Andrew Macaulay, CEO of Printing Industries, represented the printing sector as part of the exclusive Small Business Round Table with the Prime Minister of Australia, Malcolm Turnbull, in Canberra today.

Macaulay says, “It is a testament to the profile that the Printing Industries Association of Australia has achieved, and an acknowledgement of the importance of our industry, that we were invited to participate in this discussion”.

Turnbull announced that the Federal Government will mandate that by July 2019, all non-corporate Commonwealth entities must pay all invoices for contracts, up to a total value of a million dollars within 20 calendar days.

“We welcome commitment by the Federal Government to expedite payments to small and medium-sized businesses as delivering some relief to printers in the market environment, but are disappointed on the July 2019 timeframe for implementation.”

“The impact of energy affordability and availability on small business remains a critical issue in the sector, and printers are not alone in feeling the potentially devastating impact of the energy crisis on their business,” Macaulay said.

Additional issues raised with the Prime Minister included penalty rates and workplace reform, migration and the impact of the recent changes to skilled foreign worker visas, the burden of payroll tax, VET and the importance of apprenticeships and investment in vocational training generally, and the need for a longer term commitment to instant asset right off for small businesses.

“I further discussed these issues in the context of the printing industry with the Minister for Small Business, Michael McCormack, in a subsequent meeting”.

“The meetings are part of the ongoing engagement that Printing Industries is having with both the Federal Government and Opposition, prosecuting policy objectives set by our members”, Macaulay says.