John McVeigh (Groom, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last Wednesday, we celebrated 100 years of the Taylor's Removals business in Toowoomba. It was hosted by Ray and Madeline Taylor and the fourth-generation managing director, Melissa Taylor, a leading businesswoman in the industry and in our region. This was truly an event to stop and recognise their impressive history in our community and also the impressive history of so many family and small businesses over the generations who continue to lead our local economy.

This is a business that has employed so many locals over its four generations. It is, therefore, a significant reminder of the importance of small and family business to regional areas like Toowoomba and the Darling Downs and, of course, our nation's entire economy. This Chamber would do well to continue to remind itself of the importance of small business efforts and of enterprise and job generation of the many family and small businesses throughout the entire country.

I'm, therefore, very proud of this government's plans to bring forward tax relief for small business and that this, reportedly, will be supported by those opposite. Whether it's the start-up in 2018—Taylor's, Toowoomba, 100 years ago—or our celebrated big businesses here in Australia that started small, small business is indeed the lifeblood of our economy.

Taylor's, Toowoomba, was inducted into the Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame just a few years ago. As I said, it's led by current managing director, Melissa Taylor, the first female managing director in the company's history. Melissa is very much a leader in our local business community, and she's recognised as such, and she's also recognised as such in the industry in which she operates. Melissa and her husband, Nivard, are leaders not only in our social fabric in community and in business, as I've said, but also in cultural and charity pursuits.

As I discussed just recently with Jo Sheppard, the CEO of the Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce, the sorts of relief that we want to support Taylor's and other small businesses with are so important. There are well over 16,000 small businesses in our electorate of Groom. I, therefore, take this opportunity to congratulate the Taylor's, an important business—Ray, Madeline, the extended family, Melissa and their staff—on this significant achievement. We wish them all the best for the next 100 years—'Taylor's: the smoother movers'.