The ‘major issues’ the business chamber boss says Australia ‘needs to resolve’

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has unveiled Australia’s big-spending federal budget aimed at recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reflecting on the budget, acting chief executive of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Jenny Lambert, said while Australia “can’t keep going with debts and deficit forever … it has been an important part of the response to COVID”.

She says there are “some major issues we need to resolve”, which will be key to Australia’s COVID-19 recovery.

“We’ve got to actually work out how we’re going to encourage more Australians to move into regional Australia to take up jobs,” she told Ross and Russel.

“We’ve also got to work out how on earth we’re going to fill some of the skills gaps we’ve got across the economy when we can’t get migrants in.”

“You can’t keep going with debts and deficit forever but it has been an important part of the response to COVID and something that ensures we at least can stay economically and health-wise, safe.

Press PLAY below to hear more of the ACCI chief executive’s budget analysis