Fiona Martin (Reid, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Small business is the lifeblood of our community and the key to our economic recovery. As a former small-business owner, I know what it's like to own and run a small business. COVID and repeated lockdowns were very tough on our small-business owners, but our small businesses are resilient, and I was so impressed with how quickly Reid businesses adapted. Whether it was online orders, takeaways, home deliveries, picnic baskets in the park, they pivoted; but they also needed our help, especially the self-care industry, and we had their back.

We will always support small and family businesses, and businesses in Reid told me the government assistance measures, through JobKeeper and JobSaver, cash flow boosts and 50 per cent wage subsidies for apprentices, were all a lifeline. But recovery is in full motion now, and we are looking forward. Businesses have opened up. Reid is open for business. Consumer spending is up. Jobs are coming back. Our borders are opening up. We have over 26,000 small and family businesses in Reid, and every one of them is important in our community. Whether it's Homebush Village shops; Auburn or Lidcombe; Sydney Olympic Park; Rhodes; Strathfield; Five Dock; Drummoyne; or Majors Bay Road, Concord, they all matter, and we've got their back.

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