News Room Archive
Reform of Federal–State Relations
A spokesman for the Business Council of Australia said the system was dysfunctional and welcomed plans to reform it.
“The BCA welcomes Labor’s contribution to discussions about federal–state reform,” he said. “The BCA highlighted in its federalism action plan last October that our dysfunctional system of federal–state relations is costing taxpayers more than $9 billion a year, and is a serious drag on business and the wider economy. Improving federal–state relations is important if we are to sustain strong growth and prosperity in the future.”
From ‘Overhaul Will Save Billions: Business’ by Patricia Karvelas, The Australian, 1 August 2007, p. 4.
Mr Rudd’s agenda for the reform of federal–state relations is likely to get a big tick from the Business Council of Australia for one simple reason. Just as Mr Rudd “borrowed” his housing policy from the Housing Industry Association, so he seems to have “borrowed” his federal–state reform agenda from the BCA. On October 28 last year, BCA president Michael Chaney launched a 12-point plan calling for a new contract for federal–state relations that looks remarkably similar to the terms of reference of Mr Rudd’s advisory group on federal–state relations released yesterday.
From editorial titled ‘Fixing up Federalism’, The Australian, 1 August 2007, p. 15.