SENATOR KATY GALLAGHER

SHADOW MINISTER FOR SMALL BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL SERVICES

SENATOR FOR THE AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

DR ANNE ALY MP

FEDERAL MEMBER FOR COWAN

SMALL BUSINESSES HAVE THEIR VOICES HEARD AS LABOR LISTENS IN COWAN

Issues facing small businesses in Cowan were on the agenda at a local forum with Shadow Minister for Small Business, Katy Gallagher and member for Cowan Anne Aly MP.

More than 40 representatives from small businesses turned out to the Malaga & Districts Business Association HQ to share their insights about the current small business landscape and where Labor's policies should be targeted to support them.

Issues included the delayed rollout of the NBN, cash flow and payment times as well as federal and state taxes on small business.

Shadow Minister for Small Business Katy Gallagher welcomed the opportunity to speak directly with local small business owners about the issues that were front of mind for them.

"It's so great to have a diverse cross section of the business community in Cowan take the time to speak with me directly about where they think things are working and more importantly where policies and government spending can be improved or better targeted to promote growth in their businesses and create new local jobs," Senator Gallagher said.

"Recent surveys show that small businesses are losing faith in the Turnbull Government's policies for small business because they are obsessed with focusing their efforts on the big end of town. Labor is determined to rebalance the equation to make sure that it isn't just the loud and cashed up voices at the top end of town that get the attention of Government."

Member for Cowan, Anne Aly said that Labor is the true friend of small business.

"Malcolm Turnbull and his crew in Canberra are good at rhetoric when it comes to small business but Labor are the ones listening to owners and developing policies that will actually help to promote growth and level the playing field across the business spectrum," Anne Aly said.

"The turn out at today's Cowan small business forum gives me important insight to the issues facing small business and where I can work with Katy Gallagher to ensure they feel supported to grow under a Shorten Labor Government."

Small businesses make up 97% of all businesses in Australia, employ more than 4.7 million Australians and contributes $343 billion to the economy.

Actions speak louder than words. Malcolm Turnbull might talk at length about ‘jobs and growth’, but his obsession with handing out tax cuts to big business and protecting the big banks really sums up his Government's priorities.

Labor is listening and will deliver for the thousands of small and medium businesses that work so hard every day to support their communities and the broader Western Australian economy.