Wednesday, 26 August 2026

 John BERGER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:57): (2550) My constituency question is directed to the Minister for Small and Family Business in the other place. Small businesses represent the lifeblood of the Victorian economy. They employ around 1.3 million employees and add nearly $429 billion to the economy each year. It must always be a priority to ensure that they succeed due to the wider benefits their success provides to the Victorian economy. This Labor government understands that and has moved to ensure that small business owners have access to knowledge and training that meet their needs. Small business skills mentoring programs have helped small business owners to attain skills in crucial fields like marketing, finance and strategic planning, helping to support and grow the success of their businesses. This program helps ensure that small businesses can act with the confidence they need to invest, grow and innovate. When small businesses succeed, the whole of Victoria succeeds, which is why this program is so important. My question to the minister is: how have small and family businesses benefited from this program, like ones in the Southern Metropolitan Region?