Queensland Nationals Senator Barnaby Joyce said today “Small businesses would benefit from lower fees when applying to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission for permission to collectively bargain with big business.”

“At present, small businesses wanting to collectively bargain must apply to the ACCC for an authorisation under the Trade Practices Act. This authorisation currently costs small businesses $7500.

“This fee is too high and imposes an unnecessary burden on small business.” Senator Joyce said.

“A nominal authorisation fee would not be too much to ask for to help small businesses. The present $7500 authorisation fee could be reduced overnight by the Government, making it easier for small business to get together to collectively bargain for a better deal from big business.

“In addition to a lower authorisation fee, small businesses would benefit from a single fee of $1000 for those wishing to use the new notification process for collective bargaining. This notification process offers an alternative to authorisation but could end up costing more than the proposed $1000 fee as small businesses have to pay a separate fee for each big business they want to collectively bargain with.

“The prospect of the notification process costing small businesses more than the existing authorisation process was raised at today’s Senate Estimates hearing by ACCC Chairman Mr Graeme Samuel and is deeply troubling.

“A single notification fee would ensure that small businesses get the full benefit of what they have been promised, which is a cheaper process than the existing authorisation process.