Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question because it gives me the opportunity to talk about a range of policies impacting on small business, and in particular our whole budget strategy, which supports jobs and growth and keeps the doors of small business open. If this country were faced with the sort of austerity policies put forward by the shadow minister for finance over there and our shadow Treasurer, the doors of small businesses would be closing right around the country. Of course, as everybody here knows, that was something they were particularly indifferent to at the end of February 2009, when they voted against a whole range of measures to support demand and to support small businesses in our community. We are particularly proud of what we have done in this area and most particularly we are proud of the initiative we have put in place through the instant asset write-off—a $6,500 instant asset write-off for millions of small businesses right around our country. I would urge everybody who is in small business—

See this speech in context