“So am I going to put all those facts in front of people? You bet. Am I going to up the ante? You bet. Am I going to put the US case studies in front of the Senate crossbenchers? You bet. “I am going to do whatever I can to get this across the line. Why do I feel so passionate about this? Because I cannot see any other policy that is going to give us the growth dividend that this one is. “I cannot see in the Labor Party’s platform what the growth agenda looks like. Sure, we should do more on education and health, but what is the bit that is actually going to get you that 1 per cent growth in the size of the economy? “I just feel that we’re in the weeds of politics. Meanwhile, back in the US, they’re getting on with it.” The visit to the US will be a show of force for Australian business leaders including Qantas chair Leigh Clifford, Commonwealth Bank chief Ian Narev, AMP Capital chair Vanessa Wallace, Seven West Media chair Kerry Stokes, Fortescue Metals Group chair Andrew ‘Twiggy’ Forrest, Visy Industries chair Anthony Pratt and Seek chief Andrew Bassatt.

Business Council of Australia chief executive Jennifer Westacott. Credit:Tamara Voninski A central event will be a closed-door session where Mr Turnbull and the Australian business figures will meet US state governors and the leaders of major US corporations, including Alcoa chief Roy Harvey and Dow Chemical chief Andrew Liveris, the expatriate Australian named by President Trump to lead the American Manufacturing Council. State premiers including Daniel Andrews of Victoria, Gladys Berejiklian of NSW and Annastacia Palaszczuk of Queensland will also attend. The business campaign at the US meetings appears certain to intensify the political row over the company tax cuts as the blocked policy becomes a fundamental point of difference between the two major parties. Mr Shorten has hardened his stance against the extra help for business by attacking companies for using tax havens as well as keeping wages low while they boost executive salaries.

“I don’t see how dumping a big truck full of taxpayer funds into the pockets of multinationals in the form of a tax cut is going to help ordinary people,” Mr Shorten said last month. Loading Parliament last year legislated some of Mr Turnbull’s tax cuts but stopped the benefits going to companies with more than $50 million in turnover. The laws already passed cost $29.8 billion in foregone revenue over a decade, while the remainder of the package would cost another $35.6 billion. Treasury modelling suggests the full package would expand the economy by 1.1 per cent, worth about $22 billion each year after a decade, but this is the subject of dispute among economists and is rejected by Labor and Greens politicians. In a more nuanced response last week, Labor shadow treasurer Chris Bowen acknowledged the case for company tax cuts but said the government plan was unaffordable when the budget was in deficit.

The government needs support from nine of the 11 crossbenchers but has only secured three: David Leyonhjelm, Cory Bernardi and independent Fraser Anning, who recently quit One Nation. The government needs the three One Nation senators and is targeting newcomers such as Tim Storer, who replaced one of Nick Xenophon’s team, and Steve Martin, who replaced Tasmanian independent Jacqui Lambie. Victorian independent Derryn Hinch is yet to be convinced. Ms Westacott said the campaign after the Washington visit would try to convince Senator Hanson to rethink her recent criticism of the full tax cut. “I totally respect her view that we’ve got to get regional Australia powering along and I hear her on that, but if we want agriculture to really get cracking, that’s not going to happen at a corner store, as important as corner stores are,” the BCA chief said. “If Nick Xenophon’s party is serious about manufacturing, that’s not going to happen through just small business."

Ms Westacott said the US governors were doing more than Australian political leaders to attract big investors because they had experienced an economic slump that spurred them into action, while Australians had turned against business. “The US states have opened the door, not shut the door,” she said. “It’s an open for business country while we have become a business-bashing, closed-for-business country. And this will be our undoing, not in terms of a big recession or poverty but in just not being the country we could have been.” Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video Expressing frustration at the political drama over Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, the BCA chief said inaction in Canberra would come at a cost over the decade ahead.