Policies needed to sustain Australia’s current prosperity, and in particular the benefits of maintaining a flexible workplace relations system, will be the focus of any potential advertising program by the Business Council of Australia, the BCA said today.

BCA President, Mr Michael Chaney, confirmed that an advertising program remained under active consideration.

“The BCA’s objective in such a program would be to promote good business and economic policy, not to engage in politics,” Mr Chaney said.

“If we do go ahead with advertising with other business groups, the paramount focus will be on informing the community about the benefits of good workplace relations policy and how flexibility and choice in employment agreement making is delivering a stronger, more competitive economy.

“Business remains seriously concerned that a radical re-regulation of the workplace and the mandated involvement of third parties in employment agreement making would destroy jobs and the ability of our economy to compete with increasing global competition.”

Mr Chaney said an advertising program would enable business to make important points clearly and directly to the broadest number of people in order to balance debate and discussion on an issue that has been subject to considerable misinformation and scaremongering, particularly by unions.

“In short, any decision to advertise will not be driven by political considerations, but by a strong business conviction that restricting flexibility in the workplace will make Australia less prosperous in the future.”

Mr Chaney said the BCA, whose Member companies employed nearly 1 million Australians and indirectly supported the jobs of millions more, was concerned the negative perceptions about the current workplace relations system were being formed by those who either did not understand the importance of reform, or the implications of winding back reforms, or had a vested interest in returning Australia’s workplaces back to the 1980s.