By Mark Stone
VECCI welcomes the release of WorkSafe’s strong 2010-2011 financial year results and urges the Victorian Government to consider reducing premiums for business.
After good WorkSafe results, it’s time for a premium cut
September 9, 2011
3 Comments | 
Economy, Politics | Tagged: business premiums, Mark Stone, Victorian Government, WorkSafe | 
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Trades Hall wrong to boycott Israel
September 6, 2011By Chris James and Andrew Lowcock
The Victorian Trades Hall Council (VTHC) has passed a motion that could have the effect of targeting Israeli-owned businesses, voting to support the global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel.
2 Comments | Politics | Tagged: Max Brenner, protest, Trades Hall, Victoria | Permalink
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Productivity sidelined by union parroting about WorkChoices
August 31, 2011By Alexandra Marriott
Meaningful debate and discussion about lagging Australian productivity and the linkage to IR regulation continues to be rebuffed by the union movement and the Labor Government. Responses by the ACTU, the Federal Government and others to significant and reasoned contributions to this discussion continue to parrot responses about the business agenda – and that of the Federal Opposition, as well as the Reserve Bank’s chief – to ‘bring back WorkChoices’.
3 Comments | Politics | Tagged: Alexandra Marriott, Fair Work Act, Federal Government, industrial relations, reforms, unions, WorkChoices | Permalink
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Tax and regulatory reform too important to tie up with carbon tax
July 12, 2011By Alexandra Marriott and Darin Ritchie
Almost lost among the hype of the Federal Government’s carbon tax announcement is a proposed change to the tax-free threshold.
Described as a strategy to offset the higher costs of goods and services likely to be brought about by the carbon tax, the tax free threshold will be tripled to $18,200 on 1 July next year; of course, this is contingent upon the carbon tax legislation’s successful passage through Parliament.
2 Comments | Economy, Politics | Tagged: Alexandra Marriott, carbon tax, Darin Ritchie, Federal Government, tax reform, tax-free threshold, workforce participation | Permalink
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Drip-feeding of carbon details unhelpful – ditto GetUp bullying
July 8, 2011By The Editor
The Federal Government’s drip-feeding of details of the carbon tax, such as the reported $23 a tonne price and exemptions for petrol, is unhelpful and only adding to a muddled state of affairs.
1 Comment | Politics | Tagged: boycott, bullying, carbon tax, GetUp, small business, The Editor | Permalink
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Greens’ bank levy would only be passed on to you
June 8, 2011By The Editor
Not satisfied with their previous proposals for a death tax and a currency tax, the Greens are now lobbying for the introduction of a bank levy on Australia’s ‘big four’ banks.
6 Comments | Politics | Tagged: Adam Bandt, bank levy, Greens, tax, The Editor | Permalink
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Population strategy is missing a population strategy
May 16, 2011By Darin Ritchie
The Government’s Sustainable Australia- Sustainable Communities Strategy is a valued and welcomed contribution to the population debate; but the report does not go far enough and falls short of living up to its objective of providing a holistic, sustainable population strategy.
2 Comments | Community, Politics, Skills | Tagged: Darin Ritchie, Federal Government, growth, population, skilled migration, sustainability, Tony Burke | Permalink
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Federal Budget an improvement but still sub-optimal
May 11, 2011By Wayne Kayler-Thomson
Yesterday’s Budget was an improvement on recent efforts but still sub-optimal in terms of tackling waste and debt.
3 Comments | Politics | Tagged: federal budget, Gillard Government, small business, VECCI, Wayne Kayler-Thomson, Wayne Swan | Permalink
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Government buries its head in sand on IR changes
April 15, 2011By Alexandra Marriott
Despite many detailed cases for change presented by VECCI and many other businesses and associations, Workplace Relations Minister Chris Evans has definitively ruled out making any changes to the Fair Work Act to reduce the burden on business.
4 Comments | Politics, Workplace | Tagged: Alexandra Marriott, Chris Evans, Fair Work Act, VECCI, workplace relations | Permalink
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Is nannying approach to government doing more harm than good?
April 14, 2011By Chris James
The ‘old Australia’ is disappearing fast.
This was the Australia of the ‘fair go’ and ‘she’ll be right mate’, where a bit of leeway was always given to citizens by those in authority.
This change has upsides, but also many downsides.
2 Comments | Politics | Tagged: car parking, Chris James, City of Melbourne, fines | Permalink
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