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

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to a survey report, recently released by the Queensland chamber of commerce, that stated that over two-thirds of businesses believe the carbon tax will negatively impact upon them. It said:

… the Australian business community will face the extraordinary challenge of competing against international businesses with much lower operating costs.

It went on to say that the carbon tax will affect the price of all goods and services and increase costs for all businesses. Will the Prime Minister scrap the world's largest carbon tax, or are expected job losses just more growing pains?

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is the third or fourth day that the opposition has come in and misrepresented what I said in my speech about the economy because they cannot debate the economy. Their days are filled with falsehoods, and we are seeing more of that from the member today in his question.

I say to the member, regarding the impact of carbon pricing on small business, that it is no surprise to me that small businesses are concerned given the nature of the fear campaign that the opposition has run with no facts. We know that opposition members have been out there trying to scare small business, but the one thing that they never say to small businesses when they walk through their doors is that they are committed to taking away $1 billion in tax breaks from small business. They are committed to taking away from 2.7 million small businesses the benefits that come with tax breaks financed by the minerals resource rent tax.

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

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order on relevance. The question was about the carbon tax and anxieties it is creating. I invite you to ask the Prime Minister to be directly relevant to the question that was actually asked.

Peter Slipper (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister knows that she will be directly relevant.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you very much. I was asked about anxiety in small businesses and I am answering what they should be anxious about. Let us be very clear about this: every member of the opposition, if they were being honest, should walk into the milk bar down the road from their electorate office, the local fish and chip shop and the shops of the small retailers in their high street shopping centres and say to them: 'What we believe is that money should come off you, and it should go to some of the most profitable mining companies on earth. What we believe is that the Australians who are more important than you and your families are Gina Rinehart and Clive Palmer. That is what we believe. That is what we voted for in the parliament and that is what we will do if we are ever elected.'

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order.

Peter Slipper (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The honourable member is aware that only one point of order can be taken on relevance.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I fully understand that, Mr Speaker. My point of order is under standing order 91, disorderly conduct. Is it orderly for the Prime Minister to engage in this shrill bluster rather than answer the question?

Peter Slipper (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would say that the member for Sturt is an example of the pot calling the kettle black. The Prime Minister has the call.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Let me be clear: the difference between me and the member for Sturt is that I could walk into any small business in this country and say Labor are providing them with a tax break, while he would have to walk into a small business and say the coalition is ripping it back off them. In terms of small business anxiety, I say to the opposition the following—

Opposition members interjecting—

Peter Slipper (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Prime Minister will be heard in complete silence for the balance of her answer. There are 32 seconds left.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I say to them: stop your fear campaign; stop your idiot interjections; get out there and tell people the truth—that is, you stand for profitable big mining rather than small business.