Labor leader Anthony Albanese is to assure a major business forum on Wednesday he is not offering a "revolution" if elected in a few months, rather national renewal and a Bob Hawke-consensus style of Labor governing to bring together governments, trade unions, businesses and civil society.
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And in a speech to the AFR Business Summit on Wednesday, the Opposition Leader will evoke political adversary John Howard in pitching to business Labor's five-pillared plan for national renewal.
In excerpts of the speech seen by The Canberra Times, Mr Albanese is to accuse the Coalition government of creating a "lost decade" through inaction.
"A former Liberal prime minister often said that in the race for economic reform, you would never reach the finish line because it was always advancing and there would always be something else to do to make our economy stronger and more productive. I agree," he is expected to say.
"It's always a race - the race for improvement. But the current Liberal government has abandoned the field. The team leader has left the track. He is over in the grandstand looking for photo opportunities."
In a bid to reassure business leaders after nine years in opposition and the tumult of the preceding Rudd-Gillard-Rudd years in government, the Labor leader is to lambast the Morrison government for pursuing division and putting "all their faith in markets to drive progress."
"This result has been a lost decade. A decade of inertia," Mr Albanese is expected to say.
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The Labor leader will point the audience to the "diligent" work the ALP team has been doing with business leaders over the past three years.
"My team and I have worked with the business community to hear your concerns, consider your suggestions and establish relationships based on trust and respect," he is to say.
"Following Bob Hawke's example, I've ensured that all of our economic policies target issues that for government, business and trade unions, are shared interests. Productivity. Growth. Jobs. I want to lead a government that works across the community to make our great nation even greater."
Highlighting Australia's low unemployment figures, the opposition leader is to say the headline figures hides significant underemployment and a rise in unsecured work. And he says productivity growth remains weak and businesses affected by COVID are unable to pass on pay increases.
"Australians see the evidence of flat wage growth every time they go through a supermarket checkout or watch the bowser as they fill their fuel tanks," he is to say.
"It's like a chill up the spine. People keep working hard, playing by the rules, but are going backwards.
"Yet the Prime Minister and the Treasurer tell us the economy is in great shape."
The five pillars of Labor's national renewal plan include; embracing renewable energy, backing local industry, investing in skills training, making childcare more affordable and investing in infrastructure.
"We aim to lift productivity, re-ignite economic and jobs growth and use cheap, renewable energy to transform our economy," Mr Albanese is expected to say.
"I'm not proposing revolution. But I am looking for renewal - renewal of the dormant national project to create wealth in a way that produces benefits for all Australians."
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