As another week comes to an end there is little to show on the leadership front from politicians, especially in terms of leadership on matters of interest to small business retailers.
2016 could be one of the most wasted years in Australian politics for we are back to regular announcements of shifting budget allocations from here to there but with little progress.
On top of inaction from people who are supposed to be leaders we have double standards on show. The government appears set to shut the current parliament early for political expediency. they are doing this on the back of the Trade Union Royal Commission. This at the same time as we read about more reports of corruption in major Australian banks yet the same government politicians are saying there is nothing to see here.
My personal view is Australian needs a federal independent corruption commission with a remit across politicians, public servants and business.
Establishing such a commission would be an act of leadership. Such leadership would boost confidence in the community and we would all benefit from a boost of confidence.
I am tired of federal government MPs telling us we have to live within our means. Such talk challenges confidence, it slows spending and spending is at the core of the economy, especially in the small business niche of the economy we inhabit.
It is politicians who have to live within their means. They are the people achieving stellar pay rises each year with access to extraordinary expense accounts and making decisions that favour mates and those who support their political views.
I include all sides of politics in this spray.
Look at how Labor governments in the states ripped from the newsagency channel hundreds of missions of dollars of revenue from transport tickets over the last ten years.
Look at the decisions by state governments of various colours selling lottery licences to Tatts and then watching by as Tatts damaged newsagents with higher fees and draconian business practices that sig=nificantly increase the cost of doing business.
Look at the treatment of small business by the ATO compared to big business. I know of small business owners who are pursued for monies not owned and when the ATO realise their mistake there is no apology, no compensation for the cost of proving that the ATO was wrong.
Look at the free trade agreements that are focussed on a small niche of businesses in Australia.
Look at the NBN. We are spending billions on a mediocre network that will not provide the productivity lift the country needs.
Look at the failure of successive governments to adequately deal with low or no tax on online purchases coming into Australia by the plane load, competing with local shops.
It is cheaper for me to subscribe to some US magazines and have them sent to me from overseas than to purchase them locally.
Look at the red tape. Successive federal governments said they would reduce red tape. Clearly the Australian Bureau of Statistics, The Australian Taxation Office, the various State Payroll tax Offices and other federal and state agencies are yet to get the memo as I am confronted by more red tape that two years ago.
Look at the times this year and previous years around calling elections. These games are 100% about them looking after themselves. These are the people who legislate the regulations that hold plenty of Australian businesses back. While they control so much of what we do and charge us for the pleasure they seek the maximum freedom for their own selfishness.
This is nuts.
We in small business was to be able to run our businesses efficiently for the benefit of those we serve, those who work for us and for our own families. To do this we and our communities need to feel optimistic and we need a commercially nimble environment. Thanks to a lack of leadership in Australia all we have are words and political games.
I don’t care which side wins the election on July 2, or whenever the federal election is, as long as they deliver leadership. I don’t have to agree with them on everything – as long as they are strong on leadership and consistent in delivering what they say.
I saw former conservative Prime Minister John Howard on the SBS Insight program during the week, talking abut gun control following the Port Arthur massacre. I was happy to see the Howard government voted out and felt he overstayed his welcome as Prime Minister by four ormolu years. That said, watching the SBS program, I realised that even though I did not like plenty of what he did, I missed his leadership. I knew where I stood.
I think this is what we are missing today. We don’t know where we stand as a country. An announcement is not leadership, it is not standing for something.
This matters to small business as it goes to how Australians feel. We in small business rely on this for sales growth.
Poor leadership from our politicians = poor sales … almost regardless of which party is in power.
Our channel is undergoing extraordinary transition during a time of extraordinary economic transition for the country. How our businesses come out of the transition depends on your leadership. I hope newsagents are better at leadership of their businesses than our current batch of politicians are at their jobs.
