The world is a globalised place and much of it already knows that Qantas, GM Holden, and other Australian businesses are in deep financial strife. They don't understand how Australian governments have contributed to it.
There are tens of thousands of small and medium sized enterprises in Australia facing similar issues, but without the political or union power to do much about it.
This struck home to me last weekend on a visit to Noosa, a much loved holiday village north of Brisbane. In the 1980's, some people proposed a fee to walk on the beach there. Beach visits have been an Australian icon since time immemorial and have been free.
Not any more.
Do you know where Australia's most expensive toll road is? It is not in Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane, or on any freeway connecting them. It is at Noosa. Why?
The previous Queensland Government, addicted as it was to Forms and Fees, decided to levy Australia's most expensive toll to drive on a gazetted road which in part uses a wide sandy beach.
The traffic jam was caused by the present need to pay the toll for which you spend 30 minutes filling in a form in a government office so that the government can exact the toll. Not only does a pleasant day at the beach become an exercise in useless form filling (the government does not need most of the information required), but the toll at A$11.50, for which the government provides nothing, is the most expensive in Australia. By far.
If you are really lucky, you can seek the assistance of one of the government officers to assist in the form filling. The catch is that the toll rises to A$16.00. For that premium, you also get a large dose of Attitude with a capital A. How inconvenient for a customer to drag someone from an airconditioned desk just so that you can pay a premium price for something which provides nothing that wasn't previously available for free.
This little example is just one of thousands which make Australia the uncompetitive and costly place it is today. Hence the swathes of empty shops, factories and offices in which people used to work. Much of it an outcome of deliberate government policy, in this case, an addiction to form filling which serves little purpose.
The Great Australian Complacency is coming to an end. Governments should lead the way by reducing their Forms and Fees, eliminate policies and procedures which reduce demand, and stop destroying industries.
David Millhouse is an international entrepreneur with over 30 years in venture capital and private equity internationally. Based in Brisbane, Australia he is a specialist in venture financing and capitalisation, as well as the management of high growth companies, many of which proceed to IPO. He has conducted business in the UK, Germany, Switzerland, USA, Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand. A scientist by original profession, with an MBA and LLM from Bond University in Australia. He is a trustee of Bond University, Australia’s premier private University, and was formerly a trustee of the Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art. There are 30 years of publications and media on his professional activities and he has had a stellar career at CEO level since 1983.
No comments:
Post a Comment