The Business Council of Australia (BCA) is an employers' organization, which represents the chief executives of approximately 100 large Australian corporations. It was formed in 1983 by the merger of the Business Roundtable - a spin-off of the Committee for Economic Development of Australia - and the Australian Industry Development Association. Its current president is Michael Chaney who also serves as Chairman of the National Australia Bank. An employers organization, employers association or employers federation is an association of employers. ... Chief Executive may refer to: Chief Executive of Hong Kong Chief Executive of Macau Chief Executive Officer This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Corporate redirects here. ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... CEDA (the Committee for Economic Development of Australia) is an independent, bipartisan, non-profit forum and think tank. ... This article is about the Australian businessman. ... In relation to a company, a director is an officer of the company charged with the conduct and management of its affairs. ... The National Australia Bank or nab (ASX: NAB, LSE: NAB, NYSE: NAB, TYO: 8637 ) colloquially the National or the NAB. The NAB is part of the NAB Group it is the largest bank in Australia and 28th largest in the world. ...

Its stated reason for existence is to give the business community a greater voice in public policy debates about the direction of Australian society.

Structure

While all members of the Business Council have equal representation, decision-making is often delegated to the Board, Council Task Forces and the Secretariat.

Board

The BCA Board has responsibility for the administration of the Secretariat and makes recommendations to the full Business Council on issues concerning membership and Task Force appointments. It is also responsible for identifying policy issues, proposing the Council's policy agenda, and general agenda-setting and policy-making.

Current Business Council Board members are:

• Michael Chaney, President, Business Council of Australia
• Tony D'Aloisio, CEO, Australian Stock Exchange
• Geoff Dixon, CEO, Qantas
• Greg Gailey, CEO, Zinifex
• Angus James, CEO, ABN AMRO
• Katie Lahey, Chief Executive, Business Council of Australia
• Charlie Lenegan, Managing Director, Rio Tinto - Australia
• Rod Pearse, CEO & Managing Director, Boral
• John Stewart (Australian businessman), CEO & Managing Director, National Australia Bank

The Secretariat comprises the Chief Executive, Deputy Chief Executive and six Directors to support, co-ordinate and facilitate the work of each Task Force. Research assistance and secretarial support is also provided. Current secretariat members are: This article is about the Australian businessman. ... The Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) is the primary stock exchange in Australia. ... Geoff Dixon is an Australian corporate executive and current CEO and Managing Director of Qantas. ... Qantas (pronounced ) is the name and callsign of the worlds second oldest continuously running independent airline behind KLM. It is the 10th largest airline in the world. ... Zinifex ASX: ZFX is an Australian company operating zinc mines and smelters. ... ABN AMRO (Euronext: AAB, NYSE: ABN) is one of the largest banks in the Netherlands and has operations all over the world, its history going back to 1824. ... Rio Tinto is a multinational mining and resources group founded originally in 1873. ... Boral is a multinational company dealing in building and construction materials. ... The National Australia Bank or nab (ASX: NAB, LSE: NAB, NYSE: NAB, TYO: 8637 ) colloquially the National or the NAB. The NAB is part of the NAB Group it is the largest bank in Australia and 28th largest in the world. ...

• Ms Katie Lahey, Chief Executive
• Mr Steven Munchenberg, Deputy Chief Executive
• Ms Melinda Cilento, Chief Economist
• Mr Patrick Coleman, Director Policy
• Ms Allesandra Fabro, Director Policy
• Ms Freya Marsden, Director Policy
• Ms Maria Tarrant, Director Policy
• Mr Mark Triffitt, Director, Strategic Communications

Policy

The BCA openly supports many of the Howard government's policies, including its industrial relations reforms [1]. The reform agenda of the BCA ranges from industrial relations such as WorkChoices and tax reform, to the more controversial full privatisation of major national and state utilities such as the Snowy Mountains Scheme. It also advocates the privatisation and commodification of water rights. John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939), Australian politician, is the Prime Minister of Australia. ... The Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Kevin Andrews, who introduced the Australian industrial relations legislation, speaking at a press conference on 8 November 2005 Wikinews has News related to this article: Portal:Australia/Australian industrial relations legislation, 2005 New Australian industrial relations legislation passes House of Representatives Suspicions of... The Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Kevin Andrews, who introduced the Australian industrial relations legislation, speaking at a press conference on 8 November 2005 Wikinews has News related to this article: Portal:Australia/Australian industrial relations legislation, 2005 New Australian industrial relations legislation passes House of Representatives Suspicions of... The Snowy Mountains Scheme is a massive water diversion and storage scheme, taking water from the eastern slopes of the Australian Alps (part of the Great Dividing Range) in eastern Victoria and southern New South Wales through pipes, tunnels and aqueducts into a series of dams, for use in hydro...

The BCA works in close coordination with the Council of Australian Governments to effect policy changes. The BCA origins follows a similar line of organisations to that of highly centralised economies, vis a vis the Australian Council of Trade Unions which traced their origins to corporativism, due to the fall in union membership attributable to the loss of manufacturing base, the BCA has been left without a countervailing peak labour organisation to moderate its policies. The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) is an organisation consisting of the Australian Federal Government and the governments of the six states and two territories. ... The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) is the peak national body representing workers in Australia. ... The term corporatism has different meanings in different contexts. ...

Membership

As of 2007, membership of the BCA totals 106 companies [2], and includes Australia's national telecommunications carrier, Telstra, as well as the the 4 major banks - National Australia Bank, Commonwealth Bank, ANZ and Westpac 2007 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Telecommunication involves the transmission of signals over a distance for the purpose of communication. ... Telstra Corporation (ASX: TLS, NZX: TLS, NYSE: TLS) (formed from Telecom Australia) is an Australian telecommunications company under private ownership, holding a dominant position in landline telephone services, large share of mobile phone services, domestic consumer (including dial-up access and Broadband internet broadband cable modem, satellite and ADSL services... The National Australia Bank or nab (ASX: NAB, LSE: NAB, NYSE: NAB, TYO: 8637 ) colloquially the National or the NAB. The NAB is part of the NAB Group it is the largest bank in Australia and 28th largest in the world. ... The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (commonly just the Commonwealth Bank) is the second largest bank in Australia, after the National Australia Bank. ... The Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited; ASX: ANZ, NZX: ANZ, NYSE: ANZ), commonly called ANZ, is the third largest bank in Australia, after the National Australia Bank and the Commonwealth Bank. ... Westpac Banking Corporation ASX: WBC NZX: WBC, usually called Westpac, is the fourth largest bank in Australasia, after the National Australia Bank, Commonwealth Bank of Australia and ANZ and one of the largest banks in the South Pacific. ...

External links

• Business Council of Australia official website
• Source Watch