Opinion
Issue No. 19 - October/November 2004
Politics of business
by Bill Anschutz
Like it or not, business needs to be engaged with politics. Politics regulate the environment in which business operates and to fail to participate in the process, is to abandon the agenda and control to others.
The politics of business has little to do with how you vote. It has everything to do with the long term investments that business owners, investors, managers and staff, make in the community and whether the regulatory environment will allow legitimate commerce to exist and prosper.
Every business needs to understand how the systems work and to be able to work it. If you do not fight for the legitimacy of your business, no one else can or will.
Throughout history the "commercial class" has been regarded as somewhat grubby, yet commerce provides the majority of jobs and salaries, so let‘s not be backward about standing up for the legitimate process of business.
Politicians are elected for "the next term" which can vary from 3 to 8 years. Businesses almost invariably plan and invest for a continuing future.
Politicians, or elected representatives, may be local government councillors, State Government Members of the House of Assembly, Legislative Council, Federal Government, House or Representatives and Senate. Chambers of Commerce provide some levels of political representation, but business owners must accept the responsibility to present their own issues.
There is no point in complaining about government policy unless you recognize that you can – and should – make your ideas and problems known to the politicians who established the regulatory processes. Policies and regulation may be burdensome, unfair, politically expedient, anti-business and overwhelming in how they unreasonably redirect your resources away from being able to get on with your business.
There are some rules to the game.
Learn the rules and develop the skills.
Anyone entering business is responsible to continuously assess ...
