Many years ago the Labor government of NSW hurt small business newsagents by cutting commission on transport tickets. The Liberal government is showing they are no different by crowing that 75% of OPAL card users top up their accounts online, thereby cutting out retailers like newsagents. Their website guides users on this.
While top-up online is to be expected, the promotion is another example of governments selfishly chasing their revenue needs at the expense of small business. These same politicians find money to pork-barrel electorates they want to win and to prop-up industries they want to suck up to. What’s happened here is another reason my call for politicians to do work experience in small business is vital.
The biggest sector to suffer from changes in transport ticketing arrangements over the last decade is newsagents.
While I not a fan of agency business I understand that to many newsagents agency related traffic and revenue is very important.