About Peter

See HERE for information on the business side of Peter Strong.

Peter was the national face for the small business sector for a lot of this century and believes communities should be more than just big businesses and their supporters. He knows for success and effectiveness that government planning must start from the grass roots and work its way up. Not the other way around. Governments should provide the vision and the policy platform but communities should have a major say in how policies are implemented and infrastructure developed.

He is a firm believer in real consultations and quality communications with the people who will be affected by government decisions. He believes this no longer occurs in the ACT, and quality communications is essential for a modern community

He has always demanded transparency from the governments with which he worked. Transparency in budgeting, in process and in decision making.

Peter spent over 40 years at the community and national levels developing and implementing quality policies for governments and communities all over Australia and also internationally. He has been Chairman of the local Bendigo Bank franchise here in the ACT and also ran a local retail business – Smiths Alternative Bookshop. He knows the impacts of good regulation and good regulators - and the opposite of that.

He coached the University of Canberra’s women’s soccer teams in the mid-1990s (three premierships - nice) and sits on the advisory group for the UC’s business school.

Peter lived in Kambah for 15 years where his sons attended local schools. After they grew up and left home for the greater world, he then moved to Turner to be closer to his business and be with his partner.

His advocacy reputation is one of being apolitical and using his skills and networks to achieve positive outcomes through good politics and policy. He knows that good politics can be tricky and has advocated successfully on small business issues to the various federal governments since 2005. He knows good policy should always be the outcome. Especially given that our public service is recognised as world class.

Peter gained a reputation for being constructive and also being able to spot when transparency of government has disappeared and big businesses and their industry associations and their unions, went behind closed doors to get their way. He was never afraid to call out any lack of transparency and the behind closed doors deals that create an unfair society and impacts poorly upon communities.

Peter Strong has been a loud and constant supporter of community. He knows people of all sorts should come first – not one powerful group. or vested interests or political parties.