Won’t somebody please think of the startups?
The Albanese government's new Employment White Paper covers some critical ground. But there’s one area it doesn’t really dig into — startups.
Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers' newly released 264-page Employment White Paper details his plan to improve productivity, tackle workplace barriers and encourage Australians to learn more skills.
There's no denying that some of these areas promise real progress. In particular, growing the care economy, a renewed focus on access to early childhood education and permanently lifting some of the barriers to work affecting those receiving government support payments such as the pension and JobSeeker. These have largely been foreshadowed.
It's no shock to anyone, either, that there’s already criticism from some business groups over the sections on industrial policy reforms.
But there's one area where detail is surprisingly scant — startups. And, more specifically, a lack of focus on the role that government should play in helping support Australians to launch innovative new businesses that grow the employment pool.
