Former politician appointed Small Business Commissioner

Former SA Liberal deputy premier Daniel van Holst Pellekaan will become South Australia’s next Small Business Commissioner, taking up the role on 11 August for a three-year term.

van Holst Pellekaan previously served as Liberal member of the South Australian parliament from 2010 to 2022, as Minister for Mining and Energy from 2018 to 2022 and Deputy Premier for a few short months between November 2021 and March 2022.

He also has experience as a small business owner in the retail and hospitality sector and has been a board member of, and advisor to, commercial, infrastructure and service organisations.

“I look forward to working collaboratively to help the small business sector grow and thrive in South Australia, which the Business Council of Australia recently assessed as the best jurisdiction in Australia to do business,” said van Holst Pellekaan.

“I will continue to be a strong advocate for small business owners and I look forward to assisting them with advice and effective dispute resolution when challenges arise.”

South Australia is currently home to 150,000 small businesses that contribute more than $49 billion to the state’s economy and employ 300,000 people, which is roughly 40% of the workforce.

“The former Liberal Deputy Premier has a long history of working with small businesses – including as a small business owner himself – and his background in state and local government makes him ideal to support our state’s small business owners,” said Andrea Michaels, Minister for Small and Family Business, and Minister for Consumer and Business Affairs.

“Having been a small business owner myself, I truly appreciate the importance of receiving advice and support from someone who really understands what it’s like to own a business and has a genuine understanding of the issues and pressures that come with it.

“I think small business owners will feel heard and understood with him in their corner, and I look forward to seeing the strong and thoughtful advocacy I know he’ll bring for small businesses across South Australia.