Written by Steve Michelson
When you wake up on the morning of Sunday 4 May two things are certain: Australia will have minority government in Canberra and, refreshingly, you’ll be able to grab your morning coffee without falling over nearly as much election advertising and media coverage.
The driver for this prediction? Around a third of all Australians now place their vote with a candidate that does not represent one of the major parties and, given the numbers in the House of Representatives, either side will need to rely on the Teals (or those rat bag Greens) to form government. How the next Prime Minister cobbles together a majority in Senate to pass laws is a story for another day.
Against this backdrop, if you’re a business impacted by government regulation, policy or funding, now is the time to start thinking about how you will advance your strategic and commercial objectives in a Federal Parliament that will be more contested than what we have become accustomed to in the last decade.
How does my business get ready for a minority government?
Whether the blue team or the red team prevail post-election, businesses need to be ready to cut through all the noise and movement of a minority government (acknowledging that others will be paddling as hard too). In an environment where almost all legislation could be up for negotiation, what will make you stand out?
First, you need a plan.
This plan needs to get to the heart of what you are trying to achieve, map stakeholders, relevant election and budget cycles against a timeline underpinned by KPIs. If you’re trying to secure government funding, it’s all about giving your application a soft landing by engaging with the right elected representatives, their staff and the public service ahead of time. If you’re trying to effect policy or regulatory change its about helping decision makers find the sweet spot between good policy and good politics – and applying pressure where required.
Second, it’s about engagement.
Politics is a human business, so it is important to build meaningful relationships with elected officials and their hard working (and increasingly powerful) personal staff. The public service is squeezed more than ever before. Work out how to make their life easier in a way that aligns with your objectives. Being concise and engaging while understanding policy complexity is a key first step.
Australia could be returning to an elected minority Federal government.
Good engagement doesn’t mean sending three personnel to Canberra every sitting week in fear of slippage, instead it is mapping out quarterly engagements to build meaningful relationships and gather useful intelligence. Think about the role of low budget events and the press gallery. You can’t be in the room when the deal gets done if you don’t engage regularly, especially in a minority Parliament.
Also note that while the government is under caretaker convention during the election campaign, there are engagement opportunities for business. This includes with public servants who, while preparing incoming Ministerial briefs over the next month, tend to have a lighter overall workload and remain open for business.
The other opportunity worth considering is the period immediately following the election result. Within the first couple of weeks post-election, newly sworn-in Ministers are hungry for engagement opportunities, particularly when it allows them to fast track their expertise (and public facing image) in a new portfolio.
Conversely, it is also important to remember the losers from election as businesses must always take a bipartisan approach to government relations. After all, in three and a half short years, the next election will be upon us.
Finally, partner with a specialist government relations firm like Banksia.
We’ve worked across a range of industries, understand commercial and strategic objectives and know how to take this forward via government relations strategy using our high value connections. We pride ourselves on providing practical advice and hands on support.
Given our team’s experience and hawk-eye position, if you need any assistance navigating the challenging government relations path ahead, please do not hesitate to reach out.
