Kororoit electorate multicultural business support
Luba GRIGOROVITCH (Kororoit) (19:19): (690) The adjournment I wish to raise is for the Minister for Small Business. The action I seek is for the minister to meet with small business owners in the Kororoit electorate and share information on the multicultural business chambers and traders groups grant program. Whether you are looking to start your own business or expand your operations, running a small business can be a challenge. In Victoria we have seen a 13 per cent surge in business investment during the past calendar year, outpacing growth in the rest of the country by nearly 6 per cent. This shows that businesses are backing the Allan Labor government’s plan for Victoria. Victoria is proudly home to more than 701,000 small businesses, and 34 per cent of Australian small business owners are migrants, with even more small business owners having one or more parents born overseas. With 65 per cent of new migrant families calling Kororoit home, multicultural businesses play an important role in Victoria. They broaden our global connections, create local employment opportunities and strengthen cultural diversity in Victoria. This is evident as you travel through Kororoit, which is such a melting pot of cuisine and culture. I understand that the multicultural business chambers and trader groups grants program can support further opportunities to help multicultural businesses build knowledge and skills and boost our local economies. We know that small businesses are the heart of our economy, and I would welcome the Minister for Small Business to share further information with my local small business owners.