Recently I had the opportunity to reflect on advice to a large multi-national firm looking to set up in Australia. With a communications team but no local corporate affairs function, they wanted to look at local ways to enhance, shape and protect their reputation – particularly with government, their most significant Australian stakeholder.
Recently, Melbourne’s community television station Channel 31 was in a fight for its life. As a board member, it was a time of intensive activity and lobbying as we sought to extend the station’s free to air licence.
In Australia, our service industries are very heavy on entry level and highly skilled jobs which are increasingly making up a large portion of Australia's economy. The challenge is that without training and jobs available, it becomes very challenging for people to climb the ladder of opportunity. It’s a big leap from the bottom to the top without clawing one’s way through the middle.