Phillip Thompson (Herbert, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

I'm actually quite glad that the Minister for Defence Industry is here, because many SMEs in the minister's portfolio have had to close their doors. Many in the minister's portfolio have had to close up and let people go. We have in this country a very strong defence industry, but, with the inaction of certain ministers, like the one at the dispatch box, we've seen SMEs close up for good. We have seen SMEs around the country have to let people go. Only the primes can continue to tread water from the inaction of the Minister for Defence Industry. But the small businesses, the ones that want to break into the defence sector, can't. They can't continue to watch the minister flounder around, not be confident in his portfolio, not make decisions, and cut projects like the infantry fighting vehicle from 400 to 129. Those small businesses that are there ready to work with the primes and Defence now can't. We see it throughout the country. We see in Townsville. Even last night, at a defence industry dinner that I was at in Sydney, there was continual conversation around inaction in defence. So it is encouraging to see the minister sitting here. I hope he's taking notes to know that the small businesses in his portfolio want action. They don't want to see the minister continue to drop the footy here.

This is a very unique time for this House. For the second time, these amendments have come back. We want small businesses to have the instant asset write-off that they have been asking for, that they want, to have it ongoing—

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