Tuesday, 25 August 2026

 Ann-Marie HERMANS (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:56): (2533) My question is to the Minister for Finance. Recently I met with financial support services that operate in my local area, including Each, who provide financial support for small businesses that are doing it tough. They are the only organisation in the whole of the south-east who provide this specialist budget support to small businesses, and I was horrified to learn that they have been reduced to one worker – they used to have 12 – and that this program is going to be cut at the end of the year. Between high taxes, increased costs and out-of-control crime, small businesses are struggling immensely under the Carroll Labor government. The last thing small businesses in my area need is to have this last morsel of a safety net snatched away from them. Minister, why are you cutting funding to this critical service, especially at a time when it is sorely needed because of your mismanagement in this state and your failure to support small businesses in Victoria?