Senate debates

Wednesday, 3 February 2010

Committees

Economics References Committee; Reference

3:37 pm

Photo of Michael RonaldsonMichael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Special Minister of State and Scrutiny of Government Waste) Share this | | Hansard source

I move:

That the following matter be referred to the Economics References Committee for inquiry and report by 30 June 2010:

The access of small businesses to finance, including:

(a)
the costs, terms and conditions of finance and changes to lending policies and practices affecting small businesses;
(b)
the importance of reasonable access to funding to support small business expansion and the sector’s contribution to employment growth and economic recovery;
(c)
the state of competition in small business lending and the impact of the Government’s banking guarantees;
(d)
opportunities and obstacles to other forms of financing, for example, equity to support small business ‘start ups’, liquidity, growth and expansion;
(e)
policies, practices and strategies to enhance access to small business finance that exist in other countries; and
(f)
any other related matters.

Question agreed to.