Predicting the ideas discussed at the roundtable will inform “the next three budgets and beyond” the Treasurer is talking up the prospect of tax reform, a road user charge for EV vehicles. Unions are pushing for a debate on a four-day work week and capital gains tax reforms for the family home. Around 30 leaders from business, unions and the public service will convene in Canberra on Tuesday for three days of discussion and debate about the country’s economic future. Anthony Albanese and the Treasurer are promoting a unity ticket, with the pair spending Monday night catching up with the PM’s dog Toto at the Lodge. “The appetite and ambition have been really encouraging,’’ Treasurer Jim Chalmers said in his opening remarks. “The timing for this gathering couldn’t be better, the responsibility couldn’t be bigger. “We’ve had four major economic shocks in less than two decades. “What used to be punctuation points marking the end and beginning of long periods of calm has become a near permanent state of upheaval. “We are realistic about the impact of all of this but optimistic too.” But Nationals leader David Littleproud predicted that the ideas factory will generate “chaos” without concrete outcomes. “I think we’ve got a Prime Minister that’s out of ideas after three years, and he’s at odds with his treasurer,’’ Nationals leader David Littleproud said. “I think Jim Chalmers has gone there with the real intent of undertaking some reform, albeit on the taxation side. “And you’ve got a prime minister that’s holding him back. I think you’ve got two competing forces here. “There will be no courage out of this. This is chaos, where everyone’s giving gratuitous advice, and not a lot will come out of it.” The brainchild of the Prime Minister, the summit was first announced in June and is designed to build national consensus around economic reform. The focus of the first day is “resilience”, with participants to focus on productivity on Wednesday and “budget sustainability and tax reform” on Thursday. RBA governor Michele Bullock will also address the meeting, after the bank downgraded productivity growth from 1 per cent to 0.7 per cent. In its economic outlook, the RBA said that slow productivity will take a toll on business revenues, household incomes and demand. The government has already conducted a ‘boardroom blitz’ with dozens of business leaders, union leaders, over forty ministerial roundtables, and almost 900 submissions from across the country. Treasurer Jim Chalmers said there were plenty of positives in the economy despite the challenges ahead. “On Tuesday a third interest rate cut in six months because of the progress that’s been made on inflation,’’ he said. “On Wednesday annual real wages grew for the seventh consecutive quarter, the strongest growth in five years. “On Thursday, unemployment ticked down and 25,000 new jobs. “Australia’s performance sets us apart but we’re not satisfied, we need to do more and we need to do better and we will.” Mr Chalmers said the government wanted to make the coming years “a defining decade” to build for a new generation of prosperity. “We have three clear objectives,’’ he said. “Most importantly, to make our economy more productive over time, to lift living standards and make people better off. “Global uncertainty surrounds us, big economic challenges confront us, and our ambitions must meet this moment.” Despite calls to overhaul the GST, the government has suggested there’s little chance of that with the option all but ruled out. “Well, firstly, I would say the Treasurer has been really clear about not wanting to constrain any ideas, but I think the historical statements by the Prime Minister and the Treasurer have made the position on the GST pretty clear,’’ Labor frontbencher Amanda Rishworth said.