More good policy and less politics

There are 1.4 million good reasons for our governments to pay careful attention to the results of the latest ANZ/Property Council survey of industry confidence. 

That’s the number of jobs directly provided by our industry which is Australia’s biggest.  

As you'll read in this issue of Property Australia, while sentiment is still broadly positive, overall confidence has fallen for the second consecutive quarter. Tellingly, expectations around forward work schedules and staffing levels have fallen in parallel for the first time. Staffing level expectations are at their lowest level since September 2014.  

Our governments must be alert to this shift in sentiment. More than ever we need strong investment, tax and planning regimes to keep the economy strong.  

There have been some welcome signs (and frankly all too rare) recently of a bipartisan commitment to delivering good policy to support the Australian economy. The Australian Government’s fast-tracking of cuts to company tax for small and medium-sized businesses with a turnover of up to $50 million has been supported by Labor.  

I’m in Canberra today for a round of meetings with Government and Opposition MPs. I’ll be reinforcing the need for more good policy and less politics in delivering a better outcome for all Australians, including those who work in the property industry creating the great places where we live and work.