In Dubbo as part of a small business roadshow, Small Business Minister Michael McCormack writes how country towns are key to a vibrant economy.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Whether you’re born in the bush or you’ve recently made a tree change, we all want the same thing.
More jobs, higher wages and better opportunities.
We want towns and communities with a vibrant future. A proud town for our children and their children. Communities with busy main streets and schools full of students.
We want saleyards stock-full and services convenient and local.
And this is a vision I share.
I’m from a country town too, so I get it. I’m the first country MP to be Small Business Minister and my passion is very much for the country.
Pick up the newspaper, turn on the television or log-on to social media and the story is something far-removed. It’s a story that things are not as good as they once were.
But in places like Dubbo they can be.
Mark Coulton has brought me to Dubbo today to meet directly with small business as part of my nationwide roadshow. Whether in the shop, over the farm gate or at the kitchen tables and offices of those small businesses which make our country tick, we are here to listen.
We are here to see those who are having a go and making a success of it.
Small business – not Government – creates jobs. It is small business – not Government – which takes risks and provides services and opportunities to local communities. And it is small business which is booming in the bush.
From financial planners to bio-industries, western NSW is powering ahead. We know they want to create more jobs for locals in Dubbo, with higher wages and a long-term future.
That’s why I want to cut the tax rate for small business. It’s already at its lowest level in 50 years, but it should be lower. This will flow to people in jobs, not pockets of profit. It’s also why I want to have more businesses access $20,000 in instant asset-write off, to gear them with the equipment they need to grow.
While western NSW powers ahead, it’s the responsibility of all of us to keep it going. So my message today is simple – and it’s something Mark Coulton often says in Canberra – no matter your need or your budget, remember this:
You can do it in Dubbo.
Thinking local and shopping local keeps jobs local in country communities. It keeps businesses opening and expanding and services here for all of us. So let’s get on board and support it.
- Michael McCormack is the Federal Small Business Minister and The Nationals’ MP for Riverina.