Acting small business commissioner named

 

HandshakeCandace Barron has been appointed as the acting NSW small business commissioner.

NSW Minister for Small Business, Katrina Hodgkinson, said Barron will continue in the role until a replacement is announced for Yasmin King, who finished earlier this month.

“Ms King made a valuable contribution as the inaugural NSW small business commissioner and I thank her for her hard work in ensuring small businesses have more options for advice and dispute resolution,” Hodgkinson said.

“Establishing the small business commissioner as an independent, statutory officer was an election commitment of the NSW Liberal and Nationals government and we delivered on that commitment inside 100 days of the 2011 election.

“This government is firmly committed to ensuring small businesses in NSW have access to a small business commissioner and, as such, we began a competitive process to select a commissioner for a five year term in October.

Hodgkinson added the NSW government is in the final stages of appointing a new commissioner.

The Small Business Commissioner Bill passed the NSW Parliament in 2013 and allows for the NSW small business commissioner to:

– require parties to attend dispute mediation prior to initiating legal action;

– investigate allegations of unfair treatment and unfair contract terms;

– require local councils, NSW government bodies and other businesses to provide information or answer questions if a complaint is made; and

– report directly to NSW Parliament on issues of importance to small business.

Barron is currently director of the Dispute Resolution Unit in the Office of the small business commissioner, studied law at Roosevelt University in Chicago Illinois, and has been the deputy registrar of Retail Tenancy Disputes since 2003.

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