Mal Brough (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the energetic Minister for Small Business. Will the minister update the House on how the budget will support small businesses to prosper and to create jobs across the Sunshine Coast and particularly in my electorate of Fisher?

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

I want to thank the member for Fisher. He has served our nation with great distinction, as a soldier and in the parliament and as a cabinet minister. It is great to get a question from him. Twelve and a half thousand small businesses in the Fisher electorate are really thrilled by the news of this small businesses and jobs package that was announced in this budget. There is $5½ billion of encouragement, respect, incentive and recognition—the largest package of its kind in our nation's history that will energise enterprise in the electorate of Fisher.

In travelling through the electorate with the member, people shared with us stories of the difficult times under Labor—how too many of those 519,000 jobs lost under Labor were on the Sunshine Coast and what an impact it had on people's livelihoods and opportunities. The good news is things are changing. We are getting behind those enterprising men and women, and no clearer statement of that support can be found than the largest package for small business announced in this budget. The opportunity to have the lowest company tax rate in almost half a century is something small businesses have welcomed. The immediate tax deductibility for business related asset purchases up to $20,000 has been extremely well received. There are the measures that we have put in place to make sure that the unincorporated small businesses are not forgotten. Who could forget the enthusiastic advocacy of the Minister for Agriculture to make a good case, supported by consultation, to bring forward the improved accelerated asset write-off arrangements for our rural community. It is a great package and the support has been wide and has been loud.

I have just come from a briefing from the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. They said how encouraging this federal government's actions are in acknowledging that small businesses are the engine room of the economy. They went on to point out how the instant asset write-off measure will help businesses grow and make capital purchases. There is some other good news. Labor has finally settled on a position. To their credit, they have put out an announcement saying that they will back the small business package, and that legislation is in this parliament. You could understand accountants being a little hesitant. They heard the Leader of the Opposition's intemperate remark about the asset write-off being 'a giveaway to start a fire sale at a second-hand car yard and Harvey Norman'. That is what they said. They had heard the member for Oxley bagging the idea of a company tax cut, giving a two-tier rate, advantaging small business. They heard all that and they were confused. So, despite all that politicking, the flip-floppery, the blah blah from Labor, we have finally got a clear statement. The legislation is in this place. Let's get it through this place in a hurry and let's see if Labor is true to its word. It is not about the backswing; it is all about the follow-through. Let's follow through and get these measures enacted.

Michelle Landry (Capricornia, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Agriculture. Will the minister update the House on the government's budget measures in response to the drought? How have they and other budget measures been received in rural and regional Australia?

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for her question. In the seat of Capricornia, she more than most knows the problems that come about through hardship. I commend the member for Capricornia on the work that she did during the cyclones and the compassion she showed for the people in her area, along with so many up there, including the member for Flynn, the member for Dawson and the member for Hinkler. There is so much that we are doing to assist people with drought. We are very alive to this issue. We have been since we have been here. We are aware that, in Queensland, about 80 per cent of the state is in drought.

It is on the back of that that we came forward with a package to deal with the epicentre of the drought. We have 20 shires that will be receiving $35 million as part of a stimulus package directed to those shires. As well as that we have $25.8 million to assist with pest management, predominantly wild dogs, and this is a real problem in those areas, so that we can get the place populated again with sheep. That is a big employer. Especially people who might have been associated with the AWU would think that would be a good idea, to try and support their members—and their members are supporting other people nowadays.

Also, we have $20 million for mental health to try and help there, because we know that is what happens when people get into a position where they are under the pump and they are isolated. They sit in the house and just dwell. We have to make sure that we get them out and get them up and running again. We have put money on the table to fund an extra 10 rural financial counsellors. We extended for one year the concessional loans scheme, which was supposed to finish on 30 June. We have extended that for a further 12 months, with a quarter of a billion dollars—$250 million—at the lowest rate, at 3.21 per cent, with terms as long as 10 years.

These are the sorts of things that you do when you take people on the land seriously, when you are truly trying to help. In the forward estimates there is $498 million—nearly half a billion dollars—for farm household allowance, a direct payment to maintain the dignity of people in their lives, to make sure that they can pay for the groceries, pay for the fuel, pay for the chemist. These are the actions of a government that cares. These are the actions of a government that has foresight. I am very proud of the fact that during this drought I believe that the Prime Minister of Australia has been out there three times. That is a sign that we care, right to the very top, about people right out on the very edge.