Joanne Ryan (Lalor, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise, as have previous speakers, to speak on the Tax Laws Amendment (Small Business Measures No. 1) Bill 2015 and the Tax Laws Amendment (Small Business Measures No. 2) Bill 2015. And, like my colleagues, I stand to say that I support both of these bills, as Labor supports these bills. Of course we support the 1.5 per cent company tax cut for small business and the $20,000 accelerated depreciation for small business and primary producers, and we have been absolutely clear about this. As the Leader of the Opposition, Bill Shorten, said this morning, we were not going to delay for a minute on this bill. And Bill Shorten made clear in his budget reply speech that we support this bill. But what a farce we have had in the past week: member after member on the opposite side calling for us to get out of the way and get this done immediately. Then this morning when we tried to immediately pass this bill, at the first opportunity the government blocked Labor and voted against its urgent consideration.

I came down for the division after listening to approps last night and this morning in the Federation Chamber. Member after member from the benches opposite was exhorting Labor. They all had a piece in their approps speech exhorting Labor to get out of the way, to let this go through immediately, without delay—member after member after member. And what did I come down for a division for? I was shocked to find that we were dividing on our move to get this bill out of the way, right away, at the first opportunity. And I was shocked because I had heard Tony Abbott, the Prime Minister, in question time saying, 'I say to the Leader of the Opposition, let us not let politics get in the way of economics, let us not let self-interest get in the way of national interest'—puffing himself up, getting to his last line—'Let us pass this bill straightaway.' He was leaning across the dispatch box, looking into the eyes of the Leader of the Opposition as though there was a problem on our side of the House with this bill. Then the member for small business—I mean the Minister for Small Business; I always get it confused, whether he is a member for small business or the Minister for Small Business—

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