Author: Mark Fletcher

I am told that only 12 NSW newsagents voted in the election of their director to represent the state on the ANF Board. If this number or something close to it is right then to relevance of the association has been judged by newsagents. Marking a vote on a ballot and posting this is the most passive engagement one could have with an association. It challenges the ANF claim to represent newsagents.

The ANF Board could further challenge newsagent perception of its relevance if it does not immediately hold another election given that the result is a draw. To leave the choice of NSW Director to the Board would alienate NSW newsagents and key ANF staff who are shell-shocked at the performance of the organisation over the last few months. However, it does not matter since the organisation is of little relevance and does not represent newsagents despite what it may think.

UPDATE (28/11): Common sense has prevailed and the ANF has advised that the election will be recalled with a result expected prior to Christmas.

The Federal Government’s focus at the top and bottom ends of the economy in the face of the current economic challenges misses an opportunity to work on small business efficiency and sustainability.

While giving pensioners and others in need $10 billion cash to spend will help is important, I would like to see money invested in businesses.  Just as farmers need to invest in drought-proofing their properties, we need to invest in recession proofing our businesses.   The burst from the $10 billion will not focus business owner attention on sustained change in their businesses.

Big project infrastructure spending is good too but it does not focus in more important infrastructure – business efficiency, particularly small business where the majority of Australians work.

I would prefer to see the Federal Government introduce an investment allowance for and rapid depreciation of appropriate capital expenditure – expenditure which improves business efficiency.  This would be far more useful for the Australian economy than yet another multi billion dollar handout to the auto industry.

I would also prefer to see the government make real and immediate progress on cutting business paperwork so that we can cut real operational costs, fixing the broadband mess once and for all so that we can become competitive in online based business and in communication,

At the newsagency level, I would like to see the government fund research into the impact of deregulation on newsagents and their families.  I suspect that such research will show that contracts which newsagents signed at the time of deregulation have made their businesses worse off today than in 1999.  This is a government matter because the government drove the deregulation agenda.  Newsagents need to be able to charge a fair fee for the service they offer.

Finally, I would like to see the Government stop competing with the private sector – get out of retail, sell off the 860 government owned post offices or get the post office out of looking more and more like a newsagency.