QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Senator AYRES (New South Wales—Minister for Industry and Innovation and Minister for Science) (14:24): Thanks, Senator Sterle, for that question. As somebody who's worked in the trucking industry for a long time in his life, full of Australian small businesses, he's the right person to ask this important question. We know that a strong economy is only possible when you have strong small businesses, and that great Western Australian Albanese government minister Anne Aly is making sure we do exactly that.

Every year, 2.7 million businesses employ 5.2 million Australians and contribute $623 billion to the Australian economy. That's why we are delivering more than $3.8 billion in new measures that provide tax relief and support small businesses' resilience and encourage their growth. From 1 July, we are making permanent the $20,000 instant asset write-off and also the two-year loss carry back—both of those measures unwound by the coalition when they were in office.

We're delivering tax cuts for 1.5 million sole traders, including the new $250 working Australians tax offset, and delivering $8 billion to support the mental health and financial wellbeing of small business owners. That's not all. We're expanding tax incentives for venture capital, to unlock more capital for expanding businesses; refocusing the research and development tax incentive, to get more impact out of Australian ideas in small businesses; and providing free access to mandatory standards that will save some businesses over $1,600 a year.

There are 7½ thousand more manufacturing businesses in the economy. Exports in manufacturing in my area are up by 43 per cent. Investment in manufacturing is up by 35 per cent.

This is a government that's delivering for small business every day of the week. (Time expired) The PRESIDENT: Senator Sterle, first supplementary?