As much as I love being here in Canberra representing my community, I can't wait to head home. I'm told it's nearly Christmas, which I love but haven't had a lot of time to think about yet. The next few weeks will give me a chance to do some Christmas shopping at some of the many local small businesses across my electorate. Ninety-eight point four per cent of all businesses in Australia are small businesses, and the Hawkesbury and Blue Mountains have their fair share, contributing hugely to our local economy. But COVID, floods and bushfires hit many businesses hard, and we're still not seeing all the jobs come back.

Labor recognised how vital local businesses are during the GFC, and we injected money into the economy via small cash payments to pensioners and families that went straight back into the high street shops. We knew we needed to encourage people to go local first and give them something extra to spend. Heading to your local shops for your Christmas shopping and celebrations is exactly what is encouraged by the campaign that the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia, COSBOA, is rolling out around the country and in Macquarie. I welcome this extension of the Go Local First campaign, urging people to buy from small businesses in our community, to strengthen the economy and create jobs. I'm already seeing the ads on TV and online asking people to go local first and see if that perfect present, perfect peach or perfect plant is available at your local shops. I'll be shopping from Wentworth Falls to Windsor, maybe even up to Wisemans—and everywhere nearby that doesn't start with a W! Look out for the Go Local First ads and keep an eye out for my posts of where I'm going local first.