Jon Stanhope has announced [with some peculiar spacing] that he’s burying the hatchet and having a pow-wow with half the names on his enemies list for the sake of finding useful ways of stimulating the ACT economy.
- Participating in the round table will be the Chief Executive Officer of the Canberra Business Council, Ms Chris Faulks, the Executive Director of the Master Builders Association, Mr John Miller, the Chief Executive of the ACT and Region Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr Chris Peters, the Chairman of the Canberra Business Council’s Tourism Taskforce, Mr David Marshall, General Manager of Australian Capital Tourism, Ms Simmone Shepherd, Ms Trish Kirkland from the National Capital Attractions Association, the Chair of the Tourism Industry Council, Mr Joseph Griffiths, the Executive Director of the Property Council, Ms Catherine Carter, and the Chair of Canberra CBD Ltd, Mr Manny Notaras.
Mr Stanhope said it was vital that the Government and industry groups were proactive in coming up with creative ways of cushioning local businesses from any significant decline in consumerconfidence and spending in the period ahead – particularly in the critical Christmas retail period and the summer holiday period.
If the Commonwealth Government is determined to spend the economy back into good health then the most urgent issue Canberra is facing will be where to accommodate the job refugees who will start to flock here.