Craig Emerson (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Finance Minister on Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will deliver an abridged version of my address, understanding that it would be most unwise to seek an extension of time beyond the commencement of the normal adjournment debate because my proposal for such an extension would go down in a screaming heap, opposed by both coalition members and my colleagues here on the government side. So I will do the very best I can in the more limited time that I have.

I observe that the member for Dunkley, the shadow small business minister, has displayed himself as the Inspector Clouseau of Australian politics. He came to the dispatch box with his magnifying glass. He could see all these conspiracies happening around him. He thought if he could dig a little further he might find under all of the detail what we were really up to with the resource super profits tax. In so doing, the member for Dunkley raised to record heights the scare campaign that has been engaged in by the coalition in relation to the resource super profits tax. Let this day be marked as the day that the coalition has said that the kiddies will not be able to get their sand in their play pits as a result of the resource super profits tax. That is what he came in here and said, as a serious point. I notice the shadow minister opposite, the member for Casey, shaking his head. I agree with him. He should shake his head at this stupid scare campaign of the member for Dunkley.

Tony Smith (Casey, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise on a point of order.

Craig Emerson (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Finance Minister on Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is going to be yet another frivolous point of order. They cannot handle the heat, so get out of the kitchen.

Tony Smith (Casey, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker: frivolous and this minister go hand in hand. I am shaking my head at his ridiculous and pathetic waste of time in this House.

Kelvin Thomson (Wills, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The shadow minister will resume his seat. There is no point of order. The shadow minister needs to be aware of the consequences of raising points of order which have no substance.

Craig Emerson (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Finance Minister on Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is the point I was making: the shadow minister’s colleague walked into this chamber and said the kiddies will not be able to get any sand in their sandpits, in their playpits, as a result of the resource super profits tax. He might shake his head again at this one because the shadow minister for small business walked into this chamber and said the kiddies will not get their talcum powder because of the resource super profits tax. This is the absurdity of the scare campaign that has been launched by the coalition in relation to the resource super profits tax.

This is a tax reform package and at no time during the contribution of the shadow small business minister did he mention the small business tax breaks. Did he mention the fact that every one of the 2.4 million small businesses in this country would receive a capacity to write off instantly the value of any eligible asset up to the value of $5,000, which would provide a welcome cash flow boost and an incentive to invest in productive assets? All 2.4 million businesses would get that. That would be a great thing for small businesses; but who is opposing that?

The shadow small business minister and the coalition parties, especially the Liberal Party, say that they are the party of small business. They think and talk back to Sir Robert Menzies talking about the forgotten people and how the newly formed Liberal Party would represent the forgotten people, the shopkeepers and the small business owners of Australia. And what do they do? They cut their throats. They came into this chamber and said that they are going to oppose legislation that would provide a tax break for every one of those 2.4 million small businesses in Australia—that is, sole traders, partnerships and companies.

Bruce Billson (Dunkley, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Small Business, Deregulation, Competition Policy and Sustainable Cities) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Deputy Speaker, on a point of order: I heard from my office a complete untruth from the minister about my remarks. I know he has a habit of being a bit loose with the facts and he is very sensitive about what other people say.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The shadow minister will come to his point or I will sit him down.

Bruce Billson (Dunkley, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Small Business, Deregulation, Competition Policy and Sustainable Cities) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would urge him to withdraw the remarks about the points that were made. It is far more simple for him just to be honest and accurate in reflecting my quotes.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is no point of order. You can only seek a withdrawal at the time the remarks are made. You can make a personal explanation.

Craig Emerson (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Finance Minister on Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If he was committed to the debate he would have stayed in the chamber. He would have stayed in the chamber and the member for Bowman would have been in the chamber when we got onto the bayside. The member for Bonner is here with us today, every day, backing small business and her neighbour, the member for Bowman, cannot even last the distance. He had to go out for a break and then I think he came back in—I am not sure; he was probably at the party pies at the airport—because he cannot stay the distance. He will not stick up for small business.

Tony Smith (Casey, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Deputy Speaker, on a point of order: in terms of the conduct of the debate, even by the minister’s pathetically low standards, this is juvenile. We are talking about the conduct of the debate and your conduct in the chair.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The shadow minister needs to be careful about reflecting on the chair. You do not have a point of order.

Tony Smith (Casey, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Deputy Speaker, I have a point of order.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What is your point of order?

Tony Smith (Casey, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker, is drawing you to relevance and the conduct of the debate.

Craig Emerson (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Finance Minister on Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Deputy Speaker, on this ridiculous point of order—

Tony Smith (Casey, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You don’t have the call.

Craig Emerson (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Finance Minister on Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do now. Sit down!

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The shadow minister has raised as a point of order relevance. I rule that the minister is relevant. I ask him to continue. The shadow minister will resume his seat.

Tony Smith (Casey, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Deputy Speaker, on a separate point of order—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What is your point of order?

Tony Smith (Casey, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister overruling you, Mr Deputy Speaker, when you were ruling on the point of order, telling me to sit down.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have ruled on the point of order. The minister has the call.

Craig Emerson (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Finance Minister on Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will remind the member for Casey that he ought to stick up for the 19,242 small businesses in his electorate, every one of them being denied a small business tax break because the member for Casey and his colleagues intend to vote against a tax break for small businesses. They are the forgotten people all right. The Liberal Party have forgotten the small business people, the shopkeepers and small business owners of this country because they want to deny them a tax break. They do not believe in small business. They voted against the stimulus package, they completely opposed the stimulus package, they are against our tradies, they are against the shopkeepers and they are against all the small businesses in this country.

We had the shadow minister for small business daring me to talk about paid parental leave. I will talk about it because the Leader of the Opposition has come up with a great big new tax on everything you buy—that is, a 1.7 per cent increase in the company tax rate for larger businesses which we passed on to every small business in the country, to the 19,242 small businesses in this country—when the member ought to be sticking up for small business. But he is sticking it up small business because he wants to apply the flow-on from that paid parental leave great big new tax on everything you buy to the 19,242 small businesses in this country. He wants to deny every small business company in his electorate a head-start reduction in the company tax rate. All he wants to do is increase taxes on small business.

They have the temerity to come in here and say, ‘We are supporting small business.’ All you are doing is supporting an increase in taxation on small business. As I said in question time, you ought to be ashamed of yourselves. What happened to the once great Liberal Party that used to stick up for small business and now have abandoned them in their time of need? You are a complete disgrace to this House and a complete disgrace to the traditions of the Liberal Party. It proves yet again that the Rudd Labor government is the best friend that small business has ever had and will be the only friend that small business will ever have if you wantonly abandon the small business community of this country in their hour of need during the global financial recession. Now, when they want a bit of support during the recovery, you are prepared to abandon them yet again. You are a complete disgrace and should be ashamed of yourselves.

Bruce Billson (Dunkley, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Small Business, Deregulation, Competition Policy and Sustainable Cities) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Deputy Speaker, on a point of order: just quickly, there are 15 seconds left for the minister to actually address the MPI! Go for it, Minister; talk about the RSPT’s impact on small businesses—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! I have heard the point of order. Does the minister wish to continue?

Bruce Billson (Dunkley, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Small Business, Deregulation, Competition Policy and Sustainable Cities) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Go on, say something about the issue. Go on!

Craig Emerson (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Finance Minister on Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Dr Emerson interjecting

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, in fact, you do not, Minister! The discussion is concluded.