Excellent news - back in shack, no longer a hack, hunting with the big pack, let's pick up the slack.
COSBOA today (August 25) called on the new Prime Minister Mr Morrison to ensure that a dedicated small business minister sits in Cabinet not in the waiting room.
Peter Strong, CEO of COSBOA, said today “we need to have our Minister in Cabinet. Craig Laundy, as Minister for Small Business and Workplace Relations, has been gathering information, selling government policy and seeking dialogue with small business people on the full range of issues. He has supported the E-Invoicing agenda and provided support for removing complexity from our business world. He should keep his current job and be moved onto the big table."
COSBOA has for many years argued that we have four pillars upon which small business policy and process can be built and from which the economy will benefit. These four pillars are:
a federal small business ombudsman (✔ with the ASBFEO);
a dedicated and effective small business peak body (✔ COSBOA thank you);
small business focused commissioners in the states and in key regulators (partial ✔ most states and the ACCC but not yet others);
and a small business minister in Cabinet (not here ……….yet)
Mr Strong added “We have had some complaints that there is too much attention paid to the small business community and that a special minister in Cabinet is overreach. Those complaining people (mainly old fashioned laissez-faire ideologues) forget the place the small business community has in the economy and our inherent lack of resources. There are over 2.1 million small business people in Australia. Between us we employ over 4.8 million other people. Almost 7 million families rely on small business. The small business community is intrinsic to innovation and change management. Just appoint Minister Laundy to Cabinet and all will be good.”