Bruce Billson (Dunkley, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Small Business, Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

We had today an arrangement that had recognised clear deficiencies in these right-of-entry and joy-ride provisions—something even the government recognised—but then at the eleventh hour the provisions are back on the table. What happened? Was it the fully owned subsidiary of the union movement, being the Gillard Labor government, not having done enough to pay their dues to their sponsors? Is that what happened? It is not clear, because we have had no explanation.

Bear a thought for the small businesses of Australia. It is bad enough that this government broke its promise not to disclose the addresses of home based businesses when it came to the Australian business name register. The small business community did not want their privacy breached by this national scheme that ignored the protections that were in the state based schemes, where home based businesses could provide another address as a point of contact and not have to tell the whole world where their home is. That promise was broken, and that broken promise on disclosure of people's home addresses for home based businesses is now matched by another one.

You can imagine a union fronting up to someone's home based business, where there might be one or two people in there, and banging on the door—because of the broken promise about not having that privacy matter disclosed—and saying: 'I want to use your lunch room. Hang on; it's your home. I want to take over your dining room. I want to go into the family area. I want to go into the house.' Why? Because these laws have not been thought through.

The only construct of economic contribution Labor understand is that of big organisations and big unions with big workforces where there are dozens of people who look after these tricky amendments and changes that this government is inflicting on people. Labor do not understand the nature of small business. Imagine if you were a corner store selling pies or something like that and someone came in wanting to talk to your staff—someone wanted to barge their way through the store area into what would be the family room of your home, if that business were attached to a home in a residential area.

There has been no thought given to how these measures—which were supposed to be off the table last night but are now back on the table—will be yet another affront to the small business men and women of Australia. They have been let down time and time again. Their privacy has been breached. That was a broken promise. The Prime Minister provided all of these assurances and even said, 'I will bet my house on it.' Minister, small business men and women bet their house on their business every day and, if they are operating from home, they do not need someone coming in and demanding entry under your laws and then taking over their dining room. Why? Because not all workplaces are big unionised shops like you seem to think. There is a vast number—millions of people—contributing to the economy and the wellbeing of this nation who do not fit this construct that you have.

The small business men and women of Australia have had a gutful of Labor, who have done nothing for them. Employment in that sector has gone down. The number of small businesses willing to employ is not even where it was back when this government was elected. We are seeing small business formation halved. Why? Because time and time again this Labor government has been completely insensitive and indifferent to the real-life challenges that small businesses face. Minister, this is an invitation for home based businesses to have their door knocked on—because you breached their privacy, in another broken promise—and to have someone demand access to their place. There is no lunch room; it is their lounge room; it is their dining room. It is their personal home. It is where their kids are.

This is why you have not thought this through. This is why we thought you had actually been sensible in your assurance to the coalition that you would carve out these provisions. But something has happened. You got a knock on the door and someone said, 'Oh, Bill, Bill, as part of a labour movement, you are a fully owned subsidiary of the unions that are demanding this be put back in,' with no interest in its impact on the small business men and women who are creating opportunities across this continent. You have no idea about the pressures they face. These provisions should be carved out because you have not thought them through. These provisions are offensive. They are an affront to small business men and women. We say to all those tens of thousands of small business men and women who operate from their homes to create wealth and opportunity: you cannot count on Labor—they have never done anything for you—but you can count on the coalition, because we respect what you do, we recognise your contribution and we value the risk that you take, and you do not need a union person coming in and taking over your dining room as well.

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