Industry says it will work with Labor

Industry bodies have stated they will work with the new Labor government headed by Kevin Rudd, including the Master Builders Association.

Below are a statements from various industry groups:

Master Builders will work with ALP to tackle building industry challenges

Australia's peak building and construction association, Master Builders Australia today congratulated the ALP on a resounding victory, and committed it to working with the new Government in addressing the big issues facing the industry over the next ten years.

Wilhelm Harnisch, CEO of Master Builders said: "Master Builders looks forward to working with the ALP government to build Australia's economic and social infrastructure.

"The challenges we face in these areas need strong national leadership and a cooperative relationship between the States and Local Governments and we therefore welcome Mr Rudd's consensus approach to working with the states in meeting these challenges.

"Master Builders would also like to acknowledge the work of John Howard and the Coalition over the past 11 years. The changes that the outgoing Government implemented in the building and construction sector have been instrumental in brining about unprecedented levels of industrial peace and productivity to the industry," said Mr Harnisch.

"Master Builders will work with the ALP ministry as the detail of the policies outlined in the election build up are developed and delivered.

"It is vital that industry assists the Government to deliver initiatives that address Australia's infrastructure needs, the critical workforce shortages, restores housing affordability and continues with a flexible, productive and harmonious IR environment," said Mr Harnisch.

"We will work with the new Government to ensure that the transition of policy in industrial relations in particular is seamless, provides certainty and clarity and avoids complexity.

"Over the next decade Australia will invest approximately $1.7 trillion in economic and social infrastructure. We will need close to 2 million dwellings to ensure home ownership is not an unattainable dream. For our industry to deliver these things, we need to ensure a sustainable and skilled workforce," said Mr Harnisch.

"We need to attract and retain an additional 25,000 workers to our industry each year for the next ten years in order to ensure the continued viability of the industry and to prevent upward pressure on construction costs.

"If we fail to address our workforce needs, housing affordability will suffer, and the infrastructure needs of our communities like schools, roads and hospitals will fall behind," Mr Harnisch said.

AIIA welcomes newly-elected Government

The Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) today welcomed the newly-elected Labor Government in what promises to be a critical juncture for the information, communication and technology industry in Australia.

"We look forward to working with the new Government during a period in time that will be pivotal for the ICT industry and its role in Australia's future," AIIA CEO Sheryle Moon said.

"The leadership and policy delivered to the industry over the next three to five years will to a large degree define our future stake in the international information economy as well as our ability to successfully meet Australia's most pressing domestic issues."

The primary focus of the Government in this area must be on the direct implementation of the policy platforms delivered during the recent election campaign. "The top priority is to provide industry and the wider community with clear plans and a concrete timetable for the rollout of a national broadband infrastructure," said Ms Moon.

"We understand that the transition of governments will take time. We hope too the Government understands that business at all levels, and the ICT industry in particular, needs this information as soon as possible if Australia is to successfully compete in a globalised marketplace."

In other areas the AIIA said that the Government has presented strong policies addressing a number of significant industry concerns. "In particular, we look forward to working with the new Government to address ICT workforce pressures and reinvigorate the R&D sector," Ms Moon said.

However, more will be required if ICT is to maintain a viable contribution to the economy and wider issues affecting Australia.

"The ALP's Innovation Future for Australian Industry, released on November 21, recognises many of the imperatives that must be addressed if the ICT industry is to maintain a vibrant contribution to Australia and its interests, and that is a great outcome," said Ms Moon.

"The challenges it identifies are significant, however, and the clock is ticking. The opportunities we have today to keep pace with a rapidly advancing international community will be ignored at our peril."

WA business seeks economic certainty from new Federal Government

Western Australia's peak business and employer group, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA, congratulates Kevin Rudd and the Labor Party on their election victory.

However, one of the first challenges confronting the new Rudd Labor Government is to maintain the responsible and effective management of the economy to ensure Western Australia's growth and prosperity continue.

The WA economy is the powerhouse of the nation, and if properly managed, the current economic climate can continue for many years to come.

However the change of government presents many challenges for WA's small, medium and large businesses. As a result many employers are apprehensive about the future.

The industrial relations reforms undertaken since 1993 have been instrumental in delivering the current economic prosperity, giving employers confidence and certainty to grow and hire more staff.

At the same time individual bargaining has provided both employers and employees the flexibility to negotiate pay and conditions at a workplace level.

These benefits will now be lost.

Amid this business uncertainty, it is imperative for the new Prime Minister and his government to develop a close working relationship with WA business and consult employers about its industrial relations changes.

Another significant early challenge for Kevin Rudd will be to enforce his leadership on the union movement to ensure industrial unrest and strikes do not undermine WA's business reputation and the ability for projects to be completed on time and on budget.

With more than $100 billion of major infrastructure projects in the pipeline in WA, the state can not afford to return to the old days of union dominance.

CCI, as the state's peak business and employer group, will welcome any opportunity to meet members of the new government to ensure the voice of WA business continues to be heard.

A Green House - Australian response to climate change a crucial key to Labor's win

"Australians want to see a serious commitment to action on global warming, and the new Prime Minister has been given a mandate through the strength of the vote for Labor, as well as that of the Greens, to act on Labor election promises," says Dr Ray Wills, CEO of the WA Sustainable Energy Association Inc (WASEA) today.
"Australia has voted and by electing a Parliament with green credentials, Australians have sent a clear message it is time to act on climate change."
"Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has a unique opportunity with the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali to take the world stage and return Australia to its previously held position as a strong leader on action on climate change."
"The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change will have been in operation for twenty years next year. The world should have acted on global warming in the last century when science delivered the first strong warnings on global warming. Not enough action has been taken, and we are now out of time to avoid significant climate change. But, we must act decisively now if we want to avoid even more dangerous change in our climate."
"Furthermore, Kevin Rudd has an opportunity to create unified action across Australia under the leadership of the Federal Government."
"By signing Kyoto, the Federal Government will have the legal basis to ensure that all Australian States take action to respond to climate change. Federal action will ensure a consistent set of rules across Australia, and provide businesses access to international markets which are currently denied to them."
"The new Labor Government committed in the election to a target of generating at least 20 per cent of Australia's electricity supply generated from renewable sources within 13 years will require immediate action to put in place the market structures that will allow business to respond and build the required generation facilities to meet the target."
"Responding to climate change will create new business, new employment opportunities, and a more sustainable economy in Australia."
"Renewable energy generation, combined with measures for better energy efficiency, means future proofing our economy and will produce a sustainable economy with fewer inflationary pressures for Australians."
"We do not have decades to respond to climate change - we have already had decades. It is time to take the heat out of this problem, and how we produce and use energy is the key to solving it."