Deputy Opposition Leader and Shadow Minister for Business, Leanne Castley, will today move a motion in the ACT Assembly highlighting the current poor climate for ACT businesses.

Ms Castley said the recent Parliamentary Library state statistical bulletin has noted that the ACT experienced a concerning 9.5 per cent fall in business investment in 2022-23, in contrast at an average 7.2 per cent increase across other mainland jurisdictions.

“My motion also notes a recent quarterly ‘Business beat’ survey by the Canberra Business Chamber showing that only 36 per cent of Canberra businesses expect their businesses to grow in the next twelve months," Ms Castley said.

"I will also call upon the government to outline measures it will take to support business in the ACT, alongside actions to ensure that ACT services are responding to small business enquiries."

Ms Castley will also note the government’s 2023–2026 small business strategy which outlines a series of priorities and actions to improve the climate for business in the ACT.

“Unfortunately this strategy is failing with recent indicators showing a lack of confidence in business conditions.

“This strategy’s number one priority is to ‘improve the business experience when dealing with the government’.

“How embarrassing then that the most recent Canberra Business Chamber 2024-2025 budget submission calls on the Government to make it easier [for business] to deal with the ACT government, specifically, to answer the phone, return calls and send emails from named people.

“Clearly the climate for businesses in the ACT under Labor has deteriorated and the government is not helping, with only yesterday a longstanding Canberra building firm with 50 years of history entering administration,” Ms Castley concluded.