A new survey of 269 Australian CEOs has undermined the Liberals’ attempts to justify their $65 billion handout to multinationals.

The 2018 Australian Industry Group Business Prospects Report released today shows business leaders think “lack of customer demand”, not the country’s headline company tax rate, is the biggest threat to growth.

The second-most cited reason was skill shortages – another reason why the Liberals cuts to education and training are so damaging to the economy.

The Liberals’ economic scaremongering and trickle-down rhetoric would have you believe Australian bosses won’t employ more staff without tax cuts.

For the first time in five years, most of the CEOs surveyed (57.6 per cent) said they planned to employ more people this year.

These results show the best global economic conditions that we’ve seen in the past decade are giving Australian businesses the confidence and optimism needed to put on more staff.

This survey is more proof that Australian companies take into account a broad range of considerations when making business decisions.

The Liberals just don’t get it. We won’t get growth by giving the biggest tax breaks to those who need them least, while increasing taxes on middle Australia and attacking their pay and conditions.

We will only get the right kind of inclusive growth in this country if we invest in the productive capacity of our people, reward their effort, and ensure they have the means to spend, invest and keep up with the costs of living.