Bernie Ripoll (Oxley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader for Small Business) Share this | Hansard source

What we did was to specifically focus on all the things that are good in the things that you can focus on. Tasmania has lots of great opportunity, including a state government that has directly stumped up to create jobs. Let me talk about job creation, because this is how you create jobs. Right now, there are 2,250 small businesses that will benefit directly from changes to the payroll tax exemption threshold announced in the Tasmanian state budget. From 1 July this year, the threshold at which the payroll tax kicks in will be raised from $1 million to $1.25 million. This will directly support 2,250 businesses. It is estimated that this will add an additional 1,400 jobs. That is how you create jobs. You reduce the payroll tax. You do positive things.

An honourable member interjecting—

Unless, of course, the LNP, the coalition government, are opposed to job creation and opposed to payroll tax reduction? This mob are—and this is where I started—confused. They are just confused. They do not know whether they are Arthur or Martha, whether they are coming or going. They are confused as to whether they are now actually the government or still in opposition, just tearing things down.

You criticise everything. You make the world sound a lot worse than it is. And it worked very well. I will give you credit. You are the masters of doing a great job of throwing rocks, tearing down, blowing the place up. You did a really good job of it. I commend you for tearing down the economy, because no-one did it better than the opposition, now the government! The Liberal and National parties were absolute experts.

But now you have a new job. The government's job now is to support the economy, support the states, support job creation. Get on with the job of being in government. Get on with supporting all the great things about Tasmania. Support the state government in Tasmania, which has done some very good things in job creation and in bringing down average unemployment rates through these changes to payroll tax.

There is one thing I know from small business: no matter where I go, in whichever state, Tasmania included, if I am talking to them, they say, 'One of the biggest things you could do is reduce payroll tax.' And that is what a Labor government has done. That is what we have done. And then I heard before that one of the government members wanted to talk about renewable energy. Well, hello, which century were you born in? Renewable energy is something that the Labor Party supports, helps create and fund—actually do something—because we understand that the future of this country is actually in renewables, clean energy. That is why I said—

Honourable members interjecting—

I will finish, Mr Deputy Speaker. Through all the cacophony on the other side, I will finish on a positive note. I love the state of Tasmania, and I will not be talking it down; I will be talking it up.

Debate adjourned.

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