Laundy listens to business concerns

AUSTRALIA’S Small Business Minister has promised to detail Cairns business community members’ concerns about immigration laws with the federal Cabinet.

Coalition frontbencher Craig Laundy was in Cairns yesterday to help spruik the Turnbull government’s tax cuts to businesses.

Under the Budget measure, businesses with turnovers up to $10 million will be able to write off assets that cost less than $20,000.

Mr Laundy, who attended a business roundtable with the Cairns business community, said migration and insurance were among the many topics discussed.

He said the business owners were very concerned about proposed changes to Australia’s 457 visa program.

“The message from the regions is it’s hard to get talent from other parts of Australia to North Queensland,” he said.

“To take that message to (Social Services Minister Dan) Tehan, we need to be conscious of the impact that might have upon local small and family-run businesses.

“That’s something I’ll be doing when I head back down to Canberra next week.”

Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch said given the seasonality of work in the Far North, it was important that businesses were able to retain flexibility.

“The other thing that was driven home (from the roundtable) was the fact that small businesses and family businesses actually value their employees,” he said.