The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ABSFEO) Kate Carnell has launched an inquiry into how small businesses access justice. The inquiry will examine disputes involving small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Australia, including actions taken by SMEs when faced with a dispute and the reasons for the decisions made during dispute resolution.
A discussion paper will be released by mid-2018 to summarise the findings and propose policy options.
Carnell says small business operators are "at the wrong end of a power imbalance" when they have to deal with big business and government. This has been evidenced by issues such as long payment times to small businesses, which Carnell has long been fighting to change.
In terms of dispute resolutions, Carnell says consumer protections don't always apply to small businesses.
