PM sets down jobs summit for September

Andrew Brown | July 11, 2022

Ideas raised at a national jobs and skills summit could be included in the October budget, Treasurer Jim Chalmers says.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Monday the summit – one of Labor’s key election commitments – would be held in Canberra on September 1 and 2.

Mr Albanese said the summit would bring together business groups, unions, civil society and levels of government.

Dr Chalmers said ideas raised by the 100 attendees would not sit on the shelf.

“We’ve deliberately chosen to put this jobs and skills summit before the October budget that we’ll be handing down because there may be steps proposed and agreed to at the summit which could be implemented quickly,” he said.

“We don’t want to pre-empt what may come out of it, but if it’s possible that if there is common ground found and agreement found at the summit, if we can move quickly, we will.”

Mr Albanese said Australia faced a once-in-a-generation challenge during the COVID period.

“But it opens up as well a once-in-a-generation opportunity for how we grow back stronger from the COVID pandemic,” he said.

“We also need to have some real discussions about productivity and how we move it forward.”

The agenda for the summit will be released by the end of July.

Invitations will be sent out at the start of August, with a series of discussion papers set to be issued before the summit.

It’s expected the goals from the summit will include a better trained workforce, a boost to incomes and living standards and the creation of better opportunities for people in more parts of the country.

Shadow treasurer Angus Taylor said it was a shame Labor did not present a comprehensive employment policy to voters ahead of the election.

“If the government is serious about building genuine consensus behind the summit and the resulting white paper, they must ensure parliamentarians from all parties, including the opposition, have a seat around the table in September,” he told AAP.

Individual ministers will also lead work in relation to the summit based on their portfolios.

However, Mr Albanese said tax policies would not be on the agenda.

Australian Council of Trade Unions secretary Sally McManus said she hoped the talks would find solutions to systemic issues.

“We have a chance to build a stronger, more inclusive workforce which will generate the economic growth that we need to recover from the pandemic and share the success of our economy more evenly,” she said.

“We must rebuild our manufacturing industry and work together to build the skills we need for the jobs of the future.”

Business Council of Australia chief executive Jennifer Westacott said the summit would be a chance to reset the economy.

“Our economy is poised for a world-beating recovery but it hinges on our ability to bring everyone to the table and find common purpose to sustainably drive new investment, productivity and stronger growth,” she said.

Australian Retailers Association chief executive Paul Zahra said the upcoming summit would need to look at long-term economic reform.

“We need to see measures that will deliver improved social and economic outcomes, to not only address the short-term challenges, but the long-term ones as well to deliver economic prosperity,” he said.