Federal Election: Party Leaders Must Use Debates To Outline Their Plans For The Jobs Of The Future

future economy forum

 

 

A coalition of leading industry groups has called on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten to focus on where Australia’s jobs of the future will come from when they kick off the first of a series of leaders’ debates tomorrow night.

The Future Economy Forum, representing the super-growth sectors of the future, says the leaders’ debates must address the crucial question of future employment and economic growth in the wake of the end of mining boom and the downturn in manufacturing.

In its report, Positioning for Prosperity? Catching the next wave, Deloitte found that agribusiness, tourism, international education, IT and wealth management are among the super-growth industry sectors worth an extra $250 billion to the national economy over the next 20 years.

The Forum said: “This is the time for Mr Turnbull and Mr Shorten to outline their plans to support the industries which will provide the jobs and the economic growth of the future.

“This is the opportunity for both leaders to demonstrate some real and practical leadership, to put the petty campaign politics to one side and to tell Australians how they will ensure there are new jobs and new growth for the future.

“We stand ready to support the growth and job creation our nation needs to support our high quality of life into the next decades to come but we need a strong partnership with a government that is focused on removing the barriers to our industries meeting their full potential.

“Both leaders should be embracing a dedicated economic strategy for our nation’s future that places our industries at the centre of it. The leaders’ debates and the election campaign are the perfect opportunity for Mr Turnbull and Mr Shorten to spell out their plans in detail on how we reach the goal of more jobs and economic growth in our industries. “

The Forum calls on the next government of Australia to improve policy in the areas of tax, the workforce, infrastructure, innovation, sustainability and trade that affect their combined industries.