The Business Council of Australia has issued a study of Australia’s Federation and proposed a 12-point plan of action.
The BCA represents the Chief Executives of 100 of Australia’s “leading”, or largest, companies.
The booklet, entitled Reshaping Australia’s Federation: A New Contract For Federal-State Relations, comprises:
- a study of intergovernmental relations in federal systems
- a report by Access Economics on the costs of federalism
- a 12-point plan of action recommended by the BCA
The BCA’s key message is:
The issue of relations between the Commonwealth and the states has been debated for many years, with intermittent calls for major reform of Australia’s system of federalism.
However, in recent times, it has become clear that the system of federal-state relations as it currently operates is increasingly dysfunctional and not geared to meet the increasing economic and social challenges Australia faces.
