With a decision made today about who will govern Western Australia for the next four years, the new government must begin work immediately to address the challenges that are preventing the State realising its full economic potential.
The State's peak business group, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia, looks forward to working with the Liberal and National parties in government, and members of the next Parliament, to develop and implement sound policies to maximise business investment and ensure sustainable economic growth.
While there is no doubting Western Australia's role as the economic powerhouse of the nation, at the same time, there can be no room for complacency. With international competition fierce for investment projects and labour, Western Australia must aspire for excellence and remain ahead of its rivals.
The new Liberal/National minority government led by Colin Barnett, cannot afford to take business and industry for granted. It is small, medium and large enterprises in Perth and the regions that are driving growth in the WA economy by investing, generating wealth and creating jobs.
During the election campaign, CCI released its Strategies for Growth paper which sets out 10 key policy priorities for the incoming WA government. They are:
- Addressing Labour Shortages
- Energy security
- Tax Competitiveness
- Public Sector Reform
- Infrastructure Development
- Retail Trading Hours
- Regulatory Reform
- Education and Training
- Health and Community Services
- Climate Change
The Strategies for Growth paper can be found at www.cciwa.com
The new government should make it a priority to address policy shortcomings in these aras.
CCI encourages the new Liberal minority government to work closely with the business community to develop sound policies to tackle these challenges, and make WA an even better place to live and work.
Statement by CCI Chief Executive James Pearson