Put business at the front of the election agenda  

By Heidi Cooper

Courier Mail column 12 September 2024

Queenslanders are six weeks out from polling day, and the state’s businesses have set their election priorities agenda – and a challenge for the next Queensland Government.  

Right now, it is hard to do business in Queensland.  We’ve heard from businesses across the state they are grappling with significant business challenges which make it hard to survive, let alone thrive. 

The 2024 State Election is the chance for genuine business policy reform. Policy reform that is based on a solid economic strategy and long-term planning, to give businesses relief from the compounding pressures of today and clarity on how they can benefit from Queensland’s economic future. 

We have heard from thousands of businesses across the state who took part in our business election priorities research. 

Just 6% of businesses we surveyed said they thought the State Government was planning for their long-term economic future and only 5.3% say Queensland’s policies support their business growth.  

It’s among a series of telling insights we collected over the past few months as we developed our 2024 State Election Business Priorities Blueprint. 

Of 75 key business topics we put to the state’s business community, 17 were ranked of critical concern for businesses.  

Among these pressures are historically high wage costs, escalating energy costs, low productivity and regulatory burden along with significant macro issues around inflation and interest rates. 

These challenges are compounding to create among the poorest business operating environment in the past 30 years.  

Businesses are working harder but not seeing the productivity or profitability gains to match.  

Across the state, businesses are also reporting operating impacts from local housing crises which means staff have now where to live, through to businesses employing full time security guards to protect their staff and premises from local crime and anti-social behaviour. 

These are just some of the real-life examples we’ve seen and heard this year – demonstrating the challenging operating environment business across the state, in every industry and of every size, are facing every day. 

But despite this, Queensland businesses see long-term potential. And they want to be part of it.  

From the Olympic and Paralympic Games to increased demand for Queensland made goods to the energy transition and the Big Build – the private sector is best placed to take up these opportunities.   

The challenge – and opportunity – for the next Queensland Government is to deliver policies and outcomes that stimulate economic growth and enable the private sector.  

This election we must back Queensland businesses so they can continue to be the lifeblood of our economy and the heart of our communities.