Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09MELBOURNE19
2009-02-06 01:59:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Consulate Melbourne
Cable title:  

Australian CEOs on US Economic Policy, Davos and the Coming

Tags:  EIND ECON ETRD AS 
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MELBOURNE 000019 

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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EIND ECON ETRD AS
SUBJECT: Australian CEOs on US Economic Policy, Davos and the Coming
Tsunami

Ref:

Summary
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MELBOURNE 000019

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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EIND ECON ETRD AS
SUBJECT: Australian CEOs on US Economic Policy, Davos and the Coming
Tsunami

Ref:

Summary
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1. (SBU) During a CEO roundtable hosted by the Business Council of
Australia on February 3, executives asked Consul General about
potential changes to US trade, monetary and fiscal policy. An
attendee who had just returned from Davos indicated that
expectations are high for April's G20 meeting, and there is strong
"momentum" for increased global cooperation. Executives were split
on how best to see Australia through the slowdown, but all agreed
that the worst is yet to come. End Summary.

Changes to US Policy?
--------------


2. (SBU) During a February 3 roundtable meeting with CEOs such as
Goldman Sachs/JB Were's Craig Drummond and BNP Paribas' Didier
Mahout, business leaders asked whether there would be substantial
changes to US trade, fiscal and monetary policy. CEOs expressed
keen interest in learning more about US positions on trade,
currency, international labor standards, rebuilding consumer
confidence, US/China relations, the future of the UN, IMF and World
Bank, climate change and the potential for increased bank
regulation. Craig Drummond noted that rating agencies were also
responsible for the financial crisis and asked whether we
anticipated increased regulation of the "watchers" such as Moody's
and Standard and Poor's.

Davos
--------------


3. (SBU) Drummond, who had just returned from the World Economic
Forum (WEF),described a downbeat atmosphere, but noted a strong
degree of enthusiasm for international cooperation. There are high
expectations for April's G20 meeting and leaders are looking forward
to increased cooperation on fiscal policy since monetary options
have been exhausted in several key economies. The Australian
business contingent in Davos all agreed that the economic "tsunami"
has not fully hit Australia and "smart" executives are busy
preparing to confront it.


4. (SBU) According to Drummond, WEF leaders were unable to agree on
how long the global slowdown would last or on how best to confront
it. They did agree, however, that rebuilding confidence would be
tied to increased regulation and limiting excessive compensation.
While Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said that he expects 8 percent GDP
growth in 2009, Drummond noted that Chinese executives at the forum
doubted the Premier's "optimistic" figures and indicated that there
are already examples of growing social unrest in China. Finally,
Drummond sympathized with Vladimir Putin's concern that funding the
US deficit risks sucking liquidity out of developing economies.

Australia: The Way Forward
--------------


5. (SBU) Responding to Consul General's query on how Australia can
best confront the global slowdown, PaperlinX CEO Tom Park noted that
economies must resist the temptation to raise trade barriers. Craig
Drummond indicated that business leaders only want governments to
first do no harm. He expects good collaboration between business
and government in order to manage expectations and to properly
evaluate all available options. Regarding Prime Minister Rudd's
plea to executives to retain workers, Drummond and others agreed
that businesses need sufficient flexibility to take necessary
survival measures.


6. (SBU) Robert Milliner, Managing Partner of Mallesons, Stephen,
Jaques law firm noted that the business community is looking for
leadership on pricing the true cost of deleveraging in order to try
to put an endpoint on the process of revaluing assets. John Denton,
Managing Partner of Corrs, Chambers, Westgarth law firm argued that
governments must not sacrifice long term stability and prosperity
just to generate the impression that they are "doing something."
According to Denton, the business community is concerned about
potential government inhibitors such as the labor laws announced in
Australia in November 2008 and the potential for new business
regulations. He acknowledged, however, that there is a difference
between leading in a growth, versus a no-growth environment. There
is still a palpable level of shock and anxiety, Denton said, that is
fed by "unhelpful" journalism.

MELBOURNE 00000019 002 OF 002



Comment
--------------


7. (SBU) CEOs at the roundtable agreed that the worst is yet to come
for the Australian economy. Executives are busy taking
precautionary measures and say that maintaining flexibility will be
the key to survival for many Australian businesses. While most
appeared confident that their businesses would survive the downturn,
there is still considerable uncertainty on just how deep and long
the slowdown will be in Australia.

THURSTON