Extended interview with Anne Aly, Australia's first female Muslim cabinet member
Nine News federal politics reporter Claudia Vrdoljak has sat down for an extended interview with Australia's first female Muslim national cabinet member, Anne Aly.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Age
16 hours ago
- The Age
Trump wants to be sole arbiter of truth ... just like a real dictator
But without an objective scorekeeper, how can we know the score? That's the point. Trump wants to be the sole arbiter of truth. As the name of his social media company, Truth Social, implies. So part of Trump's agenda is about silencing competing voices, especially expert ones. That's one of his key motives for intimidating America's elite universities, for pursuing media companies for outlandishly large sums, for shutting down America's public broadcasters PBS and NPR, for unleashing an anti-science health secretary, RFK Jr, against the US National Institutes of Health and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. But Trump's goal is much bigger than merely strangling voices speaking inconvenient truths. All dictators are censors. Xi Jinping, for example, has instructed the Chinese Communist Party that 'control over the internet is a matter of life and death for the Party'. Trump goes further. His original campaign mastermind, Steve Bannon, famously set out the MAGA philosophy. Rather than conduct endless debates with the enemy in a contest to win an argument, simply 'flood the zone with shit'. Not with counterarguments or factual rebuttals. Just shit. Loading It's a method uniquely suited to the age of the conspiracy theory, which is not new, amplified by 'social' media, which is. Trump is perhaps the world's most effective creator and promoter of conspiracy theories. There's a Wikipedia entry titled 'List of conspiracy theories promoted by Donald Trump'. As of Monday, it contained 87 separate theories. It has an addendum of other conspiracy theorists whom Trump has either supported, endorsed or hired. The conspiracy theory that first brought Trump to mainstream political attention was the 'birther' claim that Barack Obama was born in Kenya, and therefore disqualified from the presidency, and a secret Muslim, to boot. He accused the 'mainstream media' of refusing to report the theory. To the conspiratorially minded, this confirmed that the media must be part of the conspiracy. Such internal consistency is key to the conspiracy theory; it's self-confirming. 'The function of conspiracy theories,' writes Yale professor of philosophy Jason Stanley, 'is to impugn and malign their targets, but not necessarily by convincing their audience that they are true,' he writes in his 2018 book How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them. Loading Hannah Arendt, he points out, argued in her work The Origins of Totalitarianism that a characteristic of modern masses is that 'they do not believe in anything visible, in the reality of their own experience; they do not trust their eyes and ears, but only their imaginations'. Stanley suggests that the birther claim was obviously far-fetched, but that it was nonetheless effective even among people who didn't fully believe it. Because conspiracy theories 'provide simple explanations for otherwise irrational emotions such as resentment or xenophobic fear in the face of perceived threats'. This is comforting for an anxious people, and once the comfort is accepted by a public 'its members will cease to be guided by reason in political deliberation'. Amplified by the staccato cognitive bombardment of 'social' media, this is a people ripe for mass confusion, delusion and doubt. The leader, in this epistemology, becomes the sole source of truth. Is unemployment going up or down? Is it American carnage or the golden age? Who knows any more? The Washington Post 's slogan is 'democracy dies in darkness'. But Bannon and Trump aren't trying to make America's screens go dark; they are lighting them up with disorienting flashes of non-stop nonsense. Democracy, they believe, dies amid induced dementia. Bannon promised a reporter in 2016 that the coming era would be 'as exciting as the 1930s', the time of tyrants rising. So far, so good.
Sydney Morning Herald
16 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Trump wants to be sole arbiter of truth ... just like a real dictator
But without an objective scorekeeper, how can we know the score? That's the point. Trump wants to be the sole arbiter of truth. As the name of his social media company, Truth Social, implies. So part of Trump's agenda is about silencing competing voices, especially expert ones. That's one of his key motives for intimidating America's elite universities, for pursuing media companies for outlandishly large sums, for shutting down America's public broadcasters PBS and NPR, for unleashing an anti-science health secretary, RFK Jr, against the US National Institutes of Health and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. But Trump's goal is much bigger than merely strangling voices speaking inconvenient truths. All dictators are censors. Xi Jinping, for example, has instructed the Chinese Communist Party that 'control over the internet is a matter of life and death for the Party'. Trump goes further. His original campaign mastermind, Steve Bannon, famously set out the MAGA philosophy. Rather than conduct endless debates with the enemy in a contest to win an argument, simply 'flood the zone with shit'. Not with counterarguments or factual rebuttals. Just shit. Loading It's a method uniquely suited to the age of the conspiracy theory, which is not new, amplified by 'social' media, which is. Trump is perhaps the world's most effective creator and promoter of conspiracy theories. There's a Wikipedia entry titled 'List of conspiracy theories promoted by Donald Trump'. As of Monday, it contained 87 separate theories. It has an addendum of other conspiracy theorists whom Trump has either supported, endorsed or hired. The conspiracy theory that first brought Trump to mainstream political attention was the 'birther' claim that Barack Obama was born in Kenya, and therefore disqualified from the presidency, and a secret Muslim, to boot. He accused the 'mainstream media' of refusing to report the theory. To the conspiratorially minded, this confirmed that the media must be part of the conspiracy. Such internal consistency is key to the conspiracy theory; it's self-confirming. 'The function of conspiracy theories,' writes Yale professor of philosophy Jason Stanley, 'is to impugn and malign their targets, but not necessarily by convincing their audience that they are true,' he writes in his 2018 book How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them. Loading Hannah Arendt, he points out, argued in her work The Origins of Totalitarianism that a characteristic of modern masses is that 'they do not believe in anything visible, in the reality of their own experience; they do not trust their eyes and ears, but only their imaginations'. Stanley suggests that the birther claim was obviously far-fetched, but that it was nonetheless effective even among people who didn't fully believe it. Because conspiracy theories 'provide simple explanations for otherwise irrational emotions such as resentment or xenophobic fear in the face of perceived threats'. This is comforting for an anxious people, and once the comfort is accepted by a public 'its members will cease to be guided by reason in political deliberation'. Amplified by the staccato cognitive bombardment of 'social' media, this is a people ripe for mass confusion, delusion and doubt. The leader, in this epistemology, becomes the sole source of truth. Is unemployment going up or down? Is it American carnage or the golden age? Who knows any more? The Washington Post 's slogan is 'democracy dies in darkness'. But Bannon and Trump aren't trying to make America's screens go dark; they are lighting them up with disorienting flashes of non-stop nonsense. Democracy, they believe, dies amid induced dementia. Bannon promised a reporter in 2016 that the coming era would be 'as exciting as the 1930s', the time of tyrants rising. So far, so good.
The Advertiser
a day ago
- The Advertiser
Even if these aren't new ideas, we have a chance to shift the conversation
The Treasurer has released the agenda for the much-vaunted three-day Economic Reform Roundtable he is hosting in just a few short days (August 19 to 21), and there is feverish activity on many fronts in the lead-up. Submissions aplenty and roundtables hosted by Ministers to capture input from those not in the impressive core group of 23 attendees that will participate in all sessions over the three days. The public release of some submissions has helped generate lead-up discussion. Possibilities are being canvassed, and the government's appetite for decisiveness and boldness is being probed. This, in turn, has generated hope, interest and some debate. The Productivity Commission's proposal to lower the company tax rate for SMEs is an example of quality thought-leadership. It aims to boost entrepreneurship, investment and competitiveness and would be funded by tax changes for the big end of town. It is an example of bold, multidimensional and transformative reform we need. Like so many bigger ideas, it is not uncontested. Where do the benefits and costs land? What are the trade-offs? Which businesses are driving prosperity gains and are most helping budget repair? What of the three in five small businesses that are not companies? You get the idea. Cautious optimism was very much the vibe at the recent small business roundtable I attended, along with other willing contributors assembled by Small Business Minister Anne Aly and Treasury. It was one of the numerous lead-up roundtables before the big event. The small-business champions, professional bodies, industry associations and financial and digital service providers all contributed meaningfully and constructively. Many of the well-argued ideas for reform were not new, but definitely warranted reiteration and reinforcement. Beyond sharing many great ideas, those gathered were keen to know about the government's economic reform ambition and appetite, and who the ball-carriers are who will ensure that constructive and considered input is embraced. This is particularly important for positive small business policy action. So many of the impacts and incentives guiding enterprising women and men's decision-making are (sadly) not directly the responsibility of the Minister for Small Business. Pleasingly for many of the roundtable participants, Minister Aly's opening remarks were strong, energetic and encouraging. The minister clearly appreciates that positive change for the small business community requires a whole-of-government effort. And whole-of-government support for small businesses is justified and necessary given the sector's vital contribution to Australia's economic wellbeing. Making up almost 98 per cent of Australian businesses, small enterprises generate about one-third of our GDP, which is nearly $600 billion in annual economic activity. Our smaller firms employ more than 5.1 million people, or two in five of the private sector workforce. While this current contribution is impressive and compelling, the small business share of overall economic activity and workforce opportunities has been in decline, like in other developed economies. Arresting this decline is an excellent and meaningful initial benchmark for reform success. To improve Australia's productivity, economic resilience and budget sustainability, we need to go beyond halting this decline. Turning it around will require improving operating conditions, encouraging entrepreneurship and nurturing an environment more conducive to small business success. This objective is why I have been banging on about the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman's 14 steps to energise enterprise since August last year. These 14 steps are practical, readily implementable and action-driven. Pleasingly, many of these 14 steps are reflected in submissions and public statements about where the focus of the Economic Reform Roundtable should be and what practical commitments should emerge. Even if some of these ideas are not new, a Roundtable commitment to act will shift the conversation. Reform ideas will have landed, gained traction and political buy-in. Advocates can progress conversations from a how-'bout-this pitching of reform propositions to a how's-it-going inquiry about genuine progress. And that has to be positive and momentum-building. There are many calls for better incentives for small businesses to form, invest, take risks, survive and thrive. Discounting small business company tax paid in the first three years will help new firms get through the early years' "cashflow value of death". This will support reinvestment into a more robust foundation and help reduce the rate and cost of the reported 50 per cent small business failure rate within the first three years of operation. A more generous and durable instant asset write-off provision will support vital capital deepening and capability-building in smaller firms. A restoration of tax incentives to encourage investment in digitisation, AI and technology uptake, energy efficiency and electrification, will boost productivity, support innovation and competitiveness, and enhance resilience and market access. Australian small businesses are falling behind their Asia-Pacific counterparts in the adoption of digital technologies. Investing in targeted support and education for small businesses to adopt digital technologies in their businesses can increase productivity by streamlining processes, building resilience to economic shocks, mitigating the risks of cybersecurity threats, supporting innovation and growth, and enhancing competitiveness with larger firms. Small businesses are not shrink-wrapped versions of big corporations. Right-sizing has to be the imperative in a renewed commitment to lift the regulatory burden and compliance costs imposed on small businesses. A genuinely risk-based, small-business-first approach and robust impact evaluation framework that genuinely considers non-regulatory options is needed. Including a mandatory small business impact section in all Cabinet submissions and adding small business engagement and support criteria to the regulatory agency performance assessment framework will enhance both thoughtfulness toward smaller respondents and accountability. Implementing digital reforms, which will encourage the adoption of business-ready new tech and AI, offers the promise of streamlining the business of running the business. Digital compliance and reporting systems that work in harmony with the natural business systems currently used by small businesses can ease the regulatory burdens. Regulators can really help by being very discerning about what they are asking small businesses, and in supporting small firms understand and meet what is being imposed. Synchronising and harmonising the ask of small businesses across various regulators and levels of government, and a tell-us-once ethos, shouldn't be too much of an ask. The United Nations reminds us that small and medium enterprises as the "frontline drivers of innovation, inclusion, and resilience". Small and family businesses need to be front of mind for our policymakers, especially as we head into the economic roundtable. When thinking about how best to drive the economic resilience and productivity improvements, energising enterprise through small businesses is a great starting point. The Treasurer has released the agenda for the much-vaunted three-day Economic Reform Roundtable he is hosting in just a few short days (August 19 to 21), and there is feverish activity on many fronts in the lead-up. Submissions aplenty and roundtables hosted by Ministers to capture input from those not in the impressive core group of 23 attendees that will participate in all sessions over the three days. The public release of some submissions has helped generate lead-up discussion. Possibilities are being canvassed, and the government's appetite for decisiveness and boldness is being probed. This, in turn, has generated hope, interest and some debate. The Productivity Commission's proposal to lower the company tax rate for SMEs is an example of quality thought-leadership. It aims to boost entrepreneurship, investment and competitiveness and would be funded by tax changes for the big end of town. It is an example of bold, multidimensional and transformative reform we need. Like so many bigger ideas, it is not uncontested. Where do the benefits and costs land? What are the trade-offs? Which businesses are driving prosperity gains and are most helping budget repair? What of the three in five small businesses that are not companies? You get the idea. Cautious optimism was very much the vibe at the recent small business roundtable I attended, along with other willing contributors assembled by Small Business Minister Anne Aly and Treasury. It was one of the numerous lead-up roundtables before the big event. The small-business champions, professional bodies, industry associations and financial and digital service providers all contributed meaningfully and constructively. Many of the well-argued ideas for reform were not new, but definitely warranted reiteration and reinforcement. Beyond sharing many great ideas, those gathered were keen to know about the government's economic reform ambition and appetite, and who the ball-carriers are who will ensure that constructive and considered input is embraced. This is particularly important for positive small business policy action. So many of the impacts and incentives guiding enterprising women and men's decision-making are (sadly) not directly the responsibility of the Minister for Small Business. Pleasingly for many of the roundtable participants, Minister Aly's opening remarks were strong, energetic and encouraging. The minister clearly appreciates that positive change for the small business community requires a whole-of-government effort. And whole-of-government support for small businesses is justified and necessary given the sector's vital contribution to Australia's economic wellbeing. Making up almost 98 per cent of Australian businesses, small enterprises generate about one-third of our GDP, which is nearly $600 billion in annual economic activity. Our smaller firms employ more than 5.1 million people, or two in five of the private sector workforce. While this current contribution is impressive and compelling, the small business share of overall economic activity and workforce opportunities has been in decline, like in other developed economies. Arresting this decline is an excellent and meaningful initial benchmark for reform success. To improve Australia's productivity, economic resilience and budget sustainability, we need to go beyond halting this decline. Turning it around will require improving operating conditions, encouraging entrepreneurship and nurturing an environment more conducive to small business success. This objective is why I have been banging on about the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman's 14 steps to energise enterprise since August last year. These 14 steps are practical, readily implementable and action-driven. Pleasingly, many of these 14 steps are reflected in submissions and public statements about where the focus of the Economic Reform Roundtable should be and what practical commitments should emerge. Even if some of these ideas are not new, a Roundtable commitment to act will shift the conversation. Reform ideas will have landed, gained traction and political buy-in. Advocates can progress conversations from a how-'bout-this pitching of reform propositions to a how's-it-going inquiry about genuine progress. And that has to be positive and momentum-building. There are many calls for better incentives for small businesses to form, invest, take risks, survive and thrive. Discounting small business company tax paid in the first three years will help new firms get through the early years' "cashflow value of death". This will support reinvestment into a more robust foundation and help reduce the rate and cost of the reported 50 per cent small business failure rate within the first three years of operation. A more generous and durable instant asset write-off provision will support vital capital deepening and capability-building in smaller firms. A restoration of tax incentives to encourage investment in digitisation, AI and technology uptake, energy efficiency and electrification, will boost productivity, support innovation and competitiveness, and enhance resilience and market access. Australian small businesses are falling behind their Asia-Pacific counterparts in the adoption of digital technologies. Investing in targeted support and education for small businesses to adopt digital technologies in their businesses can increase productivity by streamlining processes, building resilience to economic shocks, mitigating the risks of cybersecurity threats, supporting innovation and growth, and enhancing competitiveness with larger firms. Small businesses are not shrink-wrapped versions of big corporations. Right-sizing has to be the imperative in a renewed commitment to lift the regulatory burden and compliance costs imposed on small businesses. A genuinely risk-based, small-business-first approach and robust impact evaluation framework that genuinely considers non-regulatory options is needed. Including a mandatory small business impact section in all Cabinet submissions and adding small business engagement and support criteria to the regulatory agency performance assessment framework will enhance both thoughtfulness toward smaller respondents and accountability. Implementing digital reforms, which will encourage the adoption of business-ready new tech and AI, offers the promise of streamlining the business of running the business. Digital compliance and reporting systems that work in harmony with the natural business systems currently used by small businesses can ease the regulatory burdens. Regulators can really help by being very discerning about what they are asking small businesses, and in supporting small firms understand and meet what is being imposed. Synchronising and harmonising the ask of small businesses across various regulators and levels of government, and a tell-us-once ethos, shouldn't be too much of an ask. The United Nations reminds us that small and medium enterprises as the "frontline drivers of innovation, inclusion, and resilience". Small and family businesses need to be front of mind for our policymakers, especially as we head into the economic roundtable. When thinking about how best to drive the economic resilience and productivity improvements, energising enterprise through small businesses is a great starting point. The Treasurer has released the agenda for the much-vaunted three-day Economic Reform Roundtable he is hosting in just a few short days (August 19 to 21), and there is feverish activity on many fronts in the lead-up. Submissions aplenty and roundtables hosted by Ministers to capture input from those not in the impressive core group of 23 attendees that will participate in all sessions over the three days. The public release of some submissions has helped generate lead-up discussion. Possibilities are being canvassed, and the government's appetite for decisiveness and boldness is being probed. This, in turn, has generated hope, interest and some debate. The Productivity Commission's proposal to lower the company tax rate for SMEs is an example of quality thought-leadership. It aims to boost entrepreneurship, investment and competitiveness and would be funded by tax changes for the big end of town. It is an example of bold, multidimensional and transformative reform we need. Like so many bigger ideas, it is not uncontested. Where do the benefits and costs land? What are the trade-offs? Which businesses are driving prosperity gains and are most helping budget repair? What of the three in five small businesses that are not companies? You get the idea. Cautious optimism was very much the vibe at the recent small business roundtable I attended, along with other willing contributors assembled by Small Business Minister Anne Aly and Treasury. It was one of the numerous lead-up roundtables before the big event. The small-business champions, professional bodies, industry associations and financial and digital service providers all contributed meaningfully and constructively. Many of the well-argued ideas for reform were not new, but definitely warranted reiteration and reinforcement. Beyond sharing many great ideas, those gathered were keen to know about the government's economic reform ambition and appetite, and who the ball-carriers are who will ensure that constructive and considered input is embraced. This is particularly important for positive small business policy action. So many of the impacts and incentives guiding enterprising women and men's decision-making are (sadly) not directly the responsibility of the Minister for Small Business. Pleasingly for many of the roundtable participants, Minister Aly's opening remarks were strong, energetic and encouraging. The minister clearly appreciates that positive change for the small business community requires a whole-of-government effort. And whole-of-government support for small businesses is justified and necessary given the sector's vital contribution to Australia's economic wellbeing. Making up almost 98 per cent of Australian businesses, small enterprises generate about one-third of our GDP, which is nearly $600 billion in annual economic activity. Our smaller firms employ more than 5.1 million people, or two in five of the private sector workforce. While this current contribution is impressive and compelling, the small business share of overall economic activity and workforce opportunities has been in decline, like in other developed economies. Arresting this decline is an excellent and meaningful initial benchmark for reform success. To improve Australia's productivity, economic resilience and budget sustainability, we need to go beyond halting this decline. Turning it around will require improving operating conditions, encouraging entrepreneurship and nurturing an environment more conducive to small business success. This objective is why I have been banging on about the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman's 14 steps to energise enterprise since August last year. These 14 steps are practical, readily implementable and action-driven. Pleasingly, many of these 14 steps are reflected in submissions and public statements about where the focus of the Economic Reform Roundtable should be and what practical commitments should emerge. Even if some of these ideas are not new, a Roundtable commitment to act will shift the conversation. Reform ideas will have landed, gained traction and political buy-in. Advocates can progress conversations from a how-'bout-this pitching of reform propositions to a how's-it-going inquiry about genuine progress. And that has to be positive and momentum-building. There are many calls for better incentives for small businesses to form, invest, take risks, survive and thrive. Discounting small business company tax paid in the first three years will help new firms get through the early years' "cashflow value of death". This will support reinvestment into a more robust foundation and help reduce the rate and cost of the reported 50 per cent small business failure rate within the first three years of operation. A more generous and durable instant asset write-off provision will support vital capital deepening and capability-building in smaller firms. A restoration of tax incentives to encourage investment in digitisation, AI and technology uptake, energy efficiency and electrification, will boost productivity, support innovation and competitiveness, and enhance resilience and market access. Australian small businesses are falling behind their Asia-Pacific counterparts in the adoption of digital technologies. Investing in targeted support and education for small businesses to adopt digital technologies in their businesses can increase productivity by streamlining processes, building resilience to economic shocks, mitigating the risks of cybersecurity threats, supporting innovation and growth, and enhancing competitiveness with larger firms. Small businesses are not shrink-wrapped versions of big corporations. Right-sizing has to be the imperative in a renewed commitment to lift the regulatory burden and compliance costs imposed on small businesses. A genuinely risk-based, small-business-first approach and robust impact evaluation framework that genuinely considers non-regulatory options is needed. Including a mandatory small business impact section in all Cabinet submissions and adding small business engagement and support criteria to the regulatory agency performance assessment framework will enhance both thoughtfulness toward smaller respondents and accountability. Implementing digital reforms, which will encourage the adoption of business-ready new tech and AI, offers the promise of streamlining the business of running the business. Digital compliance and reporting systems that work in harmony with the natural business systems currently used by small businesses can ease the regulatory burdens. Regulators can really help by being very discerning about what they are asking small businesses, and in supporting small firms understand and meet what is being imposed. Synchronising and harmonising the ask of small businesses across various regulators and levels of government, and a tell-us-once ethos, shouldn't be too much of an ask. The United Nations reminds us that small and medium enterprises as the "frontline drivers of innovation, inclusion, and resilience". Small and family businesses need to be front of mind for our policymakers, especially as we head into the economic roundtable. When thinking about how best to drive the economic resilience and productivity improvements, energising enterprise through small businesses is a great starting point. The Treasurer has released the agenda for the much-vaunted three-day Economic Reform Roundtable he is hosting in just a few short days (August 19 to 21), and there is feverish activity on many fronts in the lead-up. Submissions aplenty and roundtables hosted by Ministers to capture input from those not in the impressive core group of 23 attendees that will participate in all sessions over the three days. The public release of some submissions has helped generate lead-up discussion. Possibilities are being canvassed, and the government's appetite for decisiveness and boldness is being probed. This, in turn, has generated hope, interest and some debate. The Productivity Commission's proposal to lower the company tax rate for SMEs is an example of quality thought-leadership. It aims to boost entrepreneurship, investment and competitiveness and would be funded by tax changes for the big end of town. It is an example of bold, multidimensional and transformative reform we need. Like so many bigger ideas, it is not uncontested. Where do the benefits and costs land? What are the trade-offs? Which businesses are driving prosperity gains and are most helping budget repair? What of the three in five small businesses that are not companies? You get the idea. Cautious optimism was very much the vibe at the recent small business roundtable I attended, along with other willing contributors assembled by Small Business Minister Anne Aly and Treasury. It was one of the numerous lead-up roundtables before the big event. The small-business champions, professional bodies, industry associations and financial and digital service providers all contributed meaningfully and constructively. Many of the well-argued ideas for reform were not new, but definitely warranted reiteration and reinforcement. Beyond sharing many great ideas, those gathered were keen to know about the government's economic reform ambition and appetite, and who the ball-carriers are who will ensure that constructive and considered input is embraced. This is particularly important for positive small business policy action. So many of the impacts and incentives guiding enterprising women and men's decision-making are (sadly) not directly the responsibility of the Minister for Small Business. Pleasingly for many of the roundtable participants, Minister Aly's opening remarks were strong, energetic and encouraging. The minister clearly appreciates that positive change for the small business community requires a whole-of-government effort. And whole-of-government support for small businesses is justified and necessary given the sector's vital contribution to Australia's economic wellbeing. Making up almost 98 per cent of Australian businesses, small enterprises generate about one-third of our GDP, which is nearly $600 billion in annual economic activity. Our smaller firms employ more than 5.1 million people, or two in five of the private sector workforce. While this current contribution is impressive and compelling, the small business share of overall economic activity and workforce opportunities has been in decline, like in other developed economies. Arresting this decline is an excellent and meaningful initial benchmark for reform success. To improve Australia's productivity, economic resilience and budget sustainability, we need to go beyond halting this decline. Turning it around will require improving operating conditions, encouraging entrepreneurship and nurturing an environment more conducive to small business success. This objective is why I have been banging on about the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman's 14 steps to energise enterprise since August last year. These 14 steps are practical, readily implementable and action-driven. Pleasingly, many of these 14 steps are reflected in submissions and public statements about where the focus of the Economic Reform Roundtable should be and what practical commitments should emerge. Even if some of these ideas are not new, a Roundtable commitment to act will shift the conversation. Reform ideas will have landed, gained traction and political buy-in. Advocates can progress conversations from a how-'bout-this pitching of reform propositions to a how's-it-going inquiry about genuine progress. And that has to be positive and momentum-building. There are many calls for better incentives for small businesses to form, invest, take risks, survive and thrive. Discounting small business company tax paid in the first three years will help new firms get through the early years' "cashflow value of death". This will support reinvestment into a more robust foundation and help reduce the rate and cost of the reported 50 per cent small business failure rate within the first three years of operation. A more generous and durable instant asset write-off provision will support vital capital deepening and capability-building in smaller firms. A restoration of tax incentives to encourage investment in digitisation, AI and technology uptake, energy efficiency and electrification, will boost productivity, support innovation and competitiveness, and enhance resilience and market access. Australian small businesses are falling behind their Asia-Pacific counterparts in the adoption of digital technologies. Investing in targeted support and education for small businesses to adopt digital technologies in their businesses can increase productivity by streamlining processes, building resilience to economic shocks, mitigating the risks of cybersecurity threats, supporting innovation and growth, and enhancing competitiveness with larger firms. Small businesses are not shrink-wrapped versions of big corporations. Right-sizing has to be the imperative in a renewed commitment to lift the regulatory burden and compliance costs imposed on small businesses. A genuinely risk-based, small-business-first approach and robust impact evaluation framework that genuinely considers non-regulatory options is needed. Including a mandatory small business impact section in all Cabinet submissions and adding small business engagement and support criteria to the regulatory agency performance assessment framework will enhance both thoughtfulness toward smaller respondents and accountability. Implementing digital reforms, which will encourage the adoption of business-ready new tech and AI, offers the promise of streamlining the business of running the business. Digital compliance and reporting systems that work in harmony with the natural business systems currently used by small businesses can ease the regulatory burdens. Regulators can really help by being very discerning about what they are asking small businesses, and in supporting small firms understand and meet what is being imposed. Synchronising and harmonising the ask of small businesses across various regulators and levels of government, and a tell-us-once ethos, shouldn't be too much of an ask. The United Nations reminds us that small and medium enterprises as the "frontline drivers of innovation, inclusion, and resilience". Small and family businesses need to be front of mind for our policymakers, especially as we head into the economic roundtable. When thinking about how best to drive the economic resilience and productivity improvements, energising enterprise through small businesses is a great starting point.
