Julia Banks (Chisholm, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

To be fair to those on the other side, very few of them, including the Leader of the Opposition, have actually worked in business. Most are trade union professionals or political hacks who really have not worked in business. They have not had a real job. They have not really employed people themselves. They have not been enterprising and developed businesses which underpin the growth of Australia. The simply do not understand why the tax plan is good for all business and all Australians. Moreover, they really do not respect the intelligence of Australian people in their pure misrepresentations and falsehoods that these company tax cuts are a handout for big business.

For businesses large or small—and to put it in simple terms for the benefit of those on the other side—I say this: during my entire working life before I came to this place, I worked in both small and large businesses. I worked largely in manufacturing business that make products which we buy from our supermarket shelves every day. These businesses employ and continue to employ thousands of Australians around the country—be that in retail shops, in the factories, in the head offices or out in the field in sales. Moreover, across Chisholm are thousands and thousands of people who get up every day to work in small businesses—be that to open their shops, cook food in their restaurants and cafes or sell consumer products to their customers. Those on the other side do not seem to understand that businesses employ thousands and thousands of Australians. The vast majority of Australians work in the private sector—unlike those on the other side—for companies large or small, or their own business. Every day, Australians all over the country get up in the morning to go to work—be that working on the production line, travelling in a car as a sales rep, sometimes very large distances because of the sheer size of this great land, working in administrative areas or as middle managers, junior managers and senior managers, or to work in their small businesses. They all understand that when companies sit down to map out their plan and consider whether they are going to continue to operate in this country, open a new factory or create new products, if it is cheaper to operate somewhere, what do they do?

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