MATTERS OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE
Mr REBELLO (McPherson) (16:16): The previous member spoke about us on this side of the place arguing for the sake of arguing. I think that just tells this chamber and should tell every single Australian that those in the government have no grasp of the damage that is being done by this government and by this Treasurer's taxes on every single Australian small business and family business.
Those on this side of the House have a very close familiarity with small business and with family business. We understand the sacrifice, the struggle and the opportunity cost that people have to take in order to put everything at risk, to employ people, to generate wealth and to create jobs in this country. This motion moved by the Leader of the Opposition is key, and it is a matter of public importance because every single day that I'm in my electorate or here in Canberra, I have small-business owner after small-business owner, as I'm sure all my colleagues do—the member for Fisher as well—coming to us and saying: 'Things have gotten so tough in this country.
It's so hard to run a business. The question is: why bother?' That is something that this chamber should be absolutely concerned about, because if we take out small and family businesses from this country, we have very little left. We have a government and a prime minister who doesn't get it and a Treasurer who doesn't get it.
We have seen backflip after backflip after backflip. Don't get me wrong; I'm happy that we've had those backflips because some of them were, quite frankly, terrible ideas. But if you look at the record, each and every one of these backflips shows that the government has no idea what they're doing.
We saw it with the veterans' healthcare cap, the $5,000 cap that they had a change of heart on. They were forced to because the coalition brought so much public sentiment against them, and they backflipped. We've seen it with the ATO credit card ban—again, another backflip.
We've seen it in part with the capital gains tax. There was a part retreat there because we had a massive social media campaign where investors and creators around this country said, 'What the hell is going on in Canberra?' Again, another part backflip. We're seeing budget tax measures watered down after being watered down.
And it's not just in this place. Look at what Labor's own mates are saying in other places. Look at the Premier of New South Wales.
He has not been supportive at all of this government's economic management. He's got every reason not to be supportive, to be concerned and to distance himself from the Albanese Labor government. Mr REBELLO: And Queensland disaster funding.
That was another massive backflip which was going to deprive our state of the support that it needs at times when it needs it most, especially where I live on the Gold Coast, where we've had to access that in the past. For today's matter of public importance, we should have the Minister for Small Business here. We should have the Minister for Small Business listening.
We didn't get much out of her during question time; every single question, just about, seemed to be deferred to the Assistant Treasurer. But if we've got a small business minister who is not prepared to front up at the one part of the day, the one part of proceedings, where she's supposed to be accountable for her portfolio and for her actions, something is clearly wrong with this government.
Where are their priorities? I have no idea. This Minister for Small Business has spent $150,000 travelling the world.
Those opposite will turn around and say, 'It's part of her portfolio.' But, while she did that, 800 small businesses went bust in this country—30 small businesses every single day that she was away. If her priorities are not to be addressing that significant issue in this country for small business then I think she needs to reconsider her role and I think the Prime Minister needs to reconsider her role.
We have a government that doesn't fundamentally understand small business. They don't understand the grit, the determination and the risks involved in starting and running a small business. What's even worse is they don't understand what they are doing to all of those hardworking Australians, including many on the southern Gold Coast, who have risked everything to create jobs and generate wealth in this country.
I suggest they take a serious look at their policies and at themselves and reconsider if they're on the side of small business or not—because, quite frankly, I think they're not.