What happened in Canberra?

On March 27, together with our friends at Social Traders , we hosted a social enterprise breakfast event at Parliament House. Meetings with MPs, advisors and public servants followed.

The day was powered by sector collaboration.

Key messages came from the?sector's pre-budget submission , built through sector co-design. These were said by many voices, as people from the social enterprise sector - our state peaks, other intermediaries, practitioners, and philanthropy - joined us for the day. A sector team invited and grew relationships with Federal MPs, advisors and public servants. And there were positive responses to what we said is needed, and new paths forward were offered.

On the day we connected with the following MPs:

• Hon Dr Andrew Leigh MP
• Hon Andrew Giles
• Dr Daniel Mulino
• Dr Helen Haines
• Dr Sophie Scamps MP
• Zali Steggall OAM MP
• Elizabeth Watson Brown
• Dai Le MP
• Andrew Wilkie
• Peta Murphy
• Advisors to Hon Dr Jim Chalmers
• Advisors to Hon Amanda Rishworth
• Advisors to Hon Brendan O'Connor
• Advisors to Hon Tony Burke

We also met with public servants from the Departments of Treasury, Finance, Prime Minister and Cabinet, Social Services, and Employment and Workplace Relations.

At the event, Jess Moore from Social Enterprise Australia and Tara Anderson from Social Traders talked to the contribution social enterprise makes to Australia, the social, environmental and economic challenges it can help with, and the offer and ask to work with the Australian Government to unlock further impact. The headline message was:

1. Australia faces social, environmental and economic challenges that demand new responses. The social enterprise sector can help.
2. Because social enterprise sits between traditional business and charity, many fall through the gaps in the support infrastructures that exist.
3. We seek a social enterprise national strategy to change this?that is:

• Powered by genuine partnership between the sector and Government.
• Challenge-led, focusing on national priorities where social enterprise can make a significant contribution.
• Underpinned by data and certification.
• Incorporates social procurement, access to finance, outcome payments, and capability building.

The Hon Dr Andrew Leigh MP , Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury,?addressed the event . He said:

"What you do has support from across the parliament. For those on the business side, you're celebrating businesses. And for those who got into politics to help the most disadvantaged, you're doing just that... So much of what you do fits into what we're aiming to do within government. ... We believe that the challenges we face are so significant that they require community and government to step up together."

Rebecca Scott, OAM , CEO of STREAT and Co-convenor of Moving Feast Victoria , also spoke. She talked to the achievements of Moving Feast, its ambition to help build a connected, fair and regenerative Victorian food system, and the need for Federal investment in collaborative sector infrastructure to unlock this and other challenge-led collaborations.

?Congratulations and big thanks to all who made the day possible, and helped build Federal partnership and momentum for a safer and kinder world.

#socialenterprise #business4good #changethegame