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small business | May 24, 2018

Labor leaves small business struggling with four-year debt

The Nationals Member for Lowan Emma Kealy MP has raised serious concerns with the Treasurer in Parliament this week regarding a $6,894.45 debt owed by the Andrews Labor Government to a local small business.

The debt relates to 52 individual invoices dating back as far as 2014 for purchases made by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, and the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources.

The owners of the small business recently contacted Ms Kealy feeling they had exhausted all avenues to recoup the $6,894.45 debt from the Andrews Labor Government.

“While almost $7,000 is small change to big government, it is a large financial burden for a local small business to carry, not to mention the huge amount of time that has been wasted just trying to get the Andrews Labor Government to pay their bills,” Ms Kealy said.

Prior to raising the issue in Parliament Ms Kealy contacted the Treasurer’s office in an attempt to resolve the matter but no payment nor contact with the small business has been made by the Treasurer or his office to date.

“Delayed payments, and in this case simply no payment, by the Andrews Labor Government is putting unnecessary additional financial pressure on a local business already crippled by rising electricity bills as a result of Labor’s policy to close the Hazelwood power station,” Ms Kealy said.

“Small business plays an essential role providing jobs and stimulating our local economy, so it’s extremely disappointing that this local business is being treated with such disrespect by the Andrews Labor Government.

“We need a government that supports small business in regional Victoria, not one that treats important local employers with contempt.

“This is just another example of the city centric Andrew’s Labor Government’s disregard for small business in rural and regional Victoria.

“If elected in November, the Nationals will deliver a better deal for country Victoria,” she said.