Advocating for Queensland small business
The Queensland Small Business Champion is advocating for Queensland small businesses at the national and state levels of government, bringing the concerns and experiences of Queensland small businesses to the table at the National Small Business Commissioners network, Queensland Small Business Advisory Council, Better Regulation Taskforce and Procurement Industry Advisory Group.
Ensuring the views of Queensland’s approximately 426,000 small businesses influence and inform our government policy and decision-making is a key part of the Queensland Small Business Champion’s role.
National Small Business Commissioners Network
As a member of the National Small Business Commissioners network, the Queensland Small Business Champion meets and speaks regularly with the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO), interstate Small Business Commissioners and federal regulators. The network is working to advance small business issues nation-wide, and recently met with the Federal Minister for Small Business, the Hon. Craig Laundy MP. Key national issues being progressed via this group include building and construction reform, minimising disruption to small business caused through construction and infrastructure projects, as well as contributing to current Inquiries being led by the ASBFEO, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and others. Queensland is set to host this important forum later in the year.
Queensland Small Business Advisory Council
The Queensland Small Business Advisory Council (QSBAC) continues to meet quarterly, providing regular opportunities for the Queensland Small Business Champion and members of Queensland’s small business community to raise concerns directly with the Hon. Shannon Fentiman MP, Minister for Employment and Small Business and Minister for Training and Skills Development. This year the QSBAC is working on ways to support small businesses to save money on power costs, ways to build capability of small business selling to government, evaluating angel investment in Queensland and small business readiness for the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
Better Regulation Taskforce
The Better Regulation Taskforce (BRT), a working group of the QSBAC, is chaired by the Queensland Small Business Champion, and provides advice to the Queensland Government on how to ensure a balanced small business regulatory environment. The BRT is currently looking into the regulatory impact and influence of digital disruption on small business, including regulation of the use of drones and their application by small businesses, as well as the impact of the rise of freelancing.
Procurement
Procurement remains a key focus area for the Queensland Small Business Champion when advocating at the national and state levels. The Queensland Small Business Champion is a member of the Procurement Industry Advisory Group, chaired by the Minister for Housing and Public Works, and provides regular feedback on a range of materials being developed by the government such as the Procurement Guidance documents produced by the Queensland Government to support the Queensland Government Procurement Strategy.
The Queensland Small Business Champion encourages all small businesses to have their say on the Queensland Small Business Procurement Commitment consultation paper. Consultation is open until the end of July.
