Members Statement - Small Business Support Delays

MEMBERS STATEMENT

‘SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT DELAYS’.

Thursday, 14 October 2021.

Mr NEWBURY (Brighton):

Labor’s attitude towards small business throughout the pandemic has been shameful.

This week the Government admitted their disinterest in supporting the 660,000 Victorian small businesses.

At anti-corruption hearings this week a government witness admitted: ‘The small business portfolio was so small, there wasn’t a lot of work to do’.

The reality is that Labor’s effort towards small business has been insulting. On average five out of six small businesses have been ineligible for the Government’s own designed support.

We also know that in the latest round of the Business Costs Assistance Program support has been cut from $2,800 to $1,000.

Numerous businesses have also reported significant delays in October’s automatic payments. One business said to me today: ‘Business support entails two fortnightly payments of $5600 from 1 October to 26 October and the first payment has not even been processed’ and that ‘This ALP Victorian government swiftly locks us down and they should equally as swiftly process payments … this dictatorship government is pathetic and completely reactive!’.

Labor is showing utter contempt towards hundreds of thousands of Victorian small businesses, their families, and their staff.