Scott Buchholz (Wright, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. Will the Treasurer update the House on how the government's $20,000 small business tax incentive will immediately increase local employment opportunities and improve small business viability, particularly in the manufacturing sector in my electorate of Wright?

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

I thank the honourable member for Wright. At 11.15 am today, the Senate passed the government's $20,000 instant asset write-off for small business. Two million small businesses out there now have the chance to have a go—to go out and invest, and invest in the things that create jobs. As the member for Wright has been so keen to tell me in the last 24 hours, he has 12,700 active small businesses in his electorate. He brought to my attention a letter from one in particular, Gary and Edwina Stark from Stark Engineering and Hardware: 'Dear Scott, kindly extend to Mr Hockey and colleagues'—Prime Minister—'our congratulations on the recent $20,000 tax incentive for small business. The impact has been immediate in our business. With inquiries and sales of cattle handling equipment growing daily, we have recently hired an extra five employees.' That is how you create jobs—you put it in the hands of small business, you give them the opportunity by reducing the tax burden not increasing the tax burden.

There is just one business that has increased the number of employees by five as a result of what we did in the budget. That is good news. I can hear all of the cheers from the Labor Party here! They are all cheering because they are the best friends of the workers—not! The thing is, this is a manufacturing business. They export these crushes to New Zealand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, China, Ireland, the Middle East, Scotland and England—these are the crushes. As the honourable member for Maranoa knows, I was out at Longreach and Cloncurry last week and I saw these crushes at work.

Mr Giles interjecting—

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

The member for Scullin is not in his seat and will leave if he keeps it up.

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

What we want is to actually have more cattle going through the crushes and more cattle going through the yards. It was a timely reminder of the damage that Labor did to the cattle export industry—the live cattle export industry. I will tell you what, farmers right across the country are celebrating the fact that the only friend they have is the coalition government—the people who go in to bat for opening new markets, for increasing exports, the ones who go in to bat for the small businesses—

Ms Claydon interjecting—

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

The member for Newcastle is not in her seat. If she speaks again, she will leave.

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

the ones that go in to bat for the instant asset write-offs on fencing, the ones who go in to bat for accelerated depreciation on water facilities and on fodder. The only side of politics taking care of small business and farmers is the Abbott government.