Australia’s state and federal small business ministers have met in Cairns to thrash out practical assistance measures for local traders, as Indigenous Business Month shines a spotlight on the contributions of First Nations entrepreneurs.
Federal Minister for Small Business Julie Collins appeared alongside Queensland Small Business Minister Di Farmer and Indigenous business owner Talicia Minniecon on Friday morning, addressing the media ahead of the latest meeting of small business ministers from across the country.
The meeting, the third since the Albanese government came into office, will consider how parliamentarians championing the small business sector can provide real, on-the-ground support to those who need it.
“We want to have some tangible outcomes about how we start working together to improve the lot of small businesses, understanding the tough times that some small businesses are operating in,” Collins said.
Finding ways to deliver “practical assistance” will be central to the meeting, Collins added.
The meeting is backdropped by Queensland’s run into the 2032 Olympic Games, an occasion tipped to provide $8.1 billion in economic and social benefits to the state.
October 1 also marked the start of Indigenous Business Month, an occasion designed to celebrate Indigenous enterprises across the map.
Farmer said Queensland is home to a quarter of the nation’s Indigenous small businesses and has prepared resources enabling those enterprises to grow in the years ahead.
“For example, the Indigenous food production business is worth $60 million annually,” Farmer said.
“Only 2% of the people involved are Indigenous.
“We want to grow that so it’s Indigenous people who are really in charge of a business like that.
So we’re going to make sure that when the Olympic Games comes to Queensland, that it’s Indigenous businesses who are at the fore showcasing their culture, showcasing what First Nations culture means to Queensland and to Australia.”
“Obviously, the Olympics is very important to Queensland and important to Australia more generally,” Collins added.
“And we’ll be doing everything we can working with the Queensland government to support the Olympics, and particularly businesses and Indigenous businesses showcasing around the Olympics.
The meeting also arrives just over a week before the Voice to Parliament referendum.
Minniecon, the entrepreneur behind jewelry line TTPOPP, said a Voice to Parliament would “amplify the solutions” available to First Nations communities.
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Indigenous businesses are “creating that ability for young people and people from all over our community to find a place where they can connect, find a place where they can really put their skills to work and find a place where we can bring solutions for our community,” Minniecon said.
“And so I’m really excited that Indigenous Business Month is being launched this month in light of the referendum, and I believe that the yes vote will come to pass, and I really believe that it’s going to continue to build on the amazing work that my ancestors and older people have been working on for a very long time.”
Senior Business Journalist
Focused on the small business sector, David’s work covers the political, regulatory, and economic issues facing Australian entrepreneurs. Prior to joining SmartCompany, he was a reporter for Business Insider Australia. You can follow him on LinkedIn.
