Purpose

  1. The Small Business Consultative Group (SBCG) is a discussion forum for small business owners, advisers and advocates to share their first-hand experiences, knowledge and insights with the Commonwealth Minister for Small Business on:
  • contemporary small business issues, challenges, opportunities and success stories
  • how policies, programs and regulations are impacting small businesses and their communities
  • new policy ideas to support small businesses.
  1. The Minister for Small Business may provide updates on Australian Government initiatives and priorities relating to small businesses or test policy ideas.
  2. The Minister for Small Business may share deidentified insights from the SBCG at Commonwealth, state and territory Small Business Ministers’ Meetings and through other fora, as appropriate.
  3. The Minister may invite guests from time to time to join the discussion.

Meeting frequency

  1. The SBCG will meet virtually, 2 times per year, for approximately 2 hours.

Membership

  1. The Minister for Small Business is the Chair.
  2. The SBCG will comprise up to 10 core members, as appointed by the Minister for Small Business for a 2-year period, chosen from expressions of interest. Publication of member names will occur on the Treasury website.
  3. Expressions of interest will also be used to build a larger pool of interested parties who may be called upon to attend meetings on an ad-hoc basis.
  4. Inclusivity is a key principle of the SBCG. Members will be a diverse mix of small business owners, advisers (such as accountants and lawyers), and advocates (representatives of industry associations) across Australia, with a strong focus on diversity of sectors and intersectional representation, including employing and non-employing small businesses and particularly:
  • women
  • First Nations people
  • people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
  • people from regional and rural areas
  • people living with disability.
  1. SBCG members participate on a voluntary basis with no remuneration provided.
  2. Members do not need to undertake any preparatory work ahead of meetings.
  3. The SBCG is a consultative group. Members do not vote, make formal recommendations or decisions.
  4. A member may resign from the SBCG at any time, and the Minister may terminate a membership if a member acts in an inappropriate manner.

Confidentiality and conflicts of Interest

  1. All SBCG members should:
  • actively contribute to meetings in a respectful and courteous manner including by valuing the differences in members’ backgrounds, experiences and perspectives, and allowing others to be heard
  • act with honesty and integrity
  • declare to the Chair any real, potential or perceived conflicts of interest that may arise due to the items being discussed, which may result in the member abstaining from participating in that specific discussion.
  1. As part of their membership, members may have access to confidential and personal information, which they may use for approved purposes only. Members must sign a Deed of Confidentiality.
  2. Subject to confidentiality arrangements, the meetings operate under the Chatham House rule: members can use the information they receive or hear at the meetings, but they cannot reveal the identity, affiliation, or other identifying details of any speaker.

Administration

  1. The Minister for Small Business will determine the agenda for each meeting.
  2. A Treasury Secretariat will service the meeting by:
  • arranging meeting invitations
  • providing the agenda to members at least one week in advance of the meeting.
  1. Members may ask the Minister, via the Treasury Secretariat, to include items on the agenda, at least 3 weeks in advance of meeting.
  2. There will not usually be any meeting papers for the meeting.
  3. If members are unable to attend, they should offer their apologies as soon as possible after the setting of the relevant meeting date.
  4. There will be no circulation of a formal record of the meeting.