NSW Minister for Finance and Small Business Damien Tudehope has described Gunnedah's small businesses as "a small group of disgruntled small businesses".
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The comment comes after representatives from Gunnedah Chamber of Commerce and Enchanted on Conadilly were both disappointed that Mr Tudehope and NSW Small Business Commissioner Robyn Hobbs had nothing new to say about supporting small businesses.
NSW Labor's shadow minister for finance and small business Daniel Mookey asked Mr Tudehope why the town's small businesses described his drought-recovery policies as "a slap in the face", to which Mr Tudehope responded by calling them "a small group of disgruntled small businesses".
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The comment was made during parliamentary Question Time and in the debate that followed.
Mr Mookey said Mr Tudehope should immediately apologise.
"Imagine how these small businesses must feel. They voice their opinion and the minister insults them using parliamentary privilege," Mr Mookey said.
"Minister Tudehope should know better than to target small businesses battling a severe drought.
"He should immediately apologise, then he should repent by working with small businesses on drought-relief policies which actually work for the people they're meant to help."
Both Gunnedah Chamber of Commerce's Stacey McAllan and Enchanted on Conadilly's Jodi Dolbel believed the minister and the commissioner offered no new information to small businesses who attended the breakfast in July.
