Treasurer Jim Chalmers convened the Economic Reform Roundtable 19 to 21 August 2025, with an agenda to build consensus on ways to improve productivity, enhance economic resilience and strengthen budget sustainability.
The government convened the Roundtable to unlock new ideas and build consensus around reforms. Innes Willox, Chief Executive of Ai Group attended to represent the views of Australian industry along with representatives from unions, business, the community sector and economic institutions.
The roundtable was guided by the Government's 5-pillar productivity agenda:
Manufacturing must be a clear focus of the August economic roundtable
Research Note: Hard times in Australian manufacturing
Ai Group Response to the Productivity Commission Five Pillars Inquiry
Australia’s post-pandemic productivity performance
Productivity and real wages growth
R&D Commercialisation Critical to Australia's Economic Future and Productivity Growth
Australia’s declining R&D performance
Enablers and constraints to innovation in Australian industry
Changing patterns of industry assistance (FMIA, etc) in Australia
Reforming Australia’s system of business taxation: Simpler, lower, productive
Drivers and constraints to technology adoption in Australian industry
The Future of Industry Assistance in Australia
Energy productivity pitches: more, faster and cheaper
Apprenticeships and traineeships: The employer perspective
Australian Industry Group's landmark apprenticeships research shows we are falling short
Australia’s opportunity: a skills and productivity agenda
The paper outlines the imperative of productivity, long-term productivity patterns, skills and workforce development initiatives to support productivity, and examples of companies actively improving their workforce to positively impact productivity.
Ai Group Response to the Productivity Commission Five Pillars Inquiry - Care Economy
Innes Willox on Sky News discussing final day of Economic Reform Roundtable
Transcript – 21 August, 2025
Innes Willox on the Economic Reform Roundtable, ABC Afternoons
Transcript – 19 August, 2025
Innes Willox on Sky News – Economic Reform Roundtable underway
Transcript – 19 August, 2025
Innes Willox discusses Economic Reform Roundtable, Sky News
Transcript – 18 August, 2025
Innes Willox discusses Treasurer's economic reform roundtable, Sky News – The Business
Transcript – 23 July, 2025
Innes Willox discusses manufacturing decline and Economic Roundtable, Radio 4BC Brisbane
Transcript - 21 July 2025
Innes Willox on Sky News – announcement of productivity roundtable and AI
Transcript - 11 July 2025
Step up on energy rollout or lose out: industry’s warning
AFR - 9 July 2025
Australian Industry Group on future of work from home
Article - 18 June 2025
Business united to lift living standards
Joint statement with ACCI, BCA and COSBOA – 21 August, 2025
Welcome home truths about Australia's economic and productivity future
Media Release – 4 July, 2025
Australian Industry Group looks forward to participating in economic roundtable
Media Release – 27 June 2025
Tax reform rightly placed at centre of our productivity future
Media Release – 18 June, 2025
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