Sole traders left out to dry

The Andrews Labor Government’s lockdown restrictions have forced thousands of sole traders to close down.

State Liberal Member for Eildon Cindy McLeish along with the Liberal Nationals are fighting for the State Labor Government to urgently increase support for small businesses and sole traders.

Ms McLeish said, “Small businesses and sole traders have greatly suffered during COVID-19 restrictions and have indeed fallen between the gaps of State Government support.”

“Sole traders are the backbone of Victorian small businesses, especially throughout this region and are critical to our state’s success. We need to ensure they survive and bounce back post-COVID-19.”

Gardeners and hairdressers, beauticians, personal trainers and many other sole traders have been forced out of their jobs with no state government support.

Labor has also excluded sole traders from the Business Support Fund. Adding insult to injury, when Treasurer Tim Pallas was asked why the government was not supporting 400,000 sole traders in Victoria, he responded, “Many of them don’t actually have a tax-paying relationship with the state”.

Ms McLeish continues, “Hardworking business owners are having their life’s work ripped from them because Daniel Andrews’ incompetence caused Victoria’s second wave of coronavirus, yet no substantial support is being offered.”

Despite promising that a support package was coming, Daniel Andrews has made no announcements of support for business.

“Businesses can’t survive on the empty words of an incompetent Premier, they still have to pay their bills,” Ms McLeish concludes.

The Liberal Nationals have called on Daniel Andrews to immediately announce a comprehensive business support package to help businesses keep their door open and staff in a job.

Share to support sole traders and tell Daniel Andrews you think they deserve access to State Government business support here: SupportSoleTraders.com