Global Engagement Task Force

WORD FROM THE TASK FORCE CHAIRMAN

On the role of business: ‘The kinds of issues that are shaping broader concern over foreign policy are economic issues now. Business has a direct role on economic issues that can’t be denied and which is in fact welcomed. So from climate change to the G-20, the global financial crisis, how the trading environment operates, these are critical issues.’ – JOHN W.H. DENTON, PARTNER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, CORRS CHAMBERS WESTGARTH, AND CHAIRMAN, BCA GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT TASK FORCE

Joining John on the task force are the following BCA members:

Gordon Davis, AWB Limited
Didier Mahout, BNP Paribas
Andrew Michelmore, Minerals and Metals Group
Robert Milliner, Mallesons Stephen Jaques
Tom Park, PaperlinX Limited
Ian Thomas, Boeing Australia and South Pacific

The BCA Secretariat contact for the task force is Patrick Coleman, Director Policy.

Task force aims

The opening of global markets has given Australian businesses many new commercial opportunities. But many more have yet to fully exploit these opportunities, including businesses in the services sector.

The BCA advocates policies that promote free trade, and is committed to resisting protectionism.

The aim of the task force is to promote global engagement through:

• Further liberalisation of trade and investment barriers.
• Encouraging greater global economic integration through policies that promote mobility and make it faster, easier and less costly to do business across international borders.
• Increasing Australia’s global engagement capabilities.
• Strengthening the effectiveness of our diplomacy. This requires greater collaboration between government and the private sector.

The task force’s priorities for 2009–10 are to:

• Advocate the importance of global engagement and growth in international markets by Australian businesses, and the need for policy to support this objective.
• Develop and promote policies to attract greater foreign investment into Australia over the next decade and to encourage outward investment by Australian businesses in overseas markets.
• Continue to promote the role of the private sector in Australia’s diplomatic efforts, and the importance of the G-20 as the leading global institution for coordinating international economic policy.
• Continue to push for policies that open up new opportunities for business to do business across international borders through effective international trade and investment agreements.
• Develop and advocate policies that enable the Australian services sector to improve its global competitiveness, recognising the growing importance of services to doing business across all the other sectors of our economy.

Further detail on the task force’s priorities, and highlights of the task force’s achievements for 2008–09, are contained in the BCA 2009 Annual Review, Many Connections. One Focus. Contact us to request a copy of the review.