The delegation and co-convenors the Coalition Friends of the Digital Economy group. 

Last week eBay and PayPal lead a delegation of Australian retailers and industry to Canberra, to discuss the opportunities and challenges from Internet enabled commerce. 

This year’s delegation included Taylan Atar from The Farm Store, Jethro Marks from The Nile and Paul Greenberg from NORA. The outreach included meeting more than 25 Parliamentarians from across the political divide, including Bruce Billson, Minister for Small Business; Paul Fletcher,  Parliamentary Secretary for Communications; and Jason Clare, Shadow Minister for Communications, among many others. 

The visit coincided with the Mid-Winter Ball which eBay has sponsored for 7 years running and included an eBay charity auction to raise funds for nominated charities.  This year $60,000 was raised from the charity auction. A wide range of issues were discussed including: suppliers and online retailers; domestic shipping and logistics; Internet access for regional and rural areas; addressing the digital skills shortage; charge backs to merchants; helping start-ups;  and accessible finance options for small businesses.

Meeting with Bruce Billson MP - Minister for Small Business (pictured middle, in blue tie)