Shadow Minister Media Releases
Small Business Confidence Plummets Under Labor Government ( 26/02/2008)
The latest Sensis Business Index report on small to medium business enterprises once again reported the lowest level of support for the NSW Labor Government of any State or Territory.
It is the 16th successive quarter that the NSW Government recorded the lowest level of support from small to medium businesses.
Shadow Minister for Small Business, Don Page MP said “These results clearly indicate that the Iemma Labor Government is not listening to the small business community,” Mr Page said.
Sensis have reported a further 13% drop in support during the last quarter for the NSW Government, now down to a net negative 43% support.
“The report confirms what I and the State Coalition have been saying for a long time now - that there is too much red tape and bureaucracy in NSW, which is causing an enormous burden for small businesses.
“The report goes on to say that there is a belief among the small business sector that the Iemma Government is ‘only concerned with big business’.
At a Federal Government level, a dramatic drop in confidence in the current and future direction of the economy under a Labor Federal Government was reported.
“There is a strong feeling among the small business sector that the Federal Labor Government will do little to support them. They also hold grave fears about the roll back of the industrial relations laws and the increased influence from unions,” Mr Page said.
“Support for the policies of the New South Wales Government fell further in the past quarter to remain the lowest level for any state or territory government for the 16th successive quarter.” Page 22
“The key reasons SMEs gave for not supporting the New South Wales Government were a belief that there was too much bureaucracy and that the government was only concerned with big business.” Page 19
Sensis Business Index – Small and Medium Enterprise; February 2008; www.about.sensis.com.au
