In a public letter, Bill argues for improving the conditions in which viable Australian businesses operate. He presents proposals for discussion, rather than describing measures already adopted.
Four areas to examine
His proposals cover the cost of employing people, access to business finance, incentives for productive reinvestment and resilience in critical supply chains.
The common thread is making the next sensible investment more achievable: another employee, equipment, a new location or a change of ownership.
Keep the discipline
He also identifies the trade-offs. Public support can carry costs, distort incentives or be poorly targeted. His proposal calls for limits, private capital, meaningful lender risk and measurement of outcomes.
The objective is an environment where sound businesses can make considered investments and grow. It does not remove the need for business owners to understand their numbers or take responsibility for decisions.
A question to take away: What is actually preventing your next investment, and how clearly can you explain that constraint?
