NSW should follow WA in appointing a Small Business Commissioner

23 June 2010

NSW’s largest business organisation, NSW Business Chamber, has renewed its call for NSW to appoint a Small Business Commissioner following the announcement by the Western Australian Government that it will appoint a Commissioner.

A NSW Small Business Commissioner was proposed by NSW Business Chamber in its pre-election blueprint, “10 Big Ideas to Grow NSW”, to assist small businesses with dispute resolution and champion the cause of small business within the NSW Government. The NSW Small Business Commissioner would be modelled on the Commissioner already in place in Victoria.

“NSW should follow in the footsteps of Victoria and Western Australia in appointing a Small Business Commissioner to be a permanent advocate for small business,” said Stephen Cartwright, CEO of NSW Business Chamber.

“I’m disappointed that NSW hasn’t been a leader in creating a dedicated champion for small business. Instead we’ve allowed Victoria and Western Australia to take the lead on this initiative – now we have to play catch-up.”

“We are calling for Small Business Minister, Frank Terenzini, to show that the NSW Government has a real commitment to small business by appointing a Commissioner.

“NSW’s 300,000 employing small businesses are the engine room of the economy, providing more than half of private sector employment, yet they aren’t being properly represented within the Government – they deserve a strong champion.

Mr Cartwright said the creation of a Small Business Commissioner, modelled on the highly successful Commissioner in Victoria, would provide small business with an advocate and a dispute resolution mechanism in dealing with big business and State Government agencies.