The BCA is pushing for Mr Rudd, Treasurer Wayne Swan, premiers and state treasurers to consider their plan for a “charter for new federalism” – possibly enshrined in federal and state legislation – when they meet in Melbourne tomorrow.

Improving the dysfunctional system of federal-state relations is at the core of every inefficiency in the Australian economy,” BCA chief executive Katie Lahey said. “This is not a governance issue, this is an economic imperative”.

From ‘BCA Demands Road Map for Federalism’, The Australian Financial Review, 19 December 2007.

BCA chief executive Katie Lahey said water reform was first placed on the COAG agenda in 1994. It was much discussed in the early 2000s and at nearly every meeting since the drought began five years ago. “But we still haven’t got the outcomes (on) a national water plan for Australia and we haven’t got market-based systems for pricing water … We haven’t got the outcomes we would expect from our leading politicians coming together to resolve the issue.”

From ‘Business Urges COAG Charter’, The Australian, 19 December 2007.

The business council’s chief executive, Katie Lahey, said the Council of Australian Governments had failed to deliver results. “But if governments were willing to sign up to a more ambitious collaboration – including tighter accountability and a permanent secretariat to drive their work between meetings – it could achieve a lot more … We need to be able to monitor the progress that has been made on the commitments … which is something that is just not happening now.”

From ‘Smarten up, Business Tells Leaders’, The Age, 19 December 2007.

BCA chief executive Katie Lahey said: “The new Labor federal government has indicated a strong commitment to a broad reform agenda, in particular a new co-operative system of federalism to achieve important reforms in key areas of the economy.’’  

The BCA welcomed this commitment and Mr Rudd’s bringing together of COAG before Christmas to re-energise federal–state relations and the setting out of timelines for action in key areas.  

“We agree health, education, infrastructure and business deregulation are all important matters for this week’s COAG meeting, but there is little point agreeing timelines for action unless new processes are put in place to bind all governments to reform commitments,’’ Ms Lahey said. 

From ‘BCA Calls for New Federalism’, Herald Sun, 19 December 2007.