A couple of weeks annual leave in Canada road-tripping through the Rockies this last month provided insights among the awe-inspiring vistas. Following Canada’s own landmark election, the public policy parallels from a fellow Westminster democracy with 40 million people, shaped by resources, spread across ten provinces, three territories and six time zones provided food for thought alongside the poutine.
The whiplash from global geopolitics was palpable in every province as was the spark of opportunity. Impediments to business productivity are in fresh focus: barriers to professional mobility; duplicate costs and administration due to provincial registration of engineers; divergent building codes and standards; inconsistent procurement and risk management; and slow and unpredictable planning approvals. Sound familiar?
In response, the One Canadian Economy Act, introduced this month (just two months after Prime Minister Carney took power), speaks to the bigger picture: Removing barriers to labour mobility and trade between the provinces, expediting the approval process for major infrastructure projects, and boosting productivity. Inevitably imperfect, but sounds like a practical start.
There is no doubt the critical challenges faced by Canada in a new global environment have generated fresh urgency in their reform agenda. With our 48th Parliament opening on the 22 July, the lesson is clear: there is no time to waste.
Closer to home we must hope for a quicker transition from policy inquiry to policy action. In advance of the Government’s Productivity Summit in August, the Productivity Commission’s five productivity inquiries have kicked off alongside their review of occupational licencing and the Queensland Productivity Commission Inquiry into Construction Productivity. Good thing when it comes to productivity we have the answers.
And answers we take with our members right to the points of influence: Our ninth Directors General lunch in Queensland this month provided an opportunity for our industry leaders to speak directly to those opportunities to build new capability and a generational legacy in Queensland leading to the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Across the country we are ensuring your voice is heard: just this month through our Boardroom lunch series in NSW with the new Building Commissioner James Sherrard, with Phil Helberg, CEO, and Nicole Lockwood, Chair of Infrastructure WA, in Victoria with John Bradley, CEO of the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, and in SA with Jeremy Conway, CEO of Infrastructure SA.
Looking ahead make sure you, your team and your clients are registered for our annual Champions of Change Industry Lunch on the 27 August: Fostering a Culture of Respect for All with keynote Dr Niki Vincent. There is no question that as an industry our leadership through Champions of Change is globally significant.
Whether looking back or looking ahead, all these critical discussions ensure that our members’ experiences are shared and continue to shape the policy landscape for the better. To ensure our insights remain in step with the pulse of the industry make sure you complete our 2025 Member Survey. As we speak to your challenges, don’t underestimate the impact of this fifteen minutes to better inform our work for you with government and clients. There really is no time to waste.
