HON. BRUCE BILLSON MP will join the Council of Small Business of Australia (COSBOA) to put the individuals behind small businesses in the spotlight ahead of its annual policy event, the Vodafone National Small Business Summit in July.

The inaugural Summit Start Up will be opened by the Hon Bruce Billson, the Federal Small Business Minister on the evening of Wednesday 15th July; where the community, culture, and diversity of small businesses will be celebrated.

All individual business owners are invited to join the Summit Start Up, to network with their peers, showcase their entrepreneurial force and meet with key leaders and policy influencers and makers.

During the evening, attendees can hear commentary from various sectors – from accountants and gym owners, to mechanics and hairdressers – about what role they play in the community and how this impacts the public’s welfare.

Minister Billson said: “I am delighted to join small business owners and representatives at the inaugural Start Up to COSBOA’s Summit. Our Government knows the hard working women and men of small business really are the engine room of our economy. Small business has been and continues to be an enduring focus and priority for me, both professionally and personally.”

Peter Strong, CEO of COSBOA, added: “Small business is vital to the Australian economy, although we sometimes get caught up discussing the financial impacts of small business; it’s important not to lose sight and be aware of their contributions to communities and the cultural fabric on a daily basis – whether that’s the local cafe owner, who knows you on a first name basis, or local hairdresser, who stays open to work around your calendar.”

Peter Strong and the Minster will also be joined by Andrew Chanmugam, Vodafone’s General Manager of Business, and Robert Gerrish founder of Flying Solo, home to a community of over 75,000 Australian solo and micro businesses, sharing their advice and learning with owners.

COSBOA is also pleased to announce Westpac is a major sponsor for this year’s Summit. General Manager for Small Business, Julie Rynski, adds: “Small business is the backbone of the Australian economy, and Westpac is excited to be involved in an event celebrating the success of Australia’s small business owners and entrepreneurs.

“As a major sponsor of the inaugural Small Business Summit Start Up, we look forward to advancing the conversation around small business community and culture, which is vital to the continued strength of the small business sector and Australian economy as a whole.”

Tickets for the Small Business Summit Start Up on Wednesday 15th July are $20 per person. Full registration for the Vodafone National Small Business Summit is now also open.

For more information please visit www.nationalsmallbusinesssummit.com.au

1. The Council of Small Business Australia (COSBOA) was founded in 1979 and was incorporated in 1985.
2. COSBOA is Australia’s peak body exclusively representing the interests of small businesses.
3. The VODAFONE National Small Business Summit 2015 will be held at Doltone House Jones Bay Wharf, Sydney on 16 and 17 July.
4. The VODAFONE National Small Business provides the small business sector with the opportunity to discuss and identify relevant issues, promote innovation and generate ideas to stimulate growth within the industry.
5. For more information about the summit visit: www.nationalsmallbusinesssummit.com.au
6. For more information on COSBOA visit: http://www.cosboa.org.au/
7. Interviews with Peter Strong, CEO are available upon request.
8. Connect through social media channels: 

Facebook: /COSBOA

Twitter: @COSBOA

Hashtag: #NSBS15

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/cosboa

9. COSBOA is a long-time advocate of small business on issues from taxation and workplace relations, through to competition law and retail tenancy.

The goals of COSBOA are to promote and support the development of small businesses in Australia and the council recognises that it is a national imperative for Australia that the needs of small business are on the national policy agenda.

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BARRIERS to growth for private sector small businesses, including government laws and regulations, excessive red tape and compliance costs will be on the agenda tomorrow for the first public hearing of the Standing Committee on Education and Employment’s inquiry into small business employment in Australia.

The Australian Small Business Commissioner, who represents small business interests and concerns to the Australian Government, will appear before the committee with the discussion aimed at identifying the key issues preventing small businesses from creating employment opportunities.

Committee Chair, Ewen Jones MP, emphasised the importance of supporting small business job creation.

“Small business makes up over ninety five per cent of all businesses in Australia. By supporting this large and important group in creating jobs we can help reduce unemployment and improve the lives of Australians,” he said.

“The committee is determined to find solutions for problems facing small businesses and looks forward to meeting with the Commissioner to identify what they might be.”

Details of the hearing are as follows:

Date: Wednesday 03 June 2015
Time: 11:20 am – 12:45 pm
Venue: Committee Room 1R4, Parliament House, Canberra

Submissions to this inquiry are also welcome. For further information, including the full terms of reference and how to prepare a submission, please visit the committee’s website at www.aph.gov.au/SmallBusinessEmployment or contact the secretariat on (02) 6277 4573.

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THE Australian Retailers Association (ARA) is concerned for the future of the retail industry after the Fair Work Commission has today awarded an unmanageable $16 a week increase in the minimum wage.

From 1 July 2015, the National Minimum Wage will increase to $656.92 per week, or $17.29 per hour.

Executive Director Russell Zimmerman said the ARA advocated before the tribunal a realistic and manageable minimum wage increase of no more than $5.70 per week for the retail sector.

“We are obviously concerned about the effects this decision will have on retailers.

“Retailers and young Australians have been reliant on pay rates to enable retail to bring on low-skilled young staff and increase their skill levels, reducing youth unemployment. Many small to medium enterprise retailers are reliant on a minimum wage workforce, and the announcement today to increase wages during this time of low consumer confidence and low growth will sadly result in further job losses and business closures – a very distressing truth for retailers.

“The minimum wage increase, coupled with weak trade figures and penalty rates, will only cause further damage to retailers who are struggling to keep their heads above water as it is. While interest rates are currently at a record low (with the Reserve Bank of Australia today deciding to keep rates on hold at 2.0 percent) and there is support from the recently released Federal Budget, the retail industry cannot simply keep up with excessive wage increases.

“The ACTU and SDA aren’t about creating jobs and opportunity but they now appear to be on a low productivity/high wages rampage which will only harm retailers and their employees,” Mr Zimmerman said. 

Since 1903, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) has been the peak industry body representing Australia’s $265 billion retail sector, which employs over 1.2 million people. The ARA ensures retail success by informing, protecting, advocating, educating and saving money for its 5,000 independent and national retail members throughout Australia.

Visit www.retail.org.au or call 1300 368 041.

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THE Tax and Revenue Committee today tabled its first report for its inquiry into the 2014 Australian Taxation Office (ATO) Annual Report.

The report outlines a range of topics including: the ATO’s relationship with taxpayers; the administration of the ATO; and compliance strategies. The report commends the ATO for its progress establishing its strategic direction and the steps it has taken, and continues to take, to ‘reinvent’ the client and staff experience to change the culture of the ATO.

Committee Chair, Bert van Manen MP, said that the ATO has made good progress towards achieving its goal of being valuable, relevant and trusted by the Australian people.

“I am particularly impressed with the ATO’s clear strategic direction and its commitment to meaningful performance indicators. A clear strategic direction and robust performance measurement and reporting are key elements of an efficient and transparent tax administration,” he said.

The committee commended the incorporation of modern technology into the ATO’s systems in its efforts to improve both the accuracy of tax information and the taxpayer experience. For example, the ATO is introducing Single Touch Payroll, Standard Business Reporting and no-touch tax returns. 

The Chair said that the taxation system relies on the Australian people’s trust that the system is fair and equitable.

“Non-compliance, such as demonstrated by those operating within the cash economy, robs the Australian people of much needed revenue. It also disadvantages honest and hard-working Australians who are doing the right thing. More must be done to tackle non-compliance,” Mr van Manen said.

The report listed a number of key areas that the committee will discuss at its next hearing for its second report into the 2014 ATO Annual report in late 2015.

The report can be found on the committee website: http://www.aph.gov.au/taxrev.

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THE House of Representatives Standing Committee on the Environment will conduct public hearings in the week of 15 June 2015 as part of its inquiry into the Register of Environmental Organisations.

Public hearings will commence in Canberra, beginning with the Department of the Environment at 4 pm on 16 June 2015 and the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission at 9.30 am on 18 June 2015. Further information will be available from the committee’s website closer to the date.

Submissions to the inquiry closed on 21 May 2015.

Committee Chair, Mr Alex Hawke MP, said he is pleased with the level of interest in the inquiry and appreciates that many organisations and individuals have taken the time to make a submission or share their views on the Register of Environmental Organisations.

“The response to the inquiry is evidence of the strong level of public interest in the work of not-for-profit environmental organisations. We look forward to, in the first instance, hearing from the government agencies involved in the administration of the sector, and we anticipate gathering evidence in a range of communities around Australia as the inquiry progresses over the coming months,” he said.

Further details about the inquiry, including submissions received and the terms of reference, can be found on the inquiry’s website at: http://www.aph.gov.au/reo.

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GOVERNMENT agencies need to have the power to disrupt illegal online services, according to the latest report by the House of Representatives Communications Committee.

The Committee examined the use of s.313 of the Telecommunications Act 1997 by government agencies in the disruption of illegal online services, including the widely-reported inadvertent blocking of 250,000 websites by ASIC in 2013.  The report recommends the adoption of guidelines for use by government agencies, which will include:

• the development of agency-specific internal policies consistent with the guidelines;
• clearly defined authorisations for website disruption at a senior level;
• defining activities subject to disruption;
• industry and stakeholder consultation;
• use of stop pages to identify the requesting agency, reason for disruption, agency contact, and avenue for review;
• public announcements, where appropriate;
• review and appeal processes; and
• reporting arrangements.

The Committee has recommended that all agencies using s.313 have the necessary level of technical expertise to carry out such activity, or procedures for drawing on the expertise of other agencies.

Committee Chairman Jane Prentice MP said one of the significant challenges faced by all governments is the need to balance the safety of the community with the rights of the individual.

“The internet has brought unprecedented opportunities—undoubtedly for the better.  But there are some in our community who would seek to use it for corrupt purposes,” Mrs Prentice said.

“How we deal with these threats is a question of balance. To do nothing is an abdication of duty; to go too far is to risk trampling on the rights and freedoms we seek to protect.

“The Committee believes it has struck the right balance.”

A copy of the report can be obtained from the committee’s website or from the secretariat on (02) 6277 2352.

Further information: contact the Inquiry Secretary (02) 6277 2352, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit the Committee’s webpage.

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VECCI Chief Executive Mark Stone said the organisation "acknowledges that those on the minimum wage deserve a pay rise but the 2.5 percent increase ($16 per week) is well above ACCI’s recommendation that any rise should not exceed $5.70 per week".

Mr Stone said, "The increase must be paid for by business, including small business, many of which are already doing it hard in the current economic environment. 

"Employment on-costs, including 9.5 percent superannuation, workers’ compensation and payroll tax, compound the impact of this increase and will be detrimental to small business cash flow and investment. 

"VECCI is disappointed that there was no deferral of the increase given the fragile economy and persistently high unemployment, especially among young people. Today’s decision takes effect from 1 July 2015," he said.

"Setting the minimum wage is a balancing act but the end result must not put existing and future jobs at risk.

"Higher rates of pay do no good if they are not linked to productivity growth and result in declining employment opportunities."

The Victorian Employers' Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VECCI) is the most influential business organisation in Victoria, informing and servicing more than 15,000 members, customers and clients around the state.

vecci.org.au

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The House Economics Committee has today tabled its second report on the Review of the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority Annual Report 2014. 

The Chair of the committee, Mr John Alexander OAM MP, said that although it was pleasing to learn from APRA that the Australian financial sector is showing overall stability, there is evidence of emerging risks in the housing market which must be carefully monitored.

"An increased scrutiny of mortgage portfolios is an appropriate response to this issue and we will be requesting updates from APRA in this regard at future hearings," Mr Alexander said.

In the superannuation industry, the management of conflicts of interest needs improvement and new and more detailed disclosure requirements are not yet fully implemented. APRA has given undertakings that it is continuing to oversee and promote better governance in this sector.

The prudential responsibilities of the Private Health Insurance Administration Council will be transferring to APRA in July of this year.  The committee is monitoring this transition with interest.

The outcomes of the recent Financial System Inquiry (FSI) and the current work of the Basel Committee may well impact future capital requirements for Australian banks. The committee will continue to discuss this with APRA at future hearings.

The next APRA hearing will be held on 23 October 2015 in Canberra.

The report is available on the committee’s website at: http://www.aph.gov.au/economics. 

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