“This election presents Australians with an important choice about how this nation builds a sustainable future of higher living standards and more and better paid jobs,” Business Council Chief Executive Jennifer Westacott said. 

“It is also clear it will be fought on competing claims of fairness, and what is the fairest way to fuel jobs growth and deliver quality services while meeting the challenges of a volatile global economy,” Ms Westacott said. 

“Ultimately, the only way of providing opportunity, jobs and higher living standards for all Australians is a strong and growing economy. 

“While the parties are yet to unveil all of their policies, there are already troubling signs some will try to argue that it is possible to deliver fair outcomes while ignoring the challenge of driving economic growth and improving the efficiency of spending. 

“Nothing could be further from reality or more threatening to our future prosperity. 

“It is not fair to spend now and thrust the burden of repaying big debts onto our children and grandchildren.  

“It is not fair to promise services and build Australians’ expectations of a prosperous and secure future without also delivering a coherent plan for how those promises will be paid for and that prosperity achieved. 

“The Business Council will assess all policy proposals unveiled during this campaign according to whether they give Australian businesses greater capacity to invest in more productive, competitive and innovative enterprises, and Australian workers a better reward for their effort. 

“We cannot afford to wait to tackle this challenge. The world will change regardless – now is the time for Australia to choose a sustainable plan for a stronger and growing economy that delivers more and better paid jobs.”