Tomorrow the Federal Government’s Jobs and Skills Summit convenes in Canberra.
Much of the public debate and private discussions in the lead up have centred around a potential ‘grand bargain’ between business and unions spanning industrial relations reform and a restructured migration program. There are likely to be plenty of divergent views on display.
While the longer term shape of our migration program is important, there remains an urgent need for a fast ramp-up of our migration flows. The international borders may be open, but inbound arrivals are only building modestly. A fast restart to net overseas migration would have an immediate impact on the acute skills shortages which are holding back business. Indeed, it’s hard to think of a more important short term government objective.
What’s also less evident from the pre-summit debate is whether a strong productivity agenda will emerge from the discussions. For all the COVID-induced dislocations affecting the economy, stronger productivity growth remains the country’s best bet for the future.
In one of the most urbanised countries in the world, productivity has a profound spatial dimension. We need to get our infrastructure, planning, housing and tax settings right so our cities – both big and small – can be productivity powerhouses.
The Jobs and Skills Summit may well generate momentum for worthwhile changes. But at the end of the day, these and other important issues remain decisions for the Government, not a consensus among summiteers.
