Portfolio — 28 May 2026

In Question Time on 27 May, Minister for Small Business Anne Aly used a grassroots framing to defend the government's $3.5 billion small-business package, recounting a visit to a fattoush restaurant in Petrie with the local member where she met owner Rod — one of many small-business owners she said she has been meeting across the country to hear their challenges, opportunities and aspirations.

The package, as Aly outlined it in the House, targets cash flow and operating-expense relief through a permanent $20,000 instant asset write-off, a two-year loss carry-back, loss refundability for start-ups, compliance-cost reductions and the removal of 497 nuisance tariffs [TA-260527-house-ef5cc5d1c124:s176]. The minister marshalled extensive industry endorsement in support of the package: the Business Council of Australia backed both the permanent instant asset write-off and the loss carry-back as useful steps for SMEs to invest, grow and create jobs, while Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand praised the write-off for cutting red tape and strengthening economic foundations.

A wide cross-section of peak bodies — including the Housing Industry Association, ACCI, COSBOA, the National Farmers' Federation, Master Electricians, the Finance Industry Association and the Motor Trades Association of Australia — also welcomed the budget measures, with each noting the focus on cash flow and business confidence. The breadth of the endorsement list signals a deliberate messaging strategy: by anchoring industry voices from agriculture, construction, finance and trades, Aly positioned the package as sector-spanning rather than targeted at any single constituency.

Two specific measures — loss carry-back and loss refundability for start-ups — are flagged in the observations as absent from current tagging, suggesting their policy significance in the parliamentary record may warrant closer monitoring as the budget legislative program advances.