Canberra's small businesses will get their own commissioner. The post, announced in yesterday's Economic White Paper, but promised before the 2001 election, will be a statutory appointment reporting directly to Business Minister Ted Quinlan.
The paper says that if the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) is to become the most small-business-friendly location in Australia, it needs an independent adviser who could ensure that government agencies delivered on their commitments. ''Small business should expect the same level of service from government agencies as business themselves should provide to their customers,'' the paper says.
Other Australian states have developed models for this purpose, such as the Small Business Commissioner in South Australia; the Small Business Advocacy Service in Western Australian and the Small Business Commissioner in Victoria.
