Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

It is always really pleasing to see the member for Hindmarsh have a great time in this House, because he will not be here for long. If the people of Hindmarsh want someone who actually cares about jobs and small business, we have got just the guy. What is his name? Steve Georganas. He is coming after you! It is good to see the member for Hindmarsh laughing, because he will not be here long. You are here for a good time, not for a long time, Member for Hindmarsh.

It is great, as always, to follow the great member for Charlton. One of your colleagues, the new Speaker, did me a great favour today—the great privilege of mixing me up with the member for Charlton! He said that we looked alike. We have since agreed that he can be Arnold Schwarzenegger and I can be Danny DeVito when it comes to the Twins! It is a real privilege to be mixed up with the member for Charlton.

But, more seriously, the member for Charlton knows what he is talking about when it comes to jobs in our community and, indeed, right around our country. He makes a lot of sense when it comes to jobs. He was right to point out that, for the first time in more than 20 years, there are more than 800,000 people unemployed in our country, which the Assistant Treasurer thinks is funny. But 800,000 people unemployed for the first time since 1994 is no joke whatsoever. The unemployment rate is higher today than it was during the global financial crisis. As far as I am concerned, instead of laughing, those opposite should hang their heads in shame. The reason I am so pleased to support this motion on small business is that small business is the hope of the side when it comes to creating jobs in our community.

As I told the assembled crowd at the Logan Chamber of Commerce Business Awards a couple of weeks ago we salute and we cherish small business for one reason above all others and that is that they create jobs in our communities. In my community and the communities of the member for Charlton and the member for Bendigo, small business is doing a great job: creating jobs. At the awards night, I had the pleasure of sponsoring the Emerging Business Award, which was won by the M1 Business Centre. I want to take this opportunity to, again, congratulate Alicia, Tanayha and Brooke. Two of them were there to accept the award.

I sponsored the Emerging Business Award because it takes guts to go out and set up a small business, to take the risks. There are of course rewards but there are many risks with setting up a small business. The rewards are shared broadly when it comes to creating jobs, as I said, but they also create prosperity and more innovation. All of these things that, I think, both sides of the House can agree on are important.

Unlike the member for Hughes—who also happens to be the Deputy Speakernow—

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