QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Senator RUSTON (South Australia—Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) (15:08): My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. First, small businesses had to deal with out-of-control inflation, and then they had to deal with increasing electricity bills, when you told them they would cost less. Now, the Labor government has decided to continue its war on small business, introducing a small-business tax on trusts that could cost small and family businesses over $10 billion in restructuring fees.

Would you agree with one of your own colleagues, who said, 'Small business is doing it very tough, and we aren't doing enough for them'?