MATTERS OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE

Mr GREGG (Deakin) (16:21): This government is very much on the side of small business. It has brought in billions of dollars in initiatives to help small businesses—making the $20,000 instant asset write-off permanent, ensuring that we're fixing regulations and getting rid of $10 billion in compliance costs and looking at the National Construction Code and ensuring that it is a more user-friendly, simple item after having paused it.

That's because we need to not just be sticking with the status quo. We need to be making regulatory compliance simpler and more straightforward, cutting unnecessary red tape and making sure that we have user-friendly regulations that make compliance simple enough. That work has been continuing across the life of this government.

We're doing it at pace now because we realise that productivity increases will depend on us having regulatory efficiency and easier-to-follow regulations as well. Those opposite also talk about tax cuts for small businesses, forgetting that about 1.5 million small businesses are sole traders, all of which would have got the $250 worker bonus as well as every other beneficial tax cut for individual workers.

Rather than that, they'll talk about a few niche issues, if anything at all. What we heard was a lot of personal attacks and some kind of amateur pop psychology about relationship dynamics, probably with not a lot of self-awareness tapped into there as well. Small business also relies on a trained workforce, and that's why we're backing free TAFE—to make sure our economy has the skilled workforce it needs to be successful and to ensure that our migration program continues to serve the interests of our economy, rather than having the opposition's migration policy that, sadly, will be like a version of One Nation.

We find that they have put at risk Victoria's economic future. International education is one of the most important industries in my home state. It creates thousands of jobs.

It brings in billions of dollars in revenue. It is something upon which the Victorian economy is very, very reliant. But, just for the sake of a little bit of cheap populism, they decided to put all of that at risk.

What's the point? To be a second-rate version of another populist party? Let One Nation be One Nation.

Perhaps the Liberal Party should try going back to being responsible operators in this body politic, because right now what we're seeing is an attempt at populism that has managed to be unpopular. I can understand why they wag their finger around spending and then oppose every single spending cut. They can't afford to lose any more friends, so of course they have to be very, very careful.

So they won't let the fact that it's rank hypocrisy get in the way of what they're doing. What they'll do is cry, 'You're spending too much. You must cut spending.

Oh, but don't cut it that way. Don't cut it that way either.' They cannot make the tough decisions. At this point in time, tough decisions are necessary.

There is no way you can make the kinds of savings necessary to make sure that demand from the public sector is reduced and to ensure that we're doing everything we can to fight inflation without tough decisions. It does mean that we need to have the mettle to make tough calls, because there is no significant decision where there is no loser. It's hard, it is tough and we have genuine care and sympathy for everyone involved, but it's about taking responsibility.

It is about making decisions that are in the best interests of Australia. It is about assessing alternatives and doing the work necessary to ensure that every cent we spend is spent as fairly, effectively and efficiently as possible. We don't let vibes dictate policy.

We have to get the facts together. We have to consider the legitimate interests of a range of parties and then come to what is the most sensible policy prescription that is possible. Of course, the opposition aren't compelled to do that.

It's all too easy. They have to climb that ladder back up to relevance while hoping that someone will recognise one of their names, so they just have to jump on the crazy train. They have to jump on the outrage train and hope that that might get them some love back.

Then we've got this situation where the Labor Party is left to be the only economically liberal party, the only fiscally responsible party and the only party for small business in this parliament, as well as the only people who still believe in free trade, strengthening our economy and making sure that we set ourselves up for a better tomorrow than yesterday, rather than simply looking upon yesterday with rose coloured glasses and hoping that we can go back.

No. Setting Australia up for a brighter future means making intelligent and sometimes tough decisions in the national interests. It means doing what is right by the country, even if we have to take a political hit.

I noticed during question time that they're always pointing at the backbench and going, 'You're going to pay for this.' The truth is that sometimes we have to make calls while knowing that there is a political price to pay. It is not about us; it is about the Australian people. It is about doing what is right by Australians, even if it does carry a political cost.

I'm incredibly proud to be part of a government that is taking on the challenges needed and setting Australia up for future success.