LIBERAL
Zoe McKenzie, Federal Member for Flinders, welcomed Sussan Ley, Deputy Leader of the Opposition, and Shadow Minister for Small and Family Business, to the Flinders electorate on January 28, to participate in a roundtable with leading businesswomen from the Mornington Peninsula.
The roundtable was facilitated by the Committee for Frankston and Mornington Peninsula, and held at Sages Cottage Farm in Baxter. A difficulty in attracting and retaining staff post-COVID, high energy prices, difficult-to-navigate industrial relations laws and the large state tax burden were issues raised by the group.
According to the 2021-22 Mornington Peninsula Business Survey, there are approximately 15,800 businesses on the Mornington Peninsula with the vast majority (94%) employing less than 5 people.
Ms Ley and Ms McKenzie also visited the Bata Shoes factory, which has been manufacturing gumboots in Mornington since the 1980s. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition reiterated the Coalition’s commitment to lowering energy prices, to ensure manufacturing stays in Australia.
Zoe McKenzie MP, Federal Member for Flinders, commented that: “A couple of weeks ago, Sussan Ley joined me for a women in business roundtable, and we heard from women in retail, agriculture, training, health, hospitality, and a range of other sectors.” “It was a constructive, collaborative, clearly expressed and common sense conversation about the challenges facing Australian business: cost of living, local taxes, energy prices, access to skills, and respite from red tape.” “Only the Coalition can get the Mornington Peninsula’s local economy back on track”.
First published in the Mornington News – 25 February 2025
