'It is the families of gamblers who suffer as a result of poker machine addiction. Household budgets are put under pressure, children often go without basic necessities, community services are stretched to support families and the cost to creditors for unpaid bills can be enormous,' said Robert Mallett, Executive Officer of the Tasmanian Small Business Council.

'Any moderation of poker machine use and especially that by problem gamblers will be good for not only those individuals but our broader community and the small business sector as well.'

'Whilst small business people see freedom of choice as a basic human right, money that is poured into poker machines, in many instances by people who can least afford it, provides very little productivity or employment outcomes in comparison to other spending opportunities. In short, a poor choice'

'Licensed premises will still have a unique selling point as they will continue to be popular watering holes and venues for people wishing to unwind, relax and network even if there is a reduction in people using poker machines.'

'It is a pity that the Prime Minister can't see the obvious benefits of reducing the amount of money pushed into poker machines and support the initiatives of the Denison independent, Andrew Wilkie. It appears that Aristocrat Leisure, Federal Hotels and the gambling lobby have again snagged the ear of government to enable them to suck money out of the community to the detriment of productive, hard-working Australian small business people.'
‘With the inevitable imminent passing of the minerals resource rent tax (MRRT), the majority of Australian small businesses will soon have to deal with the double whammy of not only a tax increase but an unfunded superannuation levy increase as well,’ said Robert Mallett Executive Officer of the Tasmanian Small Business Council.

‘The Australian Government seems incapable of making fair decisions for all Australian businesses. It is as though none of their policy makers either knows, cares or understands the difference between sole traders, partnerships or companies when designing tax laws and they definitely show no understanding of the discriminatory nature of their final decisions.’

‘The abolition of the entrepreneurs tax offset (ETO) will effectively increase the tax paid by nearly 2 million small business people and the increase in superannuation contributions will add another 3% to the wages bill.’

‘The ETO was introduced by the Howard Government in 2005 to provide a 25 per cent tax offset on annual income tax liability on turnover up to $50,000, phasing out to cease at $75,000 turnover, with the ATO reporting that more than 402,485 micro-business people claiming the deduction in 2008-09.‬‪‬‪’

‘Incentives for Australian’s to “have a go” are being whittled away on a daily basis and is it any wonder that fewer and fewer people are trusting their livelihood to a dream, a passion or a fantastic idea’.

‘Ideologically it isn’t surprising that the Labor party and its union supporters turn a blind eye to the biggest employer group in the nation but it is particularly disappointing that the independents have fallen into line quite so willingly’, he said.

‘Combined with the uncertainty and lack of information available to employers through the transition to the new award structure, increasing taxes and increasing the superannuation levy with no requirement for corresponding increases in productivity or superannuation contributions by employees smacks of extreme unfairness towards small business owners.’

‘I can’t believe that the government is being so insensitive to the plight of Australia’s entrepreneurs when confidence and productivity are the two ingredients which will continue to make this country a fantastic place to live and work’, said Mr Mallett.

Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business Rebecca White, EO of TSBC Robert Mallett and Polly McGee (Startup Tasmania) at the launch of the Small Business Strategy at Parliament House Media Release 20 September 2011 Small Business Strategy sheds light on future path ‘Today’s launch of the Small Business Strategy by the Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business Rebecca White paves the way for a positive and well thought out future for Tasmania’s small business sector’ said Geoff Fader, Chair of the TSBC in Hobart today. ‘The Strategy, which is the only sector specific document to have been developed as part of the Tasmanian Economic Development Plan, highlights the vital role the Tasmanian small business sector plays in the Tasmanian economy. This initiative will be welcomed by the Tasmanian small business community which is collectively the largest employer in the state.’ ‘The document is a comprehensive look at the Tasmanian Small Business sector and the issues which affects its profitability, productivity and return in social terms to the Tasmanian community. This has put Tasmania ahead of the rest of the country and more importantly provides a positive lead for the Australian Government to follow. They would do well to develop a Small Business Strategy for the largest employer group in the nation', he said. The strategy has eight specific actions which together address two key planks. They are to improve the business environment and to skill business for growth. Executive Officer of the TSBC Robert Mallett said that ‘a key theme throughout the document is that of government and the small business sector working together to achieve the intended outcomes. The TSBC has continually said that the role of government is to create an environment which enables business to prosper and that it is the role of the business sector to do something positive with it. Today’s strategy provides the blueprint for just that and Tasmania's small businesses should take advantage of this opportunity’. Geoff Fader, in response to the launch of the Strategy by the Government ‘highlighted the timeliness of the recognition of the small business sector by the Tasmanian Government in these challenging economic times, the cooperation and the willingness for departmental officers to work with the small business sector to achieve such a plan and the importance of an implementation plan so that the strategies contained within the document can be fully realised’. ‘The challenge now will be to have the strategies implemented with speed and urgency. They need to be adequately funded and Tasmania's economy needs positive action and soon so that we can take advantage of the rapidly approaching Christmas trading period and summer holiday season enabling a solid base for future growth’, he said. ENDS Click here to download your copy of the Tasmanian Small Business Strategy __________________________________________________________ Small Business and the TSBC in Tasmania With more than 1.88 million small businesses in Australia employing 3.6 million people and with a total capitalised worth of $4.3 trillion, 4 times that of the Australian stock exchange, small business is a very important sector of the Australian economy. In Tasmania that figure is close to 30,000 small businesses. The Tasmanian Small Business Council is widely recognised as the peak body of small business organisations, industry groups and individual firms in the State.  This site provides information for members, and the general public about the Council and small business issues. Feel free to contact us regarding this site or any of our functions including our Small Business Dinners. We meet on a regular basis in order to promote and protect the interests of Small Business in this State. Primary aims of the organisation are: Promoting and supporting the development of small business in Tasmania Advocating to advance the interests of small businesses in Tasmania through policy change and regulatory reforms Fostering an increased awareness and understanding of the role of the small business sector among elected government officials, the public service, large business, the media and the general community We hold a number of dinners featuring prominent guests relevant to the small business sector.