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

I want to take a few moments to extend my respect and congratulations to all the efforts of the Community Lifestyle Accommodation organisation operating out of my electorate, seeking to collaborate with local councils state and federal governments to provide accessible community based housing for people with profound disabilities. Having access to reasonable accommodation for families caring for a person with profound disabilities should not be like winning lotto. It is too hard. It is too frustrating and it is too difficult to count on the type of accommodation best suited to people with profound disabilities. Parents that are ageing themselves and have given selflessly so much of their lives to care for loved ones deserve our support.

I look at the likes of Paul Lyons, Sandra Smythe and Marie Hell and I thank them for all their efforts. We did think we had identified a parcel of land in Baxter which might be the basis of a funding application to state and federal governments. Alas, the local council has indicated they are not prepared to identify that parcel of land as surplus to their requirements and provide a foundation for that funding proposal. We will keep looking, but my respect goes out to each and every one of them. They are out there having a go.

Someone else having a go is the small business community. We know the Prime Minister has said that the economic modelling that has been used for the carbon tax on macro-economic impacts is wrong. It is out by 15 per cent. How about doing some micro-economic modelling on the impact on small business that is quite fearful of the harm and the hurt the carbon tax will introduce? At least do some modelling. (Time expired)