Big business talked down to Aussies about the Voice, inclusion and the environment. Now a VERY ugly reality has finally dawned on them: they’ve been screwed, writes PETER VAN ONSELEN

This week big business finally had a full blown tantrum about what Labor is doing to the national economy – using the Business Council of Australia’s annual dinner to take aim at the Prime Minister (their guest of honour) for his government’s industrial relations changes. 

Both the CEO and the President of the BCA didn’t mince their words calling out how tough the current climate is for Australian businesses, and they are right in their critique. 

At the top of the list of grievances is Labor’s new IR laws.  

The union appeasing policy shift Labor has enacted, while not flagged at the last election, was always going to be on the agenda if Anthony Albanese became Prime Minister. 

Why? Because that is what Labor governments always do. When they get elected, especially after long periods of Coalition rule, they ‘reform’ the industrial relations system. 

‘Reform’ being a euphemism for re-balancing things in favour of the union movement and its workers. 

The unions being Labor’s biggest source of political donations. No wonder Labor seeks to look after union interests once in power. 

It used to be the same when big business donated to the Liberal Party, but not much of that happens anymore, so the Liberal Party is drifting towards populism rather than staying ideologically aligned with the business community the way that it once did.  

While I agree with the concerns business regarding the new IR laws, it is hard to feel a great deal of sympathy for big business. 

I say that because for many years now the Australian business community has forgotten what really matters to them. 

They’ve been too busy lecturing the rest of us on post-materialist issues such as the environment, inclusion and diversity and in this term of parliament, the Voice. 

Business leaders aren’t philosopher kings, well placed to lecture the rest of us on what is virtuous and what isn’t.   

They certainly aren’t the moral guardians of what is right and what’s wrong. Yet for some reason they think they have a right to talk down to the mainstream. 

Not that long ago we had former Qantas boss Alan Joyce lecturing Australians on how they should vote in the referendum – even after the major parties no longer saw eye to eye on the Voice. 

He became a partisan combatant, quite apart from the intellectual snobbery attached to the polemic campaign Qantas embarked on. 

Anthony Albanese, fiancé Jodie Haydon and Alan Joyce. Qantas supported the Voice vocally despite the lack of bipartisan support

Voice ‘Yes23’ logos were emblazoned on the side of some Jetstar and Qantas planes

Business leaders have even lectured the Liberal Party on a lack of female representation in its ranks. In isolation, it is a fair criticism… but most of these businesses live in glass houses. 

At the same time they have been tut-tutting the Liberals on gender, the number of women serving on ASX boards has fallen, as have the number of female CEOs. To say nothing about the lack of inroads being made to address the gender pay gap in corporate Australia. 

Sticking to the theme of business hypocrisy, too many senior business figures lecture the rest of us about doing more to address climate change – when many of their businesses are at best window dressing on the issue.

They are no better than celebrities who do the same.  

The new Labor government lapped up all the virtue signaling comments from business leaders while it was in Opposition, exclaiming ‘me too!’ whenever the attacks targeted the Morrison government.  

Shortly after Labor took office we all bore witness to the conga line of business attendees at the jobs and skills summit in Canberra. Replete with cheesy smiles for the cameras and handshakes to boot.  

What happened next? After the showbiz for ugly people moment had ended, Labor changed the IR system without notice or consultation. Hanging all these corporate buffoons out to dry.  

It is hard to therefore not simply think big business is now getting what it thoroughly deserves after demeaning itself in the charade that preceded what Labor governments always do. 

It leaves me wondering if the Australian business community have the collective memory of a goldfish.  

Now, in worsening economic conditions, suddenly it wants to chastise Labor for its IR policies, and is asking both major parties to dial down their populist rhetoric for the sake of necessary economic reforms. 

Businesses do most of the hiring in this country and pay most of the taxes. Their success usually results in national prosperity. Which is why Labor’s new IR laws, which put all that at risk, are so short sighted.  

While I agree on the issues, before the Australian business community can hope to convince voters to join its calls for a more business friendly environment, it needs to own up to the mistakes of the recent past. 

It must admit that for too long business leaders deprioritized core issues in the name of pursuing a so-called woke agenda.