FOR weeks now local business groups have asked to speak with the Chief Minister to discuss small business concerns and the need for continued financial support, but been ignored.
“The local business and trader groups are calling, and have been calling, on the Chief Minister without success,” says leader of Phillip Traders Association Tom Adam.
“We are concerned that throughout the lockdown that ACT/Canberra businesses have been castigated and lambasted as uncompliant, that delays in the grant scheme are due to “incomplete applications” and that generally the feeling is the Chief Minister does not want to hear how Canberrans – who happen to own businesses – are faring and frankly…. we’ve had enough of being ignored.
“For many small businesses in Canberra they are yet to see the ‘bounce back’ that was acclaimed by the Chief Minister and, with the continued restrictions to as far as November 26, it will be difficult for them to gather the resources for the traditional quiet trading period over the public service shutdown – when most of the cash in Canberra leaves to other places for vacations.
“As of October 15, the ACT government ceased support for small business, with the exception of the two (yet unpaid and yet unopened) COVID-19 Small Business Hardship Scheme and the Hospitality, Tourism, Arts & Fitness Grants.
“As of the November 1, an unvaccinated Melbournian can travel to Canberra and roam about the city (outside without a mask) yet for many small businesses in Canberra they cannot operate full-trade conditions.”
The local trader groups (Mitchell, Braddon, Inner South and Phillip) have had two meetings with Business Minister Tara Cheyne and the grant business team to discuss the rollout of the grants. They say other requests for more support have gone unheeded.
Mr Adam says he contacted Minister Cheyne’s office last week and spoke with one of her advisers.
“They continued to repeat that the federal government etcetera, etcetera… when I expressed that we aren’t asking the federal government, and that we are NOT interested in hearing about what the federal government is or isn’t doing, I was met with the reply of: ‘You’re not speaking to an audience here’. Although I received an apology from the minister herself, I still feel this is an indication of the internal language within the current Labor government and their attitude to small business,” he says.
