John Durie: New directors vie for COSBOA board positions as council looks to put union deal concern behind them

Three new directors are standing for election at next week’s annual meeting of the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA), aiming to unify the small business group and boost its political skills.

The meeting in Canberra on Thursday, October 27, comes after concerns were raised last month in the wake of COSBOA’s perceived support for a wide-ranging industrial campaign from the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) at the federal government’s Jobs Summit. 

The peak lobby group took the unprecedented step of releasing a statement of intent “clarifying” its industrial relations stance in the summit’s aftermath. 

Membership concern was focused on a lack of consultation prior to the summit.

Those standing for election to the board include Australian Meat Industry Council’s Patrick Hutchinson and Independent Food Distributors Association’s Richard Forbes.

Three existing board members are due for re-election, including David Gandolfo from the Commercial Asset Finance Brokers Association.

Under COSBOA rules, one-third of directors automatically rotate every few years.

COSBOA chair Matthew Addison told SmartCompany the annual meeting is just part of the normal processes.

However, both Forbes and Hutchinson have previously expressed concerns about the Jobs Summit link with the ACTU and the lack of prior consultation.

Addison told SmartCompany membership of the council has increased over the last year. The organisation is comprised of a range of small business groups, as well as associate members who are big businesses, including the NBN, Cisco and Mastercard.

The statement of intent said in part: “COSBOA does not: support the unionisation of small business; support compulsory sector-wide or industry bargaining, including compulsory multi-employer bargaining; support pattern bargaining; support any measure that enables or would make strike action more likely within an organisation, within a sector, across sectors or across groups of businesses.”

COSBOA chief executive Alexi Boyd is expected to be supported at next week’s annual meeting and the new board members instead aim to boost the group’s political and advocacy under a united front.

Jos de Bruin, a director of COSBOA and head of the Master Grocers Association told SmartCompany the Jobs Summit issues were well past the organisation.

Meanwhile, COSBOA has stressed the importance of putting the small business voice on the national agenda in its pre-budget submission.  

The annual meeting will come just days after Tuesday’s federal budget, which will be closely watched for any support for small businesses.

In the submission, COSBOA called for the government to act on red tape that is holding small businesses back. 

“Many constraints on small business growth, innovation and viability stem from inadequate and/or inappropriate regulation. COSBOA recommends freeing up these choke points with new, improved, fit-for-purpose regulations with zero impact on the budget bottom line.”

In particular, the council called for the backing of its recently announced Cyber Wardens program, along with its Future Female Entrepreneurs Program and broader changes, such as digital co-investment in skills and training, tax reform and investment in VET and skills.

This article was updated at on Thursday, October 20 to correct a reference to the number of new directors standing for election at COSBOA’s annual meeting and the name of the association represented by David Gandolfo.