Hi Vicky,

This week, I joined around 50 other members from across the community - MPs, unions, business leaders, academics and economists - at the Treasurer’s 3-day Economic Reform Roundtable in Canberra.

The roundtable was about finding common ground, agreeing on some short-term steps we can take now, and setting the long-term direction for the bigger reforms that will shape Australia’s future.

With no media or phones allowed in the room, I wanted to share a quick summary of what was discussed – and invite you to a Zoom debrief on Monday, where I’ll go into more detail and answer your questions.

Day-by-day summary

Day 1: Resilience

We began by recognising that while there are a lot of things happening in the world that we can’t control like wars impacting our energy markets, but what we can do is ensure Australia can react as competitively as possible.

There was discussion focused on skills and making sure all Australians can use their expertise to their full advantage, as well as a focus on how we can help our small businesses and innovative scale-ups succeed by making it easier to access the funding they need.

Day 2: Productivity

There was consensus in the room that Australia’s sluggish productivity growth is a major challenge.

One of the key discussion areas was our construction sector, where slow approvals are contributing to our housing crisis. Another focus was on making sure the clean energy transition, which is being slowed down by unnecessary delays and red tape, is done faster and cheaper.

In the afternoon, AI was the focus topic. Done right, it can help address housing shortages, improve service delivery, and boost productivity. But there are concerns, particularly from artists and environmental advocates, and it was good to see some common ground being established on how we can manage this transition the right way.

Day 3: Budget sustainability and tax reform

The final day saw a focus on how we build a tax system that is fairer for all.

This is something I have been pushing for over the last three years – to help young Australians achieve the same milestones as their parents and to drive productivity and investment in our businesses.

So I am delighted that following the roundtable, the Treasurer has now committed the government to start this work. The test now will be turning commitments into action so we can set Australia up for the long term.

While there were differences in the room, there was a lot of really productive debate. The important thing now is making sure this momentum delivers outcomes - not just more talk. I’ll be holding the government to account on that.

I want to ensure our community is informed throughout this process, so I’ll be hosting a Zoom debrief on Monday 25 August to take you through the outcomes and what comes next.

Please RSVP by clicking the button below and submit any questions you’d like me to cover!

Other Upcoming Events

If you can't make it to the Zoom debrief, there are still plenty of other opportunities to say hi and share your thoughts with me! Here's what's coming up:

• Clovelly Pop Up Office - August 29th
• Rose Bay Pop Up Office - September 5th
• Double Bay Politics in the Pub - September 15th

In the media

Ahead of the roundtable I published a series of pieces across the media, which you can read through the links below:

• The Guardian – Australians could keep more of their wages if we rebalanced taxes on other forms of income
• The AFR – I want the roundtable to focus on 4 big-ticket items
• Renew Economy – Here are four ways the Treasurer’s roundtable could deliver for climate
• Capital Brief – How government can help unlock capital for tomorrow’s innovators

Over the next two weeks I’ll be in Canberra for two sitting weeks, so I’ll share another update with you soon!

In the meantime, if there’s anything you’d like to share with me please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Warm regards,

Allegra Spender MP