QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
Mr ALBANESE (Grayndler—Prime Minister) (14:02): Small businesses are already eligible for four different concessions, and none of them have changed. None of them, whatsoever, have changed. That's why, in addition to that, some of them— Opposition members interjecting— The SPEAKER: The member for Casey, order!
We're just going to reset. This continual yelling right on my doorstep is well beyond the pale. The Leader of the Opposition was heard in silence.
Can everyone just take a breath, reset, listen to the Prime Minister and show some respect. Mr ALBANESE: In addition to that, in the budget we announced $3½ billion in new measures that lower taxes for businesses to encourage investment and innovation. We're making the $20,000 instant asset write-off permanent, which is something that's never been done before.
We're introducing a permanent two-year loss carry-back to support resilience, investment and risk-taking. We're introducing loss refundability to help startups grow in their first years. We're expanding tax incentives for venture capital to unlock patient capital for young, expanding firms.
In addition to all that, we're better targeting the research and development tax incentive. That's why the Council of Small Business Organisations, for example, said about the instant asset write-off: 'It gives— The SPEAKER: Order! The Prime Minister's just going to pause.
The question was about the carving out of businesses and the higher taxes, but I'll listen to the Leader of the Opposition on a point of order. Mr Taylor: It's on relevance. The question was about broken promises and higher taxes, and he hadn't— The SPEAKER: Resume your seat.
I'll hear from the Leader of the House. Mr Burke: Two things: obviously, one of them is that that was a clear and deliberate abuse of a point of order; the second is in terms of relevance. The first sentence of that question was this: 'There are nearly three million hardworking small and family businesses in Australia.' The answer being given could not be more relevant.
Honourable members interjecting — The SPEAKER: Order, members on my right and the Chief Government Whip. We're going to do this in an orderly way, and we'll hear on the point of order. Mr Tehan: On the point of order that the manager of business of the House made, there is a specific question at the end, and that's what we— Honourable members interjecting— Mr Tehan: Yes, at the end.
We're allowed to—you can't just have a question mark. You can't just have a question mark. You have to be able to ask the question.
It's question time. The SPEAKER: I thank the Manager of Opposition Business for that assistance. We'll deal with the Leader of the Opposition's point of order and the Leader of the House's response.
Obviously, there was a question in there, but all speakers since the beginning of question time have never confined the answer, because the standing orders require the Prime Minister be— Mr Taylor interjecting— The SPEAKER: You've raised the point of order. I'm dealing with your point of order, Leader of the Opposition, so there's no point yelling at me. The standing orders provide for the Prime Minister to be directly relevant.
If you would like a yes/no answer or you would like a direct answer, I don't have the powers to direct the Prime Minister to do that. All members, I think, are aware of that. The Prime Minister is talking about exactly what he was asked about, so he is being directly relevant.
He has the call. Mr ALBANESE: I was asked about small business and the impact of the budget, and I'm precisely doing that. The worse he's going, the more he interjects, but the fact it— Mr Taylor interjecting— The SPEAKER: Order!
Leader of the Opposition, take a breath. The Prime Minister can continue. Dr Chalmers interjecting— The SPEAKER: Order!
The Treasurer is not helping the situation. Mr ALBANESE: In the budget, we announced $3½ billion of support for small business, and they don't want to hear about it. They want to write it off, as if it didn't happen, because it doesn't fit the rhetoric of the three right-wing parties and their allies.
This is what the council of small business had to say: 'It gives small business the opportunity to plan ahead—to plan their investments and how they are going to grow.' Mr Pasin interjecting— Ms Catherine King: Yes, which was in the budget. Mr ALBANESE: In the budget! The NFF—just one for the Nats—said: It's a simple and effective measure that helps farmers reduce costs and increase their productivity.
ACCI said: Many small business owners will be pleased to see this measure made permanent … Over and over, the measures that we put forward, right across the sector— Honourable members interjecting— Mr ALBANESE: The worse they're going, the louder they get. This is a mob who think the future is making Tony Abbott the President of the Liberal Party.