COLEMAN:
A big day ahead for small business in Canberra tomorrow, with the Federal Minister for Small Business Michael McCormack having a chat at a breakfast for the Canberra Business Chamber. They’re putting on a big breakfast tomorrow, in partnership with the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Let’s find out what’s going to be happening there with Michael McCormack. Good afternoon, Michael.
McCORMACK:
Good afternoon Chris.
COLEMAN:
What’s happening tomorrow morning?
McCORMACK:
Well, we’ve got a breakfast with the Canberra Business Chamber and I am very much looking forward to catching up with the Chair Glenn Keyes and CEO Robyn Hendry, as well as James Pearson – the CEO of the Australian Chamber – talking about what the Government is doing in the small business space.
The lowering of the company tax rate, the instant asset write-off and the fact that we are trying to get through Parliament our Ten Year Enterprise Tax Plan to make even more small businesses eligible to get that lowering of the company tax rate, to get the instant asset write-off.
So, look, it’s more than just talking. It’s about actually listening. So I have been around to all the mainland capital cities, as well as Launceston, along with many regional centres such as Wagga Wagga – a city I know you’re familiar with, Chris – Gippsland, Kalgoorlie, Geraldton in Western Australia, so I have been going out and about listening to what small business expects of the Government. And I think that is perhaps – in one sense – better than talking. It’s also listening to get the feedback so I can then pass it on to Scott Morrison and the Treasury team so that we can, when we’re framing next year’s Budget, make sure that small business is very much looked after.
COLEMAN:
A lot of people don’t necessarily think of Canberra as a small business centre, but there are…
McCORMACK:
…tens of thousands of them!
COLEMAN:
Yeah, that’s really underscored by the fact this breakfast sold out well and truly in advance, so there’s a lot of demand to hear what you have to say tomorrow.
McCORMACK:
Well, look, there are so many innovative small businesses here in Canberra – and not always necessarily with a shopfront – but there are so many which are start-up businesses and people are operating out of their garages or their homes or studies. And that is where connectivity is such an important part of it and I take my hat off to organisations such as the Australian Chamber and the Canberra Business Chamber, but also Ausmumpreneurs – a really good organisation.
Fi Bendall is getting so many mothers who don’t want a necessarily corporate or high-flying life and who want to work from home and have the best of both worlds. And they can.
COLEMAN:
That’s all happening tomorrow morning, of course. But people might be wondering a bit about you, because you’re still relatively new within the portfolio as Small Business Minister. You actually were a small business owner for quite a while – in fact, I think that’s where I first met you about 20 years ago or something.
McCORMACK:
Yeah – it would have been. I was the editor of a daily newspaper and had 58 journalists in the newsroom and I then had my own small publishing company. It did very well – in fact, it’s still going. It’s a small business success story, operating – again, one of those people who have the best of both worlds. I was a stay-at-home dad, you might say, but operated my own small business out of my house.
And, look, we were doing work right around the state – indeed across Australia and even some international work towards the end. So the opportunities are limitless for small business, they really are, with start-ups and incubators starting right around the countryside and certainly in regional towns and cities as well. The trade agreements we have been able to sign with South Korea, China and Japan – that also opens up the opportunities there for small business, and not necessarily just in the agriculture sector – in goods – but certainly in the services sector as well. So there’s lots of opportunities.
I want to not only extol the virtues of the Government tomorrow morning at 7 o’clock at the Boat House, but I want to listen to Canberra small businesses; to the people across the ACT who are wanting to tell me what their thoughts are and what their vision is in the small business space, so it should be a really good morning.
COLEMAN:
So, Michael, with the popularity of this event – as I said, it sold out very quickly – I think there is a demand for this kind of thing and to meet with you directly. Would you be open to holding another one of these events, or perhaps we can get you in here at some stage to talk a bit more about the world of small business and talk to many small business owners and operators here on the radio?
McCORMACK:
Well, I am happy to do a Q&A on the radio – and I know how popular your programme is, Chris – so I would be happy to. I am in Canberra quite a bit, coming, of course from only 250 kilometres down the road at Wagga Wagga. So I am more than happy to do that or have an event in Canberra, but happy to come on your radio programme too.
COLEMAN:
Terrific, Michael. I think it would be great to get you on here with a few of our small businesses – from the general public and hard-working people, who are probably hard at work listening to 2CC, but all the best for tomorrow.
McCORMACK:
Thanks Chris.