Small businesses miss out again

Disappointed sole trader of Yarrawonga Coghill Cottages Chris Long said as a sole trader with holiday units her ‘support’ has equated to zero dollars, ‘just like last time’.

“It takes a week to open applications to give them time to make sure the questions are organised to disqualify as many people as possible,” Ms Long said.

“If they genuinely wanted to help there are simple ways of doing it i.e. cancel land tax, reduce commercial rates etc.

“These disingenuous announcements give all those secure public servants sometime to do and provide politicians with a pretence of concern.

“The devils in the detail.”

Local Member for Ovens Valley Tim McCurdy said the Victorian Government is again failing to assist local businesses who are reeling from the impact of yet another lockdown.

When the circuit breaker lockdown small business grant was announced Mr McCurdy shared a status to Facebook on June 3 stating ‘Ground hog day!’

“Well, here we go again, the small business grants that are available due to the Victorian Governments “circuit breaker lockdown” are not available to everyone,” Mr McCurdy wrote.

“I am already getting business operators contacting me saying they don’t qualify.

“What a load of hog wash! If you are a small business, then you should qualify!

“How many times can James Merlino, Daniel Andrews and Jacinta Allan pull the rug out from people.

“This is appalling, Victorians deserve better.”

Speaking in Parliament last week, Mr McCurdy said the government’s support grants were not available to many local businesses who needed it most.

“With the latest lockdown for Victoria and the support grants, many businesses are phoning me saying, ‘We’re not eligible. We don’t earn enough money’,” Mr McCurdy said.

“The irony is they do not earn enough money because this government has closed them down for 200 days or more so they cannot do business, and now the government has got the gall to say, ‘You’re not earning enough money, so you’re not eligible for the grant’.

“How ridiculous is that? If you are a small business and you have been affected, you should be eligible.”

“I am beginning to wonder who is eligible for the $2500.”

“I think if we wrote a list, there would be more people ineligible than those who are eligible to take up the $2500.

“I am sick and tired of this government standing up to say, ‘We’re going to give out money for this’, or ‘We’ve got a pot of money for that’.

“We really want to know how beneficial it was, who actually could qualify and who received the funds.”

Mr McCurdy said potential further lockdowns would be devastating for regional Victoria.

“Regional Victoria cannot sustain lockdown five or six. It would break many more businesses and many more communities if this happens,” he said.

“Victorian Labor must get out of Melbourne and truly understand the 25 per cent of the population that lives in the regions.

“They are hurting, they are vulnerable, and they are at grave risk.”

Many small businesses and sole traders right across Victoria have once again missed out on vital grant funding from the Victorian Government to ensure businesses remain open.