MANUFACTURING INCITEC Pivot chief James Fazzino is praying for a cut to red tape, less debate over tax and more gender equality - but more immediately, for rain on Anzac Day to help farmers. 
All four prayers have one thing in common: increasing Australia's productivity. The chief of the explosives and fertiliser manufacturer says fixing Australia's low productivity should be the federal government's highest priority, ahead of all other political ambitions, including tax reform.
"Our low productivity is our nation's burning platform," Mr Fazzino said yesterday, speaking in Melbourne.
"And why should we care? Because productivity is 'code' for living standards." Australia's productivity was "woeful", he said.
Mr Fazzino, who was speaking at an American Chamber of Commerce in Australia business function, identified several crucial barriers to increased productivity, including a misplaced focus by government in the lead up to the federal Budget.
"I was in Canberra last week and the question at the centre of the national debate was: how can we raise more revenue," he said.
"I believe that is the wrong question. It should be: how do we raise productivity? Instead of dividing up the cake into smaller slices, productivity is about making a bigger cake." Australian companies were also underperforming because of a lack of female staff, Mr Fazzino said.
"By definition, organisations which ignore 50 per cent of their talent pool are limiting the quality of their teams and missing the opportunity for productivity increases. And it's males that need to champion this change.
"Everywhere that we have improved gender diversity in our company we are getting better results - that's good business." Australia also had the opportunity to become the "clean" food bowl of Asia, if it could boost productivity, he said. "Alas, again, we are waiting for rain at this point in the cycle. For us the key is the -winter crop and it's always a fantastic break if it's raining on Anzac Day."karina.barrymore@news.com.au