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Queensland businesses not feeling the support

Amy Remeikis - Published: April 7, 2016 - 12:00AM     
           

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What goes up must come down.
And so it is with business confidence in Queensland, with the latest Sensis Business Index Survey showing optimism among the state's small and medium businesses has taken a hit in the last quarter.
In January, Treasurer Curtis Pitt was celebrating the survey showing Queensland had achieved its "best record" with +35 points, "higher than at any time under the LNP and the equal largest increase of any state, with NSW, with a 22 point lift".
But the last three months has seen that reverse, with Sensis reporting the Queensland government "is now viewed as the least supportive of small and medium businesses" with just 12 per cent rating the Palaszczuk Government as supportive.
Sensis chief executive officer John Allan said polled businesses reported there was "too much bureaucracy and red tape" and more needed to be done by the government to improve those areas.
But the overwhelming majority, 59 per cent, found the government to have no impact. Sensis also found that confidence, despite taking a five point hit, was still three times higher than it was just one year ago, when the Palaszczuk Government took power.
Treasurer Curtis Pitt grabbed on to the positive news.
"The broad trend in a range of surveys since the 2015 state election, such as the National Australia Bank's Monthly Business Survey, has been in the right direction and we will continue to focus strongly on creating the right business conditions for our post-mining boom economy," he said.
 "During the last quarter of the LNP Government the Sensis survey showed a confidence rating of +13."
Mr Pitt also welcomed the news Queensland was close to the national average of +35 points.
The gap in confidence between the capital and its regional surrounds dropped from 33 to 19 points, with Brisbane businesses owners dropping 13 points in confidence to +42, while confidence in the regions was up 1 per cent, to 23 points.
But Queensland businesses had the second highest level of support for the Turnbull Government, up seven per cent to +10.

This story was found at: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/queensland-businesses-not-feeling-the-support-20160406-go05yj.html