Businesses Want Action, Not Promises, This Election

Amid global uncertainty, business and economic policy reform must be at the forefront of the Federal Election

Queensland’s peak business body is calling on both major parties to prioritise business and economic policy reform ahead of this weekend’s Federal Election, with significant and compounding pressures pushing profitability to near historic lows.

Businesses across the state — including those in Mackay — are grappling with escalating operating costs, workforce shortages, insurance affordability, tax complexity, inflation, and increasing Federal Government regulation. These challenges come on top of a difficult start to the year marked by consecutive natural disasters.

Business Chamber Queensland CEO Heidi Cooper said the high cost of doing business was compounding pressure on an already stretched and stressed business community.

“Businesses consistently tell us that it’s hard to do business in Australia, amid the high cost of energy and insurance, a complex and multi-layered regulatory environment, disruption due to severe weather events, and broader macro-economic challenges such as tariff wars and Australian dollar depreciation,” Ms Cooper said.

“The impact is a material and significant hit to businesses, with historically weak profitability now returned to levels not seen since the peak of the COVID economic crisis.”

Despite these hurdles, Ms Cooper said Queensland businesses were expressing cautious confidence in the future of both the state and national economies.

“Businesses tell us their top opportunities are innovation through business-led research and development, major projects, and the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games lead-up and legacy.”

However, she warned that optimism had not yet translated into improved business conditions.

“In fact, only about one in three businesses agree current economic policies in Australia are supportive of business growth.”

With election day approaching, Ms Cooper said businesses were calling for strong economic leadership, practical support, and foreign relations policies that deliver tangible improvements to their daily operations and long-term resilience.

“Businesses want to see policies that encourage them to invest, expand and employ, but instead feel weighed down by the growing cost of day-to-day operations and managing workforces,” she said.

“So far, we’ve seen varied commitments to business and economic policies from both parties — fringe benefits and instant asset write-off taxes, workplace and industrial relations policies, productivity, red tape and energy.

“All these issues are among the highest priorities for Queensland businesses ahead of this election, but they’re also looking for a robust government strategy that aligns economic and social policy to address business challenges experienced across the country, strengthen business capability, and secure opportunities for growth and innovation.”

Businesses in Mackay — particularly those in sectors like construction, tourism, agriculture and mining services — will also be watching closely for policies that help unlock future opportunities.

Business Chamber Queensland data shows Olympics preparation and legacy benefits, population growth, infrastructure build, and global trade are among the state’s most valued national opportunities.

To fully realise these benefits, Ms Cooper said business needed “a reduction in regulatory burden, space to innovate, an increase in productivity and resilience, and an improved operating environment.”

“It is essential that business is put at the centre of this federal election and is a priority for the next Australian Government,” she said.

Additional data shows the top election issues for Queensland businesses are inflation (ranked first by 72.87%), interest rates (second at 66.92%), and broader social issues such as crime, mental health, and housing (third at 62.65%), all of which have material impacts on business owners and their staff.

More than half of all Queensland businesses flagged insurance affordability as a major or critical concern (50.76%), while insurance accessibility and choice were also high on the list (46.92%).

Regulation (48.15%) and tax (46.46%) were also rated as major or critical concerns.

Housing accessibility and affordability were flagged by 42.81% of businesses — an issue keenly felt in regional centres such as Mackay, where workforce availability is often linked to housing supply.

Disaster resilience is another concern. Almost half (49.92%) of Queensland businesses agreed the Federal Government should expand joint state and federal disaster recovery funding arrangements.

When it comes to future opportunities, Queensland businesses ranked innovation through business-led research and development (73.58%), major projects (67.74%) and the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games lead-up and legacy (64.52%) as the most promising.

Strong support was also shown for infrastructure investment — particularly major projects in energy (73.38%), Bruce Highway upgrades (73.38%), and water infrastructure (68.02%).

Businesses in Mackay, with its strategic location along the Bruce Highway and proximity to key energy projects, will certainly be hoping to benefit from such investment.

However, less than half of businesses (48.64%) said it was easy to procure from government or felt government understood their needs.

Only 28.27% agreed that the current taxation system was fair and supportive of businesses.

As voters head to the polls, the message from Queensland’s business community is clear: without bold and responsive economic reform, the pressures weighing on businesses — in Mackay and across the state — risk stalling recovery and choking future growth.

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Business Chamber Queensland CEO Heidi Cooper

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