Speaking in Australian Automotive, released by VACC today, Bruce Billson, Shadow Minister for Small Business, says owners of small businesses in Australian “need a team of advisors” to steer through red tape.

The MP for Dunkley said “small business feels completely overwhelmed by compliance obligations and new regulatory imposts; not just the volume of them, but the complexity”.

Mr Billson also identified the new Workplace system, access to finance, overwhelming Government regulation and time scarcity as the major issues facing small automotive businesses.

“Small businesses are saying that they feel like they have no time to invest in their business, to think about the future, to plan strategically, to contemplate what their next business development opportunity is. They are dealing with day-to-day challenges, when they would like to be putting their energy into the future,” Mr Billson told Australian Automotive.

Mr Billson also used the national magazine to attack Australia’s ‘Big Four’ banks, accusing them of charging small business greater amounts for more restrictive lines of credit.

VACC represents more than 5,000 employers, employing some 50,000 employees. 95 percent of VACC members are small businesses.

“As a representative of small business, I can tell you, we have had a gutful of the way big business treats us,” VACC Executive Director, David Purchase, said.

“Big business treats small businesses, who are often their suppliers, very badly in this country. And I think big business has all Governments, incuding the Federal one, intimidated. They intimidate because if they do not get their way, they can always threaten to take their business off-shore,” Mr Purchase said.

Australian Automotive is a VACC publication with a CAB audit of more than 32,000. It is the largest circulating Automotive Industry magazine in Australia. Contact Murray Collins to request a full transcript of Bruce Billson’s interview or for a copy of Australian Automotive magazine.