Motor Trader eMag August 2017

Policy/Viewpoint
KELLIE DEWAR
DEPUTY GROUP CHIEF EXECUTIVE
GENERAL MANAGER MEMBER SERVICES
WHILST INTRODUCING
THE presenters at the recent
Carmageddon - Leading
the Way symposium on digital and
technological change, my mind shifted
to the leadership invested in services
and benefits to help members with
business costs. A constant theme
common at each of MTA Queensland’s
divisional meetings is the ‘cost of
doing business’. Our response is to
advocate these views to government,
agencies and work with corporate
partners on benefits to assist members
with their business endeavours.
In July’s Viewpoint, I drew attention
to our leadership in establishing a
corporate partnership with Gambit
Solutions which acts as a vendor
neutral broker specialising in
procuring electricity and gas rates
on behalf of groups and businesses.
Under the arrangement, some
members have achieved significant
power cost savings. The latest report
to me indicates that, increasingly,
members with diverse energy needs
are contacting Gambit Solutions to
discuss their power requirements
and costs, and have achieved savings.
Additionally, we’ve been discussing
the provision of a similar scheme for
printing outlays for members. Initial
consultations indicate that there can
be substantial printing savings. I’ll
have more to say about this initiative
in next month’s Viewpoint.
Similarly, corporate partner
OurAuto has an offer for members on
its Scan-Tool, with savings in upfront
costs coupled with special purchasing
arrangements. The OurAuto Scan-Tool
is an automotive fault diagnostic tool
based on the android system. It is
software-enabled, and provides autodetection;
top range health reports
and has regular monthly updates.
Members interested in the Scan-Tool
can go to OurAuto’s details are on our
member’s benefit’s web page.
At the invitation of Senator James
McGrath, Group Chief Executive
Officer Dr Brett Dale and I met
with him to confer on red tape and
economic regulation. In particular,
the Senator was keen to discuss
practical and achievable suggestions
for regulatory reform. We were pleased
to do so as it provided an advocacy
opportunity on issues important
to members. One of these was to
detail MTA Queensland’s leadership
on the digital and technological
transformations through the
Carmageddon symposiums.
We stressed the need for harmonisation
of regulations across all jurisdictions
in the context of new generation of
technology being introduced such
as plug-in electric and autonomous
vehicles and associated infrastructure.
We highlighted member’s
frustration and time consumed
with the Australian Taxation Office’s
(ATO) regulatory and compliance
requirements. We did acknowledge
the ATO’s simplification of the tax and
superannuation reporting obligations
through Single Touch Payroll,
myDeductions, and Superstream
but on-going reforms was needed.
On the issue of unfair dismissals
under the Fair Work Act, we advised
the Senator that this was an issue for
members both in time and cost.
We advocated that the process should
be streamlined. We proposed that
unfair dismissal claims, where a
jurisdictional objective is made on the
basis that the dismissal complied with
the Small Business Code, should be
dealt with in the first instance by the
Small Business and Family Enterprise
Ombudsman (SB&FEO). This would
require the SB&FEO to be delegated
the responsibility for unfair dispute
mediation. This discussion was well
received. The feedback provided will
contribute to ideas that ultimately
will incentivise State and Territory
Government to work with the
Commonwealth to cut red tape.
The Federal budget included $300
million for this purpose.
Here at MTA Queensland, I’ve noted
the considerable increase in domestic
parcel post costs and it appears so
have small/medium enterprises
(SMEs) which provide online shopping
to customers. It seems Australia Post
provides volume discounts to big
customers which send large amounts
of parcel mail. This disadvantages
SMEs and is a barrier to competition.
6 | Motor Trader August 2017