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Next month’s budget should aim to change the narrative and woo back workers and students, says CPA Australia.
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Australia ‘needs global campaign to repair image’
14 September 2022
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A campaign to attract students and temporary workers is needed to repair Australia’s damaged reputation and next month’s budget should allocate the funds, CPA Australia said.
Senior manager Gavan Ord said Australia had to compete in a global talent market and the government should build on momentum from the recent Jobs and Skills Summit.
“We’d like to see coming out in its budget funding towards a promotional campaign to try and attract international students and temporary visa holders to come to Australia to study and work,” Mr Ord said.
“We’d like to see that element in the budget and building off the momentum from the Jobs and Skills Summit where there was a recognition that we do need to get more temporary workers, permanent residents, and international students to Australia.”
He said the $36 million allocated at the summit to clear the visa backlog had to be backed up by a positive message overseas because Australia’s reputation had suffered following the pandemic measures.
“People have stories of difficulty of becoming permanent residents, they’ve had issues around border closures, so it’s time to try and try and change the narrative,” Mr Ord said.
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When people faced obstacles the word quickly spread, he said.
“They’re telling their friends how difficult it has been to get to Australia and that has definitely influenced perceptions of Australia as a destination for work and study,” Mr Ord said.
“We can’t just assume that people are going to come here because of our beaches and quality of life.”
Mr Ord said CPA Australia was finalising a submission that would highlight other possibilities for funding with an awareness that the budget had relatively modest scope.
“The Treasurer is trying to make it clear this is not a normal budget,” he said, “and the government has made it clear that they don’t have much money to do big things beyond their electoral commitments.”
Nevertheless, the body would suggest government address the decline in the number of volunteers, an issue highlighted by the Minister for Charities Andrew Leigh.
“That affects the ability of community groups and charities to deliver their services,” Mr Ord said. “We think there’s probably an opportunity for some short-term help for the sector — for example, providing some of these smaller charities and community groups with a voucher so that they can go and access professional advice.
“We think accountants or lawyers are well placed to assist some of these charities manage through the complexities of what they do, particularly when they are struggling to attract volunteers.”
He said another possibility was to offer grants for community groups to digitise, as they were unable to access the recently revived 120 per cent tax deduction for spending technology that would soon be available to small businesses.
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