Labor’s small business grants missing in action

Countless small businesses still haven’t received desperately-needed COVID-19 grants funding. Nationals Member for Lowan Emma Kealy said analysis presented to Victoria’s Parliamentary Accounts and Estimates Committee revealed a lack of accountability or transparency with 14 of the 20 business support programs the Andrews Labor Government established as part of the state’s COVID recovery. She said…

Lowan residents need to be able to support local businesses

With changes to Coronavirus restrictions to be announced this weekend for implementation on Sunday, 13 September the Nationals Member for Lowan, Emma Kealy is seeking an outcome that will allow Lowan residents to support local businesses. “Dependent on what happens in Melbourne between now and then, if travel restrictions to rural areas need to be…

Labor denies sole trader’s access to small business support

The Nationals Member for Lowan, Emma Kealy is calling on Daniel Andrews to extend small business support to include sole traders. Sole traders have been denied access to the Victorian Business Support Fund by the Andrews Government because they don’t employ staff other than themselves. Ms Kealy said she has received many calls from sole…

Win for small regional abattoirs

Meat processors with less than 25 staff will be exempt from the state government’s two-thirds staffing rule, in a win for small regional businesses. Earlier this week, the government announced it would introduce measures making it mandatory for meat processors to reduce their workforce by a third, in light of COVID-19 clusters at meatworks in…

Restriction exemptions needed for small regional meat processors

Member for Lowan Emma Kealy is calling for small regional meat processing plants to be exempt from new state government downsizing measures to ensure they can remain open and maintain adequate supply for communities.   The state government today announced that new business restrictions would take effect from midnight on Wednesday as part of measures…

Nationals release COVID-19 recovery plan

The Victorian Nationals are calling for a one-off increase to lift energy concessions to $1000 next year. The proposal comes as part of a wider plan released last week to help secure Victorians’ personal finances, rebuild local economies, build better communities and keep families safe in the wake of coronavirus. “We have outlined a detailed…

Payroll tax relief to drive business confidence in Lowan

Small and medium-sized businesses in Lowan will save hundreds of thousands of dollars under The Nationals’ plan for further payroll tax relief. The call to immediately implement temporary payroll tax relief measures for all businesses across the Lowan electorate on the first $10 million of annual payroll will help get locals back on their feet…