Cameron Caldwell (Fadden, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Today we face a critical debate on a pressing issue that affects us all: the state of Australian small business. I rise today to emphasise the urgent need for acknowledgement and action on the motion that's been proposed by the member for Casey, which highlights the dire situation small businesses are grappling with. Small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy, and in Fadden we know this all too well. Our local businesses, whether the corner cafe that serves as a gathering place for our community, the family-owned store that's been a staple for generations or the small, vibrant boutique that adds character to our streets, are all crucial to our economy and to our way of life. Yet under the Albanese Labor government they are now at a breaking point, struggling under the weight of policies and red tape that seem to disregard the contribution that these businesses make to our communities.

Recent data paints a troubling picture. In the last financial year alone, Australia has seen an unprecedented number of business insolvencies. In Queensland alone, 2,036 businesses have succumbed to financial ruin. This is not just a statistic; it's a reflection of countless individual dreams and livelihoods that have been shattered. The Albanese Labor government has overseen the highest number of business failures on record, surpassing even the troubling figures from 2011 and 2012. This is a record that didn't need to be broken.

It's not a reflection of the resilience of the Australian small businesses; let's not forget they recently weathered the storm of a once-in-a-century pandemic with grit and determination, showing their ability to adapt and overcome adversity. During that pandemic, we saw a strong coalition government that supported businesses through what was an extremely difficult time. But fast forward to today and Labor have once again shown their true colours, with small businesses being left out to dry, struggling to survive under the weight of higher energy bills, complex and impractical industrial relations laws and spiralling inflation.

In my electorate on the Gold Coast, we have witnessed firsthand the impact of these policy failures. Local businesses are closing their doors, and with them go the vibrancy and character that define our community. Sadly, many of our favourite local businesses have closed. It's clear that the current government's approach is not working. Small business are asking for support, for understanding and for policies that truly address their needs. We need a government that not only acknowledges the problem but acts decisively to deliver on it.

Our small businesses deserve better. They deserve better support, better policies and better government that prioritises their survival and their growth. Today's motion is a call to recognise the struggles of our small businesses and to demand a change. I recently spoke to a local businessman and said to him, 'What is it that's causing this problem at the moment that all of these small businesses are suffering?' He said it was like wave after wave of pressure that was coming. It's the power prices. It's the industrial relations laws. It's the higher prices they have to pay to their suppliers.

We've recently heard of the increased risk to doing businesses, business to business, because other businesses are suffering and struggling to pay suppliers' bills. This puts an enormous amount of pressure on many small businesses. Time for payments is blowing out. Payments are just not being made at all. These are the risks that people in small businesses take on. They take them on for the reward of running their own business and having their own timetable, but they shouldn't have to suffer at the hands of this Labor government's approach to how to kill a small business.

For the sake of small and family businesses across our nation, I urge the government to offer the support to our small businesses that they so desperately need.

See this speech in context