A strong association means a strong industry – that’s the message Andrew Macaulay, CEO of Printing Industries, brought to attendees at the FPLMA’s annual forum. Speaking about industry lobbying in changing times, Macaulay detailed how the PIAA is flexing its muscle for members in Canberra, and how the association needs member support to achieve its goals.
At the event in Melbourne, Macaulay outlined the PIAA’s lobbying strategy and its main areas of focus, including energy security, industry standards and self-regulation, Australia Post reform, tax reform, and industrial relations. He stressed, however, that the progress the association makes in lobbying efforts depends on the amount of support it gets from the industry, and expressed his concern that printers are underestimating the benefits of membership. “At this time when the industry most needs a single coherent voice, the combination of sectoral convergence, driven by technology change, with declining margins of traditional operators, plus new entrants to the industry no longer barred by a need for trade skills, has created a market that no longer sees industry association membership as a requirement of participation.
“In fact, in many instances, association membership is seen as a cost that needs to be justified,” Macaulay noted.
Some of the association’s wounds were self-inflicted, Macaulay admitted, caused by stretching itself too thin in past years, as well as its internal turmoil in 2014-15. “In the last decade PIAA attempted to do too many things, getting involved in services that were not core to lobbying, or were competitive to services offered by complementary bodies. PIAA exacerbated this problem following the public disputes within our Board and management,” he said.
He is confident, however, that Printing Industries is back on the right track, and promised to continue his efforts to ensure the association adequately represents its members. “It has been my role to bring stability to the peak industry body, focus our efforts, align ourselves with allied organisations and achieve results for the industry. It is a critical mission for the industry, and one we are increasingly seeing industry get behind and on board,” he said.
Macaulay noted that when meeting with politicians, he is almost always asked what percentage of the industry the PIAA represents. As the largest employer in Australian manufacturing, the printing sector has the potential to command plenty of clout in Canberra – if printers unite to make their voices heard, Macaulay said: “The biggest challenge for lobbying right now is making sure we’re engaged with our membership. The printing and packaging sector has enormous power; we are literally in every single electorate in the country. There are big printing and packaging businesses everywhere, and our politicians need to know that and listen to that.
“Your voice is only as strong as the support behind it,” he said.