BACKING SMALL BUSINESS

Canberra is a great place to live, but it can be a tough place to do business. I consistently hear from our small business community about disproportionately high rents, insurance premiums and other costs threatening their viability. These are challenges I experienced myself running a small business in the ACT for almost a decade before entering politics.

There’s a common feeling among local small business owners that the ACT Government doesn't really care whether they succeed or fail. But when we get behind local businesses, it's not just good for the Canberrans who start and run them; it’s also good for the Canberrans employed by them, for the Canberrans who enjoy their goods and services, and for our economy.

TACKLING INSURANCE COSTS

The ACT has the highest workers’ compensation insurance premiums in the country in 75 per cent of industries, which is threatening the viability of many local businesses and driving some of them to move interstate. As part of my supply-and-confidence agreement with the Chief Minister, I secured a commitment to examine rising insurance costs for small and medium-sized businesses operating in the ACT.  

In line with this commitment, I participated in a multipartisan Legislative Assembly Committee inquiry into insurance costs in 2025. We made 21 recommendations in our final report issued in September 2025, and the Government published its response to the report in January 2026.

I will continue pushing for the Government not just to explore or consider opportunities to address this issue, but to actually carry out meaningful reform aligned with the recommendations made through our inquiry.

SUPPORTING BUSINESSES IN CIVIC

It’s been a brutal few years for businesses impacted by major construction works in Civic, particularly the Light Rail Stage 2A works.

Many successful businesses affected by these works are reporting decreases in revenue of up to 50 per cent, and need meaningful assistance to survive the huge disruption to their operations caused by this project. Alongside local business owners and Senator David Pocock, I have been calling for the ACT Government to provide means-tested rates relief with a mechanism to ensure this support is passed onto tenants.

If a small business is experiencing a massive, sustained drop in revenue as a direct consequence of a major government infrastructure project, they should be provided with commensurate compensation to help keep them afloat, like the Sydney Light Rail Small Business Assistance Program.

It was a positive first step to see the Government announce free parking measures in the city and extended liquor licensing fee reductions to venues across the ACT, but I’ve heard clearly from affected businesses that these measures don’t go anywhere near far enough.

I will continue pushing for more substantive support to ensure we don’t lose more of the venues that give character and vibrancy to Civic, and will ultimately be the destinations that Canberrans and tourists want to visit using the new light rail route. While modern infrastructure is vital to building Canberra’s future, we also need to ensure the people who make our city what it is aren’t left behind in the process.

ACTIVATING OUR NIGHT-TIME ECONOMY

Canberra has long been seen as the boring capital, but that’s changed significantly over the last decade.

From higher-end offerings like Bar Rochford, Such and Such and Molly to nightclubs like Blackbird and ONE22, as well as local favourites like the Old Canberra Inn, these iconic venues give our city character after dark.  

But it’s been a rough few years for our night-time economy, with a pandemic, labour shortages, a cost-of-living crisis and skyrocketing insurance premiums leading to more and more venue closures, posing a threat to the future of our local live music scene.

In the face of these challenges, I’ve been calling for a Night-Time Economy Coordinator or Commissioner with real industry experience who can work across government, industry and the arts sector to activate, strengthen and diversify Canberra’s night-time economy. Similar roles have been established in Queensland and New South Wales.

In May 2025, alongside industry advocates, venue managers and local creatives, I wrote an open letter to the Minister for the Night-Time Economy calling for the ACT Government to establish such a role. Then, in May 2026, a multipartisan Assembly Committee of which I’m a member held hearings as part of an inquiry into Canberra’s night-time economy, where multiple venue owners and night-time economy advocates called for a Night-Time Economy Coordinator or Commissioner. I’m hopeful the Government will respond positively to the clear and repeated calls for this position to be established.

REFORMING GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT

Canberra is home to so many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that are doing incredible, innovative work. 

Many are recognised for their work, and routinely win government contracts, both interstate and internationally. But when they attempt to bid for ACT government work, often they can’t get a look in and are passed over for outsiders at a significant detriment to our local economy and local capability. 

Canberra-based SMEs aren’t necessarily asking for special treatment, but they are asking to be fairly considered on their merits. It makes sense for the ACT Government to use local skills, local technology, and local people, ensuring our funds as taxpayers support our local economy to the greatest extent possible.

Local businesses have a unique vested interest in delivering great outcomes for the ACT Government. They face serious reputational risks for failure and they live in the community that will bear the fruits of their work, which means they have real skin in the game in a way that interstate or foreign entities can only pretend to.

We can do much more to back Canberra-based SMEs, and support the Canberrans behind them, through government procurement. Questions I asked in the Assembly revealed that the Government hasn’t even started tracking its procurement spend on local SMEs. I’m pushing for the ACT Government to get serious about buying from local firms and backing local industry, which starts with monitoring where our procurement dollars are actually going and investigating why proven local SMEs aren't winning a larger proportion of government contracts.