Tuesday, 10 September 2019

 Mr SOMYUREK (South Eastern Metropolitan—Minister for Local Government, Minister for Small Business) (12:33): I am pleased to update the house about the work the government is doing to support small business owners whose first language is not English. Language should not be a barrier to growing your small business, and for many new Australians our regulatory framework is different to that which they are used to back home. The government has recently released translated fact sheets and videos, offered by the Victorian Small Business Commission, in simplified Chinese, Arabic, Vietnamese—so far we have got three members who speak those languages in this house—Turkish, Spanish and Dari. These outline business owners’ rights and responsibilities when settling disputes under the Retail Leases Act 2003. This is in addition to translating information on public holidays and long service leave in order to ensure business owners know their rights and their responsibilities. And for small business owners who need extra support to run or grow their small businesses, we have also provided workshops and training sessions in languages other than English. The languages prioritised by the commission reflect those with greatest needs. This is another way that this government is making Victoria the best state to grow your small business.