Ross Vasta (Bonner, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Some years ago, I started and ran a small Italian restaurant in Carina called Ellios. While it was a labour of love, I understand the frustration, anxiety and instability of managing a small business. Not only satisfying customers but tracking finances, understanding the law and taking care of employees is no easy task. While it's easy for some politicians to welcome rising costs when someone else is paying for it, we actually need to support entrepreneurs and innovators to increase competition and drive down costs. Small to medium enterprises make up 98 per cent of all Australian business, employing 70 per cent of the workforce and creating $500 billion in economic activity. Given they generate one-third of our GDP, we can't deny the substantial economic contributions of many mums, dads, students and other self-starters who are brave enough to leap into business.

I was recently able to support the Best Small Business Newcomer award at the Bayside Community Awards. These awards are a celebration of great businesses, organisations and individuals delivering excellence in customer service in the Bayside community of Brisbane. With 380 people in attendance at the Wynnum Manly Leagues Club, I want to thank the Bayside Community Fund team for their efforts in bringing the event to life. Although I was in Canberra on the night, the range and quality of nominations across all categories was unreal. Congratulations to all those nominated, especially to the Tasty Pocket on securing the win. Earlier this year, Eliza and Justin took their Greek fusion food truck to the next level, and opened a restaurant right near my office.

Only a coalition government will fight for people like Justin and Eliza, who are running a successful enterprise, contributing to our national economy and our local community. We've always been the party of less red tape and simpler, fairer taxes. While insolvencies are at record highs, with more than 11,000 companies faltering in the last financial year, I urge owners and customers alike to ask: who is going to remove the complexity and hostility of Labor's industrial relations agenda, which is putting unreasonable burdens on businesses?

We need a coalition government with a plan to rein in inflationary spending, a plan to extend the value of the instant asset write-off to $30,000 and a plan to remove red tape by restoring the pre-existing definition of a 'casual worker'. That's right—we will bring certainty to our small businesses with policies that promote productivity and innovation.

See this speech in context