Bruce Billson (Dunkley, Liberal Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Hansard source

I want to thank the member for Page, not only for his question but for the outstanding work he does as an advocate for small businesses, family enterprises and farming businesses throughout his electorate. It is great that they have such a strong advocate here.

We are getting on with the job of creating the right environment, so that businesses in Page and right across Australia can grow and prosper. That is why we keep bringing forward opportunities to cut the red tape that is strangling so many enterprises in this economy. That is why we are seeking to have this parliament support the government's measure to save business $44 million by removing the compulsory pay-clerk burden that is imposed on them under the former government's Paid Parental Leave scheme. That is $44 million of savings for businesses, and for those interested in the not-for-profit community it is a $4 million dollar saving for them as well.

Not only do we, and the electorate, think that is a good idea, but ACCI surveyed its members and found 84.3 per cent of those businesses either agreed or strongly agreed that the government should not be requiring employers to be the paymaster for the Paid Parental Leave scheme. I would hope that message is getting through to those opposite. We have tried before to get this burden lifted. There has been no credible policy argument about why this cost and compliance imposition need be there. Yet, Labor has rejected those efforts on every occasion. Now we have seen all the state chambers of commerce come out and tell them to get behind what the government is doing. There is a chorus of support across the small business community.

But what will Labor actually do? Like small business people, I am perpetually optimistic. I am hoping that with 'repeal day' Labor will now come and join with the small businesses in Page and in the wider community to repeal this burden. There is some cause for optimism. Earlier today the Leader of the Opposition said, 'We are committed, in a bipartisan spirit, to the organised and ongoing effort to minimise and simplify, and create cost effective regulation.' Well, I heard the words, but I am particularly unconvinced, and we must see what actually happens.

Small businesses know that there is a cost to compliance. They know that compliance tasks are not cheap, but will the Leader of the Opposition's words be cheap? We are not sure. The form is not good and it is not encouraging. It was as far back as 2008 that a former small business minister—and yes, there were six of them under Labor—Craig Emerson came out and said Labor was, 'promising to take a giant pair of scissors to red tape that is strangling small business'. He went on to say, 'it has accumulated around the necks of small business for the best part of 20 years'. Well, what did they do? They added 21,000 new or amended regulations. You have seen us fall down the ladder of the government's regulatory impact on business. Let us see if Labor walks the talk. Back this red tape reduction, and then, next, help us repeal the carbon tax. That would be great for the businesses in Page.

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