Local Government News

Larry Anthony
National News

Labor threat to confidence

Recent surveys by The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the National Australia Bank both indicate that small business confidence remains high.

The Coalition Government has helped deliver a business environment that includes low interest rates, the lowest level of workplace disputes and more jobs.

The ACCI indicated that the biggest threat to economic development and the continued prosperity of small business is the platform of the Labor Party.

The ACCI stated that Labor's policy could send the Australian economy backwards and compromise economic development.

It said that the additional constraint of Labor's IR policy would have significant implications on jobs and employment.

Only two weeks ago Labor again showed that they were certainly no friend of the small business sector by voting against necessary reform designed to bring the law of negligence back into balance and make insurance more affordable and available - even though Labor states supported it!

It has also undermined the work of state and federal governments to try and bring down the cost of insurance premiums.

This is a slap in the face for every small business in Australia. It will make finding affordable cover more and more difficult.

Small Business Awards

While on the subject of small business I would encourage local businesses in the region to consider nominating for the 2004 Telstra and Australian Government Small Business Awards.

Now in their 12th year the Awards have given hundreds of small businesses the opportunity to achieve state and regional recognition for their work, develop new business relationships, reward hardworking staff and share in a national prize pool of $358,000.

If you would like more information you can visit www.smallbuisnessawards.telstra.com or free call 1800 262 323 between 9am and 5pm.

Identity Fraud

While the risk of becoming a victim of identity fraud in Australia remains quite low the cost of such fraud is increasing. In 2001-02 the cost was estimated at $1.1 billion.

The Australian Government has prepared a special information kit, How to prevent and respond to Identity Theft, which contains useful information to help people identify where they might be vulnerable and what to do to avoid becoming an identity theft victim.

It includes information on how your identity may be stolen, preventing identity theft and using computers securely.

For a free copy of the kit please call my office on free call 1800 812 125.

Larry Anthony MP
Federal Member for Richmond
Minister for Children & Youth Affairs
PO Box 6996 Tweed Heads South 2486 ph: 07 5524 2466 fax: 07 5524 9366
www.larry.com.au Toll Free: 1800 812 125 larry.anthony.mp@aph.gov.au

Ian Causley
Canberra Connection

Liability insurance reforms

A number of constituents have approach me about the difficulties the public liability insurance is causing within communities so it was disappointing when the Labor Party last week put the interests of plaintive lawyers ahead of the interests of small businesses and of community groups and sporting clubs, who are saddled with the burden of insurance.

As most readers would be aware, high insurance premiums have had a real impact over the past few years.

There is no doubt that one of the most significant contributors to that has been high State taxes on insurance. So there was a great expression of relief from many small businesses and community groups when an agreement was made in 2002 to reform the laws of negligence so plaintiff lawyers could not exploit loopholes in the law.

Those law reforms were very important because they helped to reduce the cost of insurance. The States did their job and put legislation to reform the laws of negligence into their Parliaments and passed the laws. To fulfil its part of the bargain, the Federal Coalition Government put legislation into the Parliament, but it was voted down by the Labor Party last week.

I believe this is something that should be above politics and should be dealt with in order to find insurance that covers community activities before all community organisations are forced to disband.

Edge for young farmers

Young rural people eyeing off the opportunities unlocked in the recently negotiated US FTA, or simply looking to boost the export readiness of their business should apply for a place in an innovative export training course.

The Export Market Development Training Course is designed to increase awareness among Australia's young rural leaders on how the global trading environment works, and provide them with the skills they need to run a successful export business.

The fully-funded, five-day, residential course, to be delivered in association with Austrade and the Australian Institute of Export, will be held in Sydney from Monday, May 31 to Friday, June 4.

The course will allow participants to learn from the experience of others as they hear first-hand from a range of successful agribusiness exporters, trade experts and professional service providers.

The course is part of the Australian Government's highly successful Young People in Rural Industries Program, which has been under way for three years and has already delivered four rounds of study awards, four leadership courses, grants for young peoples' rural networks, corporate governance courses and a mentoring initiative.

I urge young Northern Rivers farmers to make the best of these opportunities and take the next step in becoming the rural leaders and exporters of tomorrow.

For further information please contact my electorate office on 1300 301 735, or send me an email: ian.causley.mp@aph.gov.au.