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TheBusiness Council of Australia (BCA) is anindustry association that comprises thechief executives of more than 130 of Australia's biggest corporations.[1] It was formed in 1983 by the merger of the Business Roundtable – a spin-off of theCommittee for Economic Development of Australia – and the Australian Industry Development Association. The organisation is headquartered inMelbourne with offices inSydney andCanberra.
Its stated goal is to give the business community a greater voice in public policy debates about the direction of Australian society.[citation needed]
The Australian Industries Protection League (AIPL) was established inMelbourne in January 1919 as a successor to the Protectionist Association of Victoria.[2]James Hume Cook, a former federal MP and ally ofNationalist leaderBilly Hughes, was appointed secretary of the organisation in 1922 and held the position until his death in 1942. He represented the league at theBritish Empire Economic Conference in Ottawa in 1932.[3]
According toPeter Cochrane, its members were "first and foremost, advocates of high, even prohibitive, protection; they possessed a profound belief in the virtuosity of the small business enterprise and the necessity to furnish it with a financial and political superstructure".[4][5]
In June 1951, the AIPL was renamed as the Australian Industries Development Association (AIDA).[6] Hosiery manufacturerGeorge Foletta served as the organisation's president from 1951 to 1956.[7]
The Business Council of Australia was formed in 1983 from a merger of AIDA and the Business Roundtable.[8]
The board oversees the council's secretariat, committees and task forces, makes recommendations about membership and appointments, and proposes policies.
Board members, as of November 2024, were:[9]
Former presidents include Tim Reed,Catherine Livingstone,Tony Shepherd,Michael Chaney,Hugh Morgan,Roderick Carnegie andArvi Parbo.[11]
The secretariat works on policy, research, communications and administrative support.
The Strong Australia Network was established to lobby for regional businesses,[12] and BizRebuild to help businesses damaged by floods or bushfires.[13]
The council's policy agenda has included plans to reform post-secondary education,[14] cut rates of personal and company tax,[15] and strengthenenterprise bargaining.[16]
Members help develop policy through committees and special-issue task forces.[17]
As April 2025, members of the council were:[18]
