Brett Whiteley (Braddon, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Game, set and match. My question is to the Minister for Small Business and Assistant Treasurer. Will the Assistant Treasurer outline how the government is supporting small businesses, including owner-driver and small trucking businesses, particularly in the hardworking electorate of Braddon?

Mr Mitchell interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for McEwen has been warned. I have warned the member for McEwen twice. He will leave under 94(a).

The member for McEwen then left the chamber.

Kelly O'Dwyer (Higgins, Liberal Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to very much thank the member for Braddon. The member for Braddon, of course, works hard each and every day on behalf of the more than 6,500 small businesses in his community, many of which are owner-drivers in the trucking industry. I am very proud to stand here today and announce that we had a big win in the parliament yesterday on behalf of small business. We had a big win because this parliament abolished the RSRT, which is the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal—

Mr Conroy interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Charlton!

Kelly O'Dwyer (Higgins, Liberal Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

a tribunal that was set up at the behest of the Transport Workers Union and at the behest of Bill Shorten—

Mr Conroy interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Charlton is warned!

Kelly O'Dwyer (Higgins, Liberal Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

who was then the minister responsible for this particular piece of legislation.

Ms MacTiernan interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Perth!

Kelly O'Dwyer (Higgins, Liberal Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This tribunal was really set up with one purpose only, and that was to drive small business owner-operators out of business. It was to drive them out of business, tens of thousands of them out of business, and we saw that with the very first payment order. The first payment order declared that owner-operators would have to be paid a certain amount. It did not apply to anybody else in the industry, only to owner-drivers. The implications are very severe.

Ms MacTiernan interjecting—

Mr Conroy interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Perth is warned. The member for Charlton is persistently interjecting. He has been warned. He will now remove himself under 94(a).

The member for Charlton then left the chamber.

Kelly O'Dwyer (Higgins, Liberal Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The implications are very severe. I will quote from Nicole Leape and her partner, Richard Jenkins, both of whom are owner-drivers, who said about the payment order:

If it goes through, it will affect me and my family … We've got a huge chance we'd end up bankrupt. We're a family with four children, we don't need to be uprooting all of that. We just want fair rates.

And they are absolutely right. I do not expect those opposite to understand, and I do not expect the shadow minister for small business to understand, because, quite frankly, when they conduct small business forums, where do you think they conduct those forums?

They conduct those forums at the headquarters of the Transport Workers Union in Sydney.

Michelle Rowland (Greenway, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And truckies come!

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Greenway is warned.

Kelly O'Dwyer (Higgins, Liberal Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

People on the other side do not understand the needs of small business. We not only understand the needs of small business but we are prepared to fight for small business. We understand that they are at the heart of the Australian economy. They are the people who are taking risks, who are employing more than 4.7 million Australians and who are contributing more than $340 billion to our economy. We are making sure that we not only fight for small business but create the right framework for small business—an economic framework that gives them a cut to the company tax rate of 1.5 per cent, a discount for those that are unincorporated entities. We are allowing them to invest in their businesses with the instant asset write-off and we are allowing them to make sure that they are not paying capital gains tax when they readjust the order of their small business, because we care for small business. Those opposite do not.

Mr Stephen Jones interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Greenway was warned during that answer. The member for Throsby will not interject when I am addressing the chamber. The member for Greenway should be aware she has been warned. I call the member for Adelaide.