Small business body COSBOA has expressed disappointment at the Government’s decision to exclude organisations solely representing the SME sector in its business round tables discussing the introduction of a carbon tax.
Peter Strong, executive director of the Council of Small Business Organisations of Australia, says that while groups such the Australian Industry Group and the Business Council of Australia have been included on relevant panels, those bodies do not solely or best represent SMEs.
“We have the expertise to say how it’ll impact small business, and how that’ll affect the community,” Strong says.
“The fear is that if we’re not there, small business will wear it.”
“COSBOA will not support any process that is imposed without proper consultation with the small business community.”
But Climate Change Minister Greg Combet says the “Government has been and will continue to engage with the business community in the development of a carbon price.”
“Small and Medium Enterprises are represented in these consultations through the Australian Industry Group,” Combet says.
“The Government meets with a large number of SME representatives to discuss these issues, including those representatives on the Business Roundtable such as the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as many others in other forums. “
“This is in addition to the Australian Industry Group which is also on the Industry Transitional Assistance Working Group.”
Two sub-groups to the Business Roundtable on Climate Change were announced last month, which are led by Combet and Resources Minister Martin Ferguson.
The Industry Transitional Assistance Working Group, designed to provide industry feedback to the Government on the introduction of a carbon price, contains members of the Business Council of Australia (Maria Tarrant) and the Australian Industry Group (Heather Ridout.)
They will work alongside representatives from oil and gas giant Woodside Petroleum, steelmaker Bluescope Steel, and packaging giant Visy.
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