Josh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is my pleasure to rise to support my colleague and friend the member for Dunkley on his important motion before the House today about the national business names register, which was established in May 2012. We would like to express our concerns, not about this idea of a national business names register—because it is a good idea, and it had its genesis in the Howard government—but about the botched implementation that has occurred on this Labor government's watch. During the register's short life, we have seen the privacy of many small business owners jeopardised through their residence being known. We have seen huge delays and waiting times as people have rung the ASIC hotline trying to get through to renew, transfer or pay for their business name.

This has moved what was formerly a state and territory based system to a national system. But I have had constituents call my office and detail the problems that they have had with this national business register. The member for Dunkley, who has been extremely energetic, passionate, and knowledgeable in his portfolio, told those opposite more than 10 months ago about the existing problems, but little was done. Millions of dollars were thrown at this national business names register—$120 million in the initial budget. And because of the loud outcry from small business, another $7.8 million has been allocated. But the money is not enough, because what we have seen from this government is its botched implementation. We have seen the pink batts fiasco and we have seen the school halls fiasco. We know you cannot protect our borders, and it is little wonder you cannot run a national business names register.

Small business is absolutely critical in our community. There are 2.7 million small businesses, employing more than four million people. In fact, 96 per cent of businesses in this country are small businesses, 47 per cent of those working in the private sector are working in small businesses, and 35 per cent of the country's GDP comes from small businesses. But you have taken small business in this country for granted. The fact that you have had five ministers responsible for small business in 15 months says it all.

You have introduced more than 20,000 new regulations. You have introduced economy-wide taxes like the carbon tax, which comes right off the bottom line of small businesses, as well as a host of other bits of red tape. In fact, the red tape is crippling the small-business sector. We have seen more than 240,000 jobs being lost from small business, again on Labor's watch, and we have seen a 95 per cent decrease in the amount of small business start-ups in this country. There are 130,000 independent contractors who are no longer there because of this government's poor record on small business.

Millions of people across this country have said, 'Enough is enough'. They want more certainty. They want people to run the government who care and who understand small business. Given the fact that there are so few members opposite who have actually run a small business themselves, it is little wonder that this government have been so unable to conduct themselves properly in the small business area.

What will we do if we are given a chance at government? The first thing is that the member for Dunkley, who will be the Minister for Small Business, will sit in cabinet. He will have a seat at the cabinet table. Small business will be in Treasury. We will introduce a fair dinkum Paid Parental Leave scheme which will be of great assistance to small business. Of course we will get rid of the carbon tax which, as I said, comes off the bottom line of small business. We will introduce changes that will see more than $1 billion in red tape removed. What a great burden that red tape has been on small businesses right across the country. We will ensure that the government pays small business on time, and there will be a penalty if it does not. We will extend the unfair contract provisions to small business. And perhaps very significantly, we will conduct a root and branch review of competition laws as well to ensure that small business gets fair dinkum go.

This motion before the House is extremely important because in setting up a national business names register we wanted to help small business. But this Labor Party has done everything to botch its implementation and therefore to hinder small business. Under the coalition we will do so much better for the small businesses of Australia. (Time expired)

See this speech in context