Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to the Treasurer's claim on 17 February that the Intergenerational report is independent analysis. Why is the government claiming that the Intergenerational report is independent when it is actually one last, desperate attempt to sell your unfair budget?

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was a little worried for the member for McMahon. We have released a major Treasury document, we are three quarters of the way through question time and he has been in witness protection. So the Prime Minister has asked me to take this question to give him the answer. This document is prepared under the very same legislation that the member for Lilley prepared the Intergenerational report five years ago. He is still here. I would urge the member for McMahon to get onto his feet and walk over and counsel the well-tanned member for Lilly, seek his counsel. He looks very relaxed. We remember the last one: more air than the Hindenburg, the last IGR. But this time around, we have worked with the Public Service to deliver a document. If there is any part of this document that the member for McMahon wants to dispute, then please stand up and dispute the facts, challenge the facts. We are prepared to engage in that discussion—

Mr Dreyfus interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Isaacs will desist.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Isaacs just proves there always has to be more than one clown in a circus. I would say to you: we are always prepared to engage in sensible conversation. We want to. But the suggestion that this is prepared in any way other than the way it has been done by Treasurer Costello or Treasurer Swan—in fact, this is more independent than Treasurer Swan's because we are not running some—

Mr Swan interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Lilley!

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How is that a surplus going, Swanny?

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Treasurer will resume his seat. The member for Lilley will withdraw. The member for Lilley knows perfectly well he is using parliamentary language and has been asked to leave the chamber on more than one occasion for similar offences. So I would simply ask him to withdraw.

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am not withdrawing.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In that case, you may have an early mark and leave under 94(a).

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It simply proves what I have been saying. We want to have a sensible, mature debate about where Australia is heading. We want to use all the information available to be part of that debate. We think—

Opposition members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There will be silence on my left!

Mr Giles interjecting—

The member for Scullin is not in his seat and may not speak at all.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Australians deserve the opportunity to participate in a constructive conversation about how we can have a decent quality of life into the future. Most importantly, we want to make sure that the generations that follow us in this great country have the very best future they could possibly have. If we contribute now, we can make sure that tomorrow is even better.

Matt Williams (Hindmarsh, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Small Business. Can the minister outline to the House the steps that government is taking to grow the economy and also boost productivity to help small businesses into the future?

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Bruce Billson (Dunkley, Liberal Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you to the members opposite for their encouragement! I thank the member for Hindmarsh for his question and also the excellent input he is providing to our government's small business and jobs package. The great promise of our country is that subsequent generations will have it better than those who were here before them. That is what the Intergenerational report maps out. It talks about the great achievements of this country and the men and women who have built a great nation and seen improvements in living standards and income over decades. It also makes the very simple and clear point that by taking sensible steps today we can care for and prepare for our future. We can underwrite our living standards and we can make sure that the great promise of our country is delivered to those who follow an our footsteps. It highlights why getting the budget on a sustainable footing is important and that we need to boost our productivity and we need to lift workforce participation.

Exhilarating our productivity is going to be a big ask, given the ageing of our population and the dynamism in our economy. We are ready for it, our nation is up for it and this government is putting in place the very policies that are needed to support that. Small business is the engine room of our economy. There will be small business men and women across our continent who will play a key role in boosting productivity, supporting participation and raising living standards into the future. Yes, there will be demographic changes. There will be changes and transitions in our economy. There is the digitisation of our economy and the way that we live. There are new markets and hundreds of millions of new customers. All of that is very exciting and challenging at the same time. What can we do as a parliament and as a government? We can put the right settings in place so that we can take those opportunities, make them our own and raise our living standards and our quality of life into the future.

This is a very substantial report that confirms much of what the government is doing. In the report, it says that many things influence our productivity, such as the type and extent of regulation. This is why we have been working so hard to remove red tape. It speaks about the levels of competition. That is why we have got a once-in-a-generation reform and review of the competition laws, headed by Professor Harper. It is about incentives for businesses to operate efficiency.

We are doing the very work that responds to the prescription needed to prepare today for the opportunities and quality of life into the future. I think the Australian men and women of small business are ready for this challenge, but they need this parliament to get behind their efforts and their enterprise. I know that on this side of the House we are doing all we can to energise enterprise. I hope those opposite see that this is a call to them: if they cannot contribute to that effort, at least get out of the road so that we can get on with it.