Ai Group - Australian Industry Group
Ai Group - Australian Industry Group
12/19/2025 | News release | Distributed by Public on 12/18/2025 20:50
DBrief: 2025 in Review — The big challenges, the shifts underway, and the road ahead
Latest episode
In this episode, Australian Industry Group CEO Innes Willox joins us to review Australia's economic landscape in 2025. He reflects on a year marked by slow growth and persistent inflation, outlining why stronger government action is essential to reignite private sector confidence.
We explore the pressures of rising energy costs, the country's transition to net zero, and the growing role of AI across Australian industry. Innes also examines how businesses are reshaping their workforce strategies, the evolving workplace relations environment, and the regulatory uncertainty influencing investment decisions.
It's a big-picture conversation about what's holding the economy back - and what needs to shift for Australia to compete and innovate in 2026 and beyond.
Takeaways
- Inflation remains one of the economy's most persistent pressures.
- Strong, clear government action is needed to help restart private-sector investment and growth.
- Businesses need greater certainty to manage the transition to net zero effectively.
- AI is increasingly seen by Australian companies as a tool that enhances - not replaces - jobs.
- Post-election workplace relations reforms are creating significant change and increasing compliance demands.
- Skills and training systems must evolve quickly to keep pace with emerging technologies.
- The national energy debate will remain central to economic and policy discussions.
- A productive partnership between government and industry is essential to drive future prosperity.
Here are the links mentioned in the podcast episode:
- DBrief special episodes & election series: DBrief: Federal Election 2025 Special Episodes
- Budget position: Federal Budget 2025-26-restart private sector engine
- Election certainty: We need a clear election result
- Global outlook: Global forecasts-fragile stability
- Net zero targets & projections: DCCEEW Emissions Projections 2023; CEFC recapitalisation & 2035 target
- AI case studies: Artificial Intelligence: Positive for companies, their people, and Australian Industry
- Apprentices & employer barriers: Opinion: Employers behind apprentices; Job satisfaction outcomes
- Wage Review decision: 3.75% increase-Australian Industry Group statement
- Productivity & wages linkage: Productivity uplifts needed
Contact the Industry Development & Policy team here.
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Louise McGrath
In her role as Australian Industry Group's Head of Industry Development and Policy Louise provides strategic leadership and guidance for Australian Industry Group's policy agenda in building competitive industries through global integration, infrastructure development and innovation. She ensures that through policy leadership members have a voice at all levels of government, by representing and promoting their interests on current and emerging issues.
Louise represents Australian Industry in several multilateral forums, such as the B20 Taskforces, Global Business Coalition, and the East Asia Business Council working group on RCEP. She advocates for the interests of Australian Industry Group members during Free Trade Negotiations and translates those agreements to support the strategic aims of members. She is a member of CSIRO's Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence Think Tank and the Manufacturing Advisory Group, the NESP Sustainable Communities and Waste Hub and the Advisory Group of The Australian Consortium for 'In-Country' Indonesian Studies (ACICIS).
Louise has studied a Bachelor of Arts (Arabic Language and Culture) at Deakin University and an Advanced Diploma in International Trade at RMIT. She has also studied Arabic at universities in Jordan and Egypt.
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