The Business Council of Australia has made a submission regarding the Australian Jobs Bill 2013 Exposure Draft to the Department of Industry, Innovation, Climate Change, Science, Research and Tertiary Education, and the Senate Economics Legislation Committee.

The BCA supports sensible efforts to raise participation by competitive local suppliers in major Australian projects. However, the proposals to regulate the procurement processes of private projects in the Bill are a step too far.

We do not support the Australian Jobs Bill 2013 because it:

• introduces unnecessary, prescriptive and costly regulation coupled with a new regulatory authority

• establishes a worrying precedent for government interference in private procurement processes.

• is not demonstrated to be the best way to raise the competitiveness and participation of local suppliers.

Better application of programs that raise competitiveness and highlight local opportunities is preferred for lifting the participation of Australian suppliers in major capital projects, along with greater recognition of programs already within companies to source locally.

Submission regarding the Australian Jobs Bill 2013 Exposure Draft