JOURNALIST:
Every week we talk about small business and what’s going on with small business right across this great country of ours. Joining me to talk small business from a roadshow in country Queensland is Michael McCormack, the Federal Small Business Minister who is out and about really pushing the Government’s agenda when it comes to well all things small business. Michael McCormack joins me live right across the country, mate welcome to the show.
MICHAEL McCORMACK:
Thanks Matt.
JOURNALIST:
So first of all for our listeners we are going to be talking about the tax cuts and that sort of thing but you’re this a National roadshow for small business and you’re in the regions, tell us a little bit about that?
MICHAEL McCORMACK:
Well look today I was joined by Kate Carnell in the Darling Downs in Queensland. I’ve been travelling the countryside with Kate, who is of course the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, with the representatives from those two important agencies, the Australian Taxation Office as well as the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, and we are meeting and greeting and most importantly listening to small businesses. Small business owners and operators, those wonderful people who have such a go, right across the nation – regional, suburban, metropolitan. Today, we have been to Roma and Dalby, Warwick, tomorrow it’s Stanthorpe and the outer suburbs of Brisbane, so we are not leaving any stone unturned. We are not (almost) leaving any town unvisited. We’re really going far and wide to make sure small business owners and operators feel as though they are not just appreciated, recognised and acknowledged by the Federal Government but the fact that we are listening and we are hearing some interesting stories along the way. More importantly, we are acting upon those concerns and those issues that are being raised at these forums.
JOURNALIST:
And this is a real opportunity, in particular for regional Australian where small business really is the backbone of the local economy, whether it be farmers, individual farmers working off the land, right through to shops on Main Street it is very much about making it a little less complicated for small business to run and operate.
MICHAEL McCORMACK:
Well indeed you are so correct and that’s why we are simplifying the business activity statements. That’s why we are cutting through some of those red tape burdens that small businesses have to endure and as much as possible we are trying to simplify things for small businesses and it has been great to join my Nationals colleague the Member for Maranoa David Littleproud today. He has 25,000 or thereabouts small businesses in his electorate, half of which are farms and agribusinesses, of course very important, and I know you grew up on a farm as did I, we acknowledge that but also these electorates in the regions are diversifying. There’s amazing start-up businesses in these regions which are now exporting to the world.
JOURNALIST:
You talk about exporting to the world, we’ve been successful in signing up to any number of free trade agreements…
MICHAEL McCORMACK:
South Korea, China, Japan…
JOURNALIST:
Absolutely and you talk about…
MICHAEL McCORMACK:
The Prime Minister is in India today…
JOURNALIST:
Well there you go and just recently China is making it easier for our farmers in particular to get products into market.
MICHAEL McCORMACK:
Well look and we are hearing stories about that all the time and of course with the financial export arrangement that the Government has put into place, there are opportunities there to get financing for small businesses which are looking to export to the world. There are opportunities there and I would urge and encourage any small business owner and operator to visit the business.gov.au website to see how they can fit in with these marketing arrangements. How they can get the possibilities to make their businesses grow, not just domestically, but indeed to the world, to take advantage of those free trade agreements that we have been able to broker.
JOURNALIST:
And I also understand that part of the business.gov.au there is now a forward slash small business added to the site.
MICHAEL McCORMACK:
There is indeed and that started yesterday forward slash small business portal (www.business.gov.au/smallbusiness) as you say which is providing information to small business operators to look at ways and means of how we are assisting them. We acknowledge as a Government that we don’t create the jobs, it’s small business that are creating the jobs. And, the opportunities and hopefully the prosperity that they need, that we need as a nation, and there is
3.1 million right across our nation. They are going to take advantage of that tax rate cut that we have put into place just a couple of Fridays ago and they are going to be able to take advantage of that instant asset write-off. We are the Government of small business. We are the ones backing them but they are the ones taking the risk, they are the ones having a go and we want to make sure we are very much supporting them all of the way.
JOURNALIST:
That’s right and those tax cuts, they were a hard-earned fight to get those through?
MICHAEL McCORMACK:
Look they were and it is a fight well worth having because we want to back small business as much as we can. And, we know that if small business get a bit of extra money that they don’t put it into their back pocket. They don’t take the holiday they need, deserve or want. They reinvest it into their business. They hire that young apprentice. They buy that piece of equipment that is going to capitalise their small business, to grow their customer base so they make sure they grow even more goods and service or whatever they are doing on behalf of their communities and the nation.
JOURNALIST:
Absolutely now if you are just tuning in live across Australia on Talking Lifestyle, I’m joined by Michael McCormack our Federal Small Business Minister currently on a roadshow through the regions hitting Brisbane tomorrow and also for our listeners are a number of programs that the Australian Government is supporting. Everything from subsidy programs to get more employees in for small business, the instant asset write-off scheme, the New Enterprise Incentive Scheme for those who might be unemployed in regional Australia were they could get assistance to start up their own business and more. We love small businesses on this show. Hey Michael McCormack, what’s your next stop, you are going to Brisbane tomorrow then where?
MICHAEL McCORMACK:
Going to Brisbane tomorrow and of course as I say we are not leaving any stone unturned we are visiting 40 electorates right up until the start of June. So, we are out and about. We are going to go to every State. Hopefully, we are going to get around to as many regions as possible because we know that out in the regions there is some amazing entrepreneurial spirit, incredible drive and some amazing stories that are emanating from people who are just starting up these little businesses in their own garages. And, many of them through the connectivity that we are rolling out with the nbn and better mobile services they are being able to connect to markets right around the world. I just want to give a little plug to the Prepare Trial-Hire Programme that has started just recently under Senator Michaelia Cash. I’d urge anybody that if they are either looking for work or a small business looking for somebody to hire under 25 years of age, there is really good cash incentives there for both the employer and the prospective employee to be able to take part in that PaTH programme. Have a look at employment.gov.au it is a really worthwhile programme that could give that young person the very start that they need, give that small business person who is a little bit strapped for time to be able to put out that you know that they get these people job ready but they are little bit time starved to be able to look through all the prospective employees, it is a really good programme.
JOURNALIST:
Well there you go and also the other website business.gov.au/smallbusiness we’ve been joined by Michael McCormack, Federal Small Business Minister, Minister thank you for joining us.
MICHAEL McCORMACK:
Tremendous, thank you so much!