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Joe Helper

	Minister for Small Business
	Contact Details GPO Box 4440 VIC 3000 Tel: (+ 61 3) 9658 4670 Fax: (+61 3) 9658 4671

Joe Helper is the Minister for Agriculture and Small Business. He represents the electorate of Ripon in Legislative Assembly.

Having run his own business, Joe has a strong personal understanding of how a vibrant small business sector is essential to job growth and economic well-being, particularly in regional and rural Victoria.  There are over 470,000 Victorian small businesses, representing 96% of all businesses in Victoria and a quarter of all small businesses nationally.

As Minister for Small Business, Joe oversees a range of Victorian Government policies, programs and initiatives to help the sector grow and thrive, including:

• Time To Thrive: Supporting the changing face of Victorian small businesses, the $98 million small business policy statement that outlines the overall framework of Victorian Government support for the sector
• A range of programs - including the My Business My People initiative which helps small businesses find and retain the best available employees
• Energise Enterprise – Victoria's annual month long small business festival
• Business Victoria online portal one stop shop including Federal, State and Local Government services, support and advice for Victorian businesses
• Victorian Small Business Commissioner - an Australian first helping to  mediate business disputes, promoting a competitive and fair business environment
• Koori Business Network that helps indigenous Victorian business people turn their skills and expertise into economic independence.

Joe says that small businesses want a dependable government, a safe pair of hands.

"I know that growing businesses provide jobs, growth and income for Victorians - without these we can’t provide the services that Victorian people and communities need and expect from us."

Background

Joe Helper was born in Germany in 1959. Joe and his family migrated to Australia in 1971 and settled in Melbourne. Joe trained as a motor mechanic and later became the proprietor of Newstead Motors in regional Victoria. Joe and his wife Julie and two children Megan and Patrick moved 10 years ago to a small rural property in Yandoit.

Joe was elected to State Parliament as the ALP Member for Ripon in October 1999.  Following re-election in 2002, Joe served as Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Development. Following re-election in 2006, Joe was elected to the Ministry and appointed Minister for Agriculture. In 2007 he gained the Small Business portfolio.