Gai Brodtmann (Canberra, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

have a chat with your mates and then head off. Actually have a conversation with the businessperson or the person who is serving you the curry at the Jewel of India, the Peking duck at Wild Duck or the sandwich when you arrive here on Sunday afternoon.

Mr Ewen Jones interjecting—

Just have a conversation with those people, the people who are serving you and the people who own those businesses. You will hear from them that they have been doing it very tough since this government was elected. Either their profits and their business have plateaued or they have lost between 20 and 30 per cent of their business as a result of 8,500 public servants being lost.

Mr Ewen Jones interjecting—

Mr Tudge interjecting—

This is a huge impact on Canberra, on the capital region and on consumer and business confidence. Canberrans, knowing what coalition governments do to Canberra and to the Public Service when they get in, just shut their wallets or purses and stop spending. You have had a hugely negative impact on my electorate. The people of Canberra are not happy about this, and you just need to go and speak to small business owners when you are wandering around ordering your dinners or your sandwiches. Have a conversation with those people.

I have had plenty of conversations with people through my business walkarounds. I used to have my own small business before I came into this life. I know what it is like to deal with the challenges of a small business. I know the risks that you need to take and I know the challenges. I know from my conversations in business walkarounds in Fyshwick—and I just remind the Prime Minister that Fyshwick is not in the electorate of Eden-Monaro—in Woden and in Tuggeranong that they are all doing it incredibly tough as a result of what this government has done to this town and to the Public Service—the people that serve Australia's democracy and this government and prepare the government's briefs and policies. You have complete contempt for Canberra, for the Public Service and, through that, for the small businesses and micro businesses that serve this town, this community and this region.

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