Morrison mingled for almost an hour, speaking to some individually during dinner as did about 10 cabinet members, including Industry Minister Karen Andrews, Energy Minister Angus Taylor, Immigration Minister David Coleman and Urban Infrastructure Minister Alan Tudge. Loading The Prime Minister then spoke off the cuff, proclaiming himself the "warm-up act" for Frydenberg and reminding industry leaders that his government was focused on "being practical" and "delivering". Morrison emphasised he wanted to help deliver the skilled workforce that business needs. Everyone in the room says the mood was positive. The next morning Morrison's right-hand man, Ben Morton, told industry leaders the Coalition did not "represent corporate Australia".

The speech was reported as Morton doubling-down on his blunt message to the business community a week earlier, where he warned industry was being viewed as giving in too easily to social and environmental activists and not doing the heavy lifting on economic reform. But he reserved special praise for the work of the Business Council of Australia, which was hosting the two-day forum, as "one such notable exception". Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video "The BCA campaigned for company tax cuts, opposed Labor’s 45 per cent emissions target, supported personal income tax cuts in full and is supporting workplace integrity legislation," Morton said. He commended BCA chief executive Jennifer Westacott for having both "policy consistency" and "the courage of your convictions".

Loading Morton urged businesses to communicate tax cuts and reforms to industrial relations that would "help quiet Australians" and make the case it would be shared gains for their employees. "I believe quiet Australians and other businesses will be quietly cheering you on," he said. "Businesses have a virtuous role to play, as employers; providing the best possible product or service; acting honestly and within the law; and maximising return to their shareholders." The government has fought hard to extinguish internal spot fires within the party room on a suite of policies, which have been widely condemned as "anti-free market".

Top of those were sweeping new powers to break up big energy companies. The "big stick" legislation aimed at power generators and retails has drawn the ire of the energy sector and some in the business community. Loading Westacott, a fierce critic of the laws prior to the election, stuck by her claims this week the legislation would not drive down prices for households or business. But now she is more pragmatic, like some previously irate Coalition backbenchers, who concede the government had taken it to an election and won. "They've got a mandate to do it," she said. "What we're trying to do is to work constructively with them to get the legislation in better shape, to make sure it doesn't have these unintended consequences." It was Joyce, speaking at the National Press Club later that afternoon, who said he hoped the government was not trying to tell business to speak up in support of government policy but remain mute when it disagreed with Canberra.