Eric Hutchinson (Lyons, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Small Business, and I thank him for the opportunity today. Particularly, I would like him to explore the savings that this government has made around red tape reduction. I stand on the education and employment committee. We are holding an inquiry at the moment, and we had a presentation the other day from the peak body representing new migrants to Australia. I was reflecting after the committee hearing about the wonderful story that is migrants who came to this country after the Second World War, the businesses they started and the opportunities they had. I think particularly of a takeaway shop in Brighton in my own electorate. There is a Greek lady there. With respect to her, I struggle to understand her, but I am damn sure she still has the first dollar she ever made. She has employed people over the journey. But I wonder whether or not as a country we have strangled ourselves to death with red tape and whether those new Australians that come here and are looking to make lives for themselves are impeded by the red tape that we put on there and the impediments that we have to starting small businesses.

The other question I have relates to agriculture. While I know it is not the minister's primary responsibility, many of the businesses in my electorate are small businesses that are farming businesses as well. I thank him for the visit many years ago to the Mitre 10 True Value Hardware store, a rural suppliers business in Westbury, which trades as Westbury Rural Services. It is a member of the Australian Independent Rural Retailers association and a family owned business. I ask the minister about his recollection of that visit there and any reflections about the opportunities for farmers and businesses such as that, particularly around irrigation infrastructure, within this year's budget.

See this speech in context