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

They joke about it over here. They have not taken a moment to analyse the impact of the carbon tax on households across Australia—not to mention the impact on the small business community, whom they have loaded up with this burden. It is lead in the saddlebag and an impediment to the prospects of small businesses, preventing them from growing employment and economic opportunities in this country. They are not the slightest bit interested in that. They come in here wanting to talk about a part of the budget that addresses a section of our community that has been frightened by the Labor Party's shrill exaggerations and negativity, by what I think has been a very one-sided critique from Labor. They have not sought to look at the other budget measures aimed at improving and enhancing the security and situation of those the Labor Party is talking about.

If the shadow Treasurer wants to talk about impacts, we should talk about all of the impacts. That is what my answer was about—that is about being honest and frank with people. That is the contrast between this budget and the fiction and fudged numbers we saw with Labor's budgets. They promised these rivers of revenue, not realising that the nominal growth rate was not inextricably linked to a growth in company tax.

I remember, as we travelled around Western Australia, hearing from small businesses about how difficult the economy was under Labor, about how many them were trading in a profitless environment. All they had to do was show an interest in what was going on in the economy and Labor, when in government, would have known their budget was fiction. They would have known simply by listening to people who have a lot of skin in the game—people with mortgaged houses and people who spend every waking moment thinking about their enterprise.

This budget is truthful, it is dependable, the figures are robust, and the growth trajectories and some of the key assumptions have—unlike anything Labor has done—been consistent through two economic statements in a row. This is the difference between this budget and the ones that Labor introduced. The numbers are dependable and reliable. What the shadow Treasurer did not want to talk about was important measures to support those who are on income support, measures to optimise their future opportunities, measures aimed at helping them get back into work and improve their own circumstances. These include incentives such as the Restart program, fabulously important for unemployed people over the age of 50.

Mr Bowen interjecting—

He is heckling again. He thinks politics is a footy game and that it helps if you heckle loudly. But it does not strengthen your arguments. You can keep doing it, but it does not strengthen your arguments.

Coming back to those mature age job seekers who have been out of work for some time, there is a $10,000 incentive through the Restart program. It says to employers, particularly small business employers, 'If you are thinking about recruiting one more person, recognise the experience, the wisdom, the workplace know-how and the capacity of mature age people.' Here is an incentive for those mature age people to get back into the economy, to be able to make an economic contribution if they are in a position to do so. There are a range of very positive measures in this budget. I commend those measures. What I am hearing as I travel around Australia is that people are hungry for the facts. When you give them the facts that are in the budget, they recognise the need for action. They understand that we are all making a contribution and they are encouraging us to continue to think about the future and prepare for it.

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