to ensure WA people benefit from its resource projects. | N/A | Ensure WA gets its fair share of GST | N/A |
Andrew Wagstaff, Diabetes WA | |||
To get behind the new WA Framework for Action on Diabetes and Diabetes Standards. | Provide bi-partisan support to getting behind the new WA Framework for Action on Diabetes and Diabetes Standards. | To champion the National Diabetes Strategy and Action Plan and get serious about diabetes prevention. | Provide bi-partisan support to championing the National Diabetes Strategy and Action Plan and getting serious about diabetes prevention. |
Chris Galvin, Galvin Engineering | |||
What is the plan to fill the hole left in state revenue from the downturn in mining? | What is the one thing Colin is doing wrong and how would you do it better? | When will GST be increased? | How would you deal with the current economic downturn? |
Marcus Stafford, The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Western Australia (Inc) | |||
Remain true to the commitments made to people with disabilities and manage the transition of services from government to the private and not-for-profit sector. A true marketplace with competition can be a tough place to operate, but it will lead to the best results for people with disabilities. | Build a series of policies that will create a credible opposition and avoid the temptation of personal attacks that will only disillusion and disappoint the general public. | Focus on creating 'small government', by freeing surplus funds for business and the not-for-profit sector. | Build a series of policies that will create a credible opposition and avoid the temptation of personal attacks that will only disillusion and disappoint the general public. |
Cliff Rocke, KordaMentha | |||
N/A | N/A | Make it easier for directors to restructure companies in a logical and efficient manner without the ipso facto consequences and insolvent trading issues as noose around their heads. If this was to occur you may see directors seeking advice and counselling sooner than later. As we say the earlier a problem is recognised the greater the number of options there are to deal with the situation. | N/A |
Bradley Woods, Australian Hotels Association WA | |||
Genuine cuts to small and medium sized business red tape cost reduction. | Consult with the business sector on how to shape and build the Western Australian economy. | Major Industrial Relations reform on penalty rates. | Allow the Government to fix the deficit and the economy. |
Sebastian Bolhuis, Harley Dykstra | |||
Come to the SW more often. | Be involved in Business and listen. | Come to WA more often and be interested. | Not sure. |
Brian Briscoe, Mums2Work, Trades & Labour Co, Briscoe Search | |||
Have you and your party asked yourself all the right questions as to how to govern this new economy now that the resource industry is no longer in mass construction phase? | Are you ready to become a credible alternative to the government of the day? | Can we get on with running the country? | How can we trust you? |
Byron Smith, Raw Hire | |||
Create a 5 year capital infrastructure investment plan into metro and regional WA for beyond 2016 to fill the gap from mining and resources. | Establish an opposition that creates innovation as well as collaboration in government policy to improve WA. | Sort out the budget and create an economic and social plan to get consumer and business confidence going. Drive economic growth and create a fairer allocation of funding by increasing WA share of GST. | Create real strategies that will attend to the challenge of the declining economic prosperity of Australia rather than just be the new fashion opposition leader that just says no. This type of opposition is not what Australia needs to create a better future. |
Evan MacRae, Stirling Business Enterprise Centre Inc | |||
Stop taxing businesses who employ with Payroll Taxes lumped on top of growing Super contributions | Please provide the voting public with your plans and alternatives to the current economic environment and please do this now. | Get the budget sorted and start building consumer confidence to enable the flow on effect. | Please offer a viable and strong alternative to avoid the current disenchantment the voting public has. |
Gavin Lewis, Institute of Public Administration Australia WA | |||
N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
David van Ooran, RSPCA | |||
Lift animal welfare up the list of priorities. There is much to be done in terms of improving the lives of all animals across the state. | Develop new ideas, initiatives and policies to improve animal welfare. | N/A | N/A |
Stuart Kenny, AGC Pty Ltd | |||
Keep your focus on growing the WA economy, a strong and growing economy is eventually good for all. | Same response. | Reduce the red tape associated with employment of skilled international workers. | Reduce the barriers imposed by Labor related to employment of skilled international workers. |
Fiona Kalaf, Lifeline WA | |||
Please continue to make suicide prevention a key tenet of mental health reform in Western Australia. | Please keep asking the right questions about the value of mental health, suicide prevention and community resilience. | Please re-establish a Federal Mental Health Minister. | Please develop a sustainable long-term policy on mental health for all Australians. |
Basil Hanna, Parkerville Children and Youth Care | |||
Trust and work with NG operators. Encourage partnerships and keep up the fight for our state | N/A | Don't ignore the homelessness issues in favor of brownie points with business. | N/A |
Richard Ladny, G & G Mining Fabrication | |||
Back off on the royalties from the mining industry, so they can reinvest into the the WA mines. | How would they add value to the economy to assist it to grow. | Give incentives for small - large business to develop. | N/A |
Michael Hotchkin, Hotchkin Hanly | |||
Nothing at all. Our business can, and should, look after itself. | Same response. | Same response. | Same response. |
Rob Coombe, QSRH | |||
N/A | N/A | There is an urgent need to address labour reform. Unskilled labour costs and awards run the risk of the nation losing its global competitiveness | Bipartisan support for genuine labour reform. |
Andy Byk, MAK Industrial Water Solutions | |||
Government/private investment in infrastructure aimed at promoting industry - ports/rail etc. | Get a new job. | Invest in infrastructure. | N/A |
Debra Goostrey, UDIA (WA) | |||
Introduce a regulatory impact statement for all new policies which includes a robust cost benefit analysis | Work with the government to deliver a 20 year bipartisan infrastructure program to deliver investment certainty. | Continue to work to streamline the state/federal environmental approvals process and resolve the roll out of broadband. | To apply pressure to the Federal government to broaden their investment in infrastructure to include the facilitation of economic building blocks, including supporting the provision of infrastructure required to deliver dwellings in major growth areas. |
Nigel Lutton, IT Vision Pty Ltd | |||
Invest, Promote, Support. | Invest, Promote, Support with the Government instead of simply criticising all that they do. | Invest, Promote, Support along with some greater humility and ability to reject, revise and reform bad prior policy. | Pass the baton of leadership to somebody else that has a hope of inspiring leadership, change, innovation and a chance of winning the next or a future election. |
Sandra Wallis, Swan Chamber of Commerce Inc | |||
More focus on small business to boost confidence. | To truly understand the importance of small business and support government policies that assist this sector. | Focus on policies and programmes that will improve consumer confidence. | Make a real effort to support the government on same. |
Andrew Pascoe, Allens | |||
Be bold and decisive in addressing the State's fiscal position | Remember that "Opposition" is a location (temporary at that), not a job description | N/A | N/A |
David Hobbs, GreyhoundsWA | |||
Please be conscious of the lower income earner when making decisions that impact families and their quality of living | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Norman Neill, HLB Mann Judd | |||
Continue to drive strategies to assist the growth of the WA economy | Ensure that legislation is properly reviewed, but not standing in the way of change | Develop an understanding of the impact that WA has on the health of the nation and ensure that it is treated fairly on the national stage | Work with the government to ensure that the inaction caused by an ineffectual government does not continue |
Stephen McComish, Jones Day | |||
Ensure the courts are adequately funded and supported, and continue to work on making WA attractive to foreign and domestic investment. | Keep Colin and his team on their toes by seeking to lead debate with great ideas to improve our circumstances and resist any temptation to play politics to the detriment of the needs of the state. | Maintain our high standards of education and ensure WA receives a fair share of funding. | Keep Tony and his team on their toes by seeking to lead debate with great ideas to improve our circumstances and resist any temptation to play politics to the detriment of the needs of Australia. |
Jeff Miller, Civil Contractors Federation WA | |||
Invest more in critical infrastructure now to prepare us for the next resource construction phase (which will happen sooner rather than later) | Provide bipartisan support for a commitment to greater infrastructure investment. | Boost infrastructure funding but leave project selection to the states, who are best placed to manage their priorities. | Commit to working with the government on infrastructure rather than trying to score political points. |
James Thackray, McGrathNicol | |||
Release more land in WA. | Give us your vision for WA. | Start infrastructure spending after you get a budget in place | What are you going to do about the GST in WA. |
Ian Carter, Anglicare WA | |||
To provide accessible, appropriate housing for all people who need it and to continue to build partnerships with the community sector to deliver services to Western Australians in need. | Same response. | Provide housing for those in need and to invest in the long term support needed to end homelessness. To not cut Newstart for young people under 30 for six months and to see young people as an asset to the future of Australia rather than a burden. | Same response. |
Deidre Willmott, CCI | |||
Keep promoting business and growth in the West Australian economy. | Keep talking to business as your formulate your policy positions for 2017. | Reform the GST system so it is fair for all states and territories, including Western Australia. | Spend as much time as possible in Western Australia understanding our economy and the needs of our community. |
Larry Jorgensen, Wines of Western Australia | |||
To all I would ask that they recognise the value of the wine industry to the Australian economy, particularly in regional Australia. In WA, the wine industry achieves the highest value adding factor of all horticultural industries and is a significant employer in regional WA. We help to build communities. | Same response. | Same response. | Same response. |