Terry Young (Longman, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge, Candice Kiss, the Moreton Bay Businesswoman of the Year, a hospitality entrepreneur and a dedicated small-business owner and operator. At the recent Moreton Bay Business and Innovation Awards, Candice's team achieved remarkable recognition, with her employee Olivia Tulloch being honoured as employee of the year and her cafe Annie Lane receiving the customer service excellence award. These accolades highlight not only Candice's leadership but also the strong customer focused culture she has fostered within her businesses.

I say 'businesses' because Candice is the driving force behind three popular cafes in the Longman electorate: Annie Lane in Bongaree, Gather and Feast in Caboolture, and Ruby Tuesday in Burpengary East. These establishments have become beloved local spots where customers are greeted with Candice's warm smile and genuine hospitality. So, whether you call in for a well-made coffee or just a friendly hello, the atmosphere created within her cafes reflects Candice's commitment to outstanding service and community connection.

Running a small business in today's economic climate with record business insolvencies and closures is incredibly challenging due to the rising cost of living, which has led to the unfortunate closure of many local businesses in Longman. Rent increases, higher prices, electricity costs and increased wages due to inflation have squeezed margins for many small operators, especially in hospitality. Despite these pressures, Candice has demonstrated remarkable resilience and gone against the grain by expanding her three cafes during this difficult period, a feat many others have been unable to achieve. This makes her success all the more commendable and inspiring.

What makes Candice's success even more impressive is the way she runs her business with the support of her husband, Richard, and the whole family, who work behind the scenes to help grow and sustain these ventures, which is pretty common in a family business. Through their combined efforts, they have built not just cafes but community hubs that bring people together.

I also want to give a shout-out to all the other nominees for the small business awards from Longman. It's quite a list. There's Beyond Dental Care, JJ's Deliveries, G'day Adventure Tours, Caboolture Workers Co-op, Encircle Community Services, Micah Projects Wellspring Moreton Bay, Belgravia Leisure, Beachmere Dental, Sesame Lane Care and Kindergarten, Buddy Brewing—good beer there—iReformer, Eckersley Print Group, Teeny Tiny Homes, Jumbo Skip Bins, Superior Engineering and the Lullaby Club. I know only too well how tough and thankless small business can be, especially when you're starting out or when times are as tough as they are now, so well done to you all.