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

What a great example of what we are trying to achieve through this budget. We are about energising enterprise—that is what we are about. We know that personal endeavour and private enterprise paved the way for this country's greatness. It created living standards that are the envy of the world, and that is what we need to re-engage with and provide the right entrepreneurial ecosystem. So a big shout out to Pino Salerno on Henley Marine Drive. What a great story: there was an economic asset sitting floundering in the electorate of Reid and, with the energy and the perspicacity of the local member, he knew what was needed to turn that capacity into real action.

Mr Ripoll interjecting—

It is the story of what the government is trying to achieve—yes, it is a world of delicious opportunities; I thank the member for Oxley for the goodwill and the fact that he is getting on the energise enterprise Kool-Aid. It is fantastic to see you embracing the positivity that percolates through this side of the parliament. For the government and the coalition members not only does positivity and optimism percolate through us, look at this team: a veritable boy band of private enterprise and entrepreneurship where private endeavour, small business and family enterprise runs through their veins. How could we not appreciate and embrace this story that is so much a part of so many of the Liberal and National party members?

These are our stories. They are stories of Pino and others like Pino who just want the opportunity to seize economic potential and turn it into investment—into jobs. That is the story of how you grow economies. It is also the story of why small business policy is now at the heart of the Treasury portfolio. There was some conversation earlier about government's role. The introduction of the member of Reid shows his great insight. It is not enough just to sit back and look at the macro numbers. You need to dig a bit deeper. What is it that takes a person with a sparkle in their eye, fire in their belly and an idea that they think might create economic opportunities for themselves and others to go and follow through? That is what we need to do: get those conditions right. I commend the work of Treasury and its officials, who have really stepped up to involve themselves in that real-life decision-making process. What does it take for a person to go and mortgage their house to have a go to create a business, to grow a business, to provide for a livelihood for themselves and others? That is what we need to understand. That is what good policy is all about. That is why this budget package has so hit the right spot—because we have done the work, engaging with small business men and women and with family and farming enterprises for years.

There is not a revolving door of spokespeople as we saw under Labor, when we saw six ministers in six years—five in 15 months. You could not even pick who it was. I will not embarrass the Labor minister at the time but I was having a conversation with one of them and they could not even remember who their minister was. I said, 'Just wait for a little while and everyone'll get a chance.' Everyone was going to get a chance.

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