Teresa Gambaro (Brisbane, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to update the House on a recent visit by the Minister for Small Business to the electorate of Brisbane to meet with a number of exceptional women, particularly those involved in small business.

On Monday 4 May 2015, Minister Billson and I hosted a number of women from across Brisbane who shared their stories of success and the challenges they face in running a small business. It is not possible for me to list all of the successful businesswomen who attended the event, but I would like to specifically highlight a few success stories from my electorate: Maria Anello, from the New Farm Deli, which has been an institution in New Farm since 1977; Debora Sutton, principal of Belle Property in Wilston and Ascot; Margaret Campbell-Ryder of Red Hill Gallery; Kristina Georges of Samie's Girl, who has been part of a tremendously successful family seafood business since 1984; and the wonderfully successful Sascha Drake, a fashion designer of Paddington.

These women are the tip of the iceberg when it comes to examples of creative, driven and hard-working women across Brisbane and Australia. I want to thank Minister Billson for visiting Brisbane and meeting with these entrepreneurial women.

The government is working to ensure that the settings are right for women in small business to prosper. With decreased red tape and increased access to information and assistance programs, our goals are to see more women succeed in small business now and into the future.