The Hon. AILEEN MacDONALD (14:56): I take note of the answer given by the Treasurer regarding the Business Connect program. The Treasurer talks of competing priorities, but members should not forget what Business Connect delivered. Independent evaluation found that its advisers have given more than 300,000 hours of advice and supported 40,000 jobs. It also found that it has a 96 per cent client satisfaction rate. It has helped multicultural, First Nations and regional small business operators navigate everything from startup to recovery after disasters. It has over 100 highly experienced advisers, many with eight years of service, who have guided small businesses through COVID, bushfires and floods. Cutting the program saves little but costs us dearly because, when small businesses close, jobs are lost and economic activity and community vibrancy fall.

The business bureau was meant to complement Business Connect; they were meant to work side by side. The Treasurer has claimed that small businesses demanded cuts to workers compensation, but the facts tell a different story. The Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows that there are approximately 850,000 small businesses in New South Wales. Of those, over 400,000 are non-employing—that is, they are self-employed people who do not pay workers compensation at all. It is frankly galling that this Government has chosen to axe Business Connect from 30 September 2025, the day before NSW Small Business Month begins. Instead of celebrating and supporting small businesses, this Government is pulling the rug from under them.