The Minister for Small Business is a minister of the New South Wales Government within the Treasury and has responsibilities for matters relating to small business policy and regulation in New South Wales. The current Minister for Small Business, since 17 March 2025, is Janelle Saffin.
The minister supports the Minister for Finance, presently Courtney Houssos and the Treasurer, presently Daniel Mookhey. Ultimately the minister is responsible to the Parliament of New South Wales.
Role and responsibilities Small business was first represented at a portfolio level in the sixth Wran ministry, with the appointment of George Paciullo as the Minister for Small Business and Technology, with Paciullo also holding the portfolio of Industry and Decentralisation. The portfolio was responsible for promoting the well-being, growth and development of the small business sector in New South Wales through the Office of Small Business. In the eighth Wran ministry small business was combined with industry to form the portfolio of Industry and Small Business.
Small Business first became a separate portfolio in the Unsworth ministry, with the appointment of Deirdre Grusovin who also held the portfolio of Consumer Affairs. In addition to the Office of Small Business, the portfolio was responsible for Small Business Development Corporation which undertook research and investigated matters relating to the small business section of the economy and aimed at expanding the effectiveness of existing government assistance and advisory programs. The portfolio was replaced in the first Grieiner ministry by the portfolio of Business and Consumer Affairs.
List of ministers
Title Minister Party Ministry Term start Term end Time in office NotesMinister for Small Business and Technology
Wran (6) 10 February 1984 5 April 1984
Wran (7) 5 April 1984 31 December 1985
1 January 1986 6 February 1986 Minister for Industry and Small Business Wran (8)Unsworth 6 February 1986 26 November 1987 Minister for Small Business Unsworth 26 November 1987 21 March 1988 Minister for Business and Consumer Affairs
Grieiner (1) 25 March 1988 6 June 1991 Minister for Small Business
Fahey (3) 26 May 1993 4 April 1995 Minister for Small Business and Regional Development
Carr (1) 4 April 1995 15 December 1995 Minister for Small Business
Carr (3) 8 April 1999 2 April 2003
Carr (4)Iemma (1) 2 April 2003 2 April 2007
Iemma (2) 2 April 2007 5 September 2008
Rees 8 September 2008 11 November 2008
11 November 2008 30 January 2009
30 January 2009 4 December 2009
Keneally 4 December 2009 21 May 2010
21 May 2010 28 March 2011
O'Farrell 3 April 2011 17 April 2014
Baird (1) 23 April 2014 17 October 2014
Baird (1) (2)Berejiklian (1) 17 October 2014 23 March 2019
Minister for Finance and Small Business
Berejiklian (2) 2 April 2019 21 December 2021
Minister for Small Business Perrottet (2) 21 December 2021 3 August 2022
3 August 2022 28 March 2023
Minns 5 April 2023 17 March 2025
17 March 2025 incumbent
See also
List of New South Wales government agencies
References