The Nationals MP was in Dubbo on Thursday and Friday as part of his nationwide small business show, which saw him tour local small businesses and address the Dubbo Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

He also helped open the new Talbragar Street premises of Rivwest Finance on Friday.

Mr McCormack is Australia’s 17^th small business minister, but the first from a regional area.

“Coming from the country myself and having run a country small business, I understand how confidence is crucial in employing people and the expansion of a business,” he said.

“We’ve seen statistics of small business confidence up across Australia – and that is very clear here in Dubbo.

“Locals understand the need to shop local and that is something we must keep doing to keep Dubbo’s small businesses creating, retaining and ensuring better-paid jobs.”

Member for Parkes Mark Coulton joined Mr McCormack on his Dubbo tour, and said there was shortage of small business success stories to showcase.

“Maverick Biosciences, which specialises in the bio-tech industry, is innovation in action and is bringing jobs and investment to Dubbo. It is something of which we are very proud,” Mr Coulton said.

“I also took the Minister to meetings of a local financial group and some of our wonderful cafes … to get the picture of how vibrant and vast small businesses are in western NSW.”

Both men said the Coalition government’s enterprise tax plan would “unlock the potential of more businesses … across Australia”.

“We want to reduce the company tax rate to 27-and-a-half per cent and give tens of thousands of small businesses, many of them in western NSW, the opportunity to have that lowering of the company tax rate,” Mr McCormack said.

“I also want to see more businesses access up to $20,000 to purchase equipment to grow and enhance their business. That’s why Mark Coulton and I are fighting so hard with to get our plan for tax cuts through parliament.”