Teal MP Backs Chamber’s Call to Broaden Definition of ‘Small Business’

A call to redefine small business as those with less than 25 staff—as opposed to the current 15—looks set to be another contest for the federal election.

People shop for fresh produce at the Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne, Australia, on July 4, 2023.William West/AFP via Getty Images

A new front could open up in the contest on industrial relations after the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) called for the legal definition of a small business to be broadened—a move that will free a swathe of businesses from regulation.

ACCI Chief Executive Andrew McKellar is calling for the definition of a small business to be expanded from 15 employees to 25.