David Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Small Business. Will the minister advise the House how the government's economic plan is delivering for small businesses and creating jobs for hardworking Australians, including in my electorate of Maranoa? Is the minister aware of any threats to small businesses?

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Maranoa for his question. He's a hard worker. I'll tell you why he needs to be: his electorate is 731,297 square kilometres. It's a big electorate. If the member for Maranoa's electorate was a country, it would be the 39th-largest country in the world. It is three times the size of your home state of Victoria, Mr Speaker. It's a big electorate. It needs a big member to look after the 23,966 small businesses in Maranoa, and the member gets around. He understands those small businesses' needs.

I was recently in Maranoa and I visited Dalby, Stanthorpe, Warwick and Roma. They're great towns. They've got great small businesses, like Nicole's Beauty and John Dee Meatworks. They are all fantastic businesses taking advantage of the instant asset write-off and the lowest tax rate since 1940—

Mr Bowen interjecting—

1940, member for McMahon! It is 27½ per cent—the lowest the tax rate's been for 77 years. They are taking advantage of the red-tape reduction that the Turnbull government has introduced and taking advantage of Single Touch Payroll. Just last week the Treasurer announced the Small Business Digital Taskforce, headed by Mark Bouris. That's going to be a wonderful task force which is going to provide great outcomes for small businesses right around the country, including in Maranoa.

I'm asked about the challenges for small business. Well, I'm looking at them. You know what, Mr Speaker: Labor likes double-faulters—

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

It doesn't matter what I know!

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Labor likes double-faulters. We are entering a wonderful season of tennis and cricket. Certainly when it comes to tennis, Labor is right behind double-faulters. It has got Senator Sam Dastyari. He's certainly a double-faulter—he's faulted a couple of times. He's still over there in the upper house. The member for Maribyrnong should show a bit of fortitude and tell Senator Dastyari he's no longer wanted. But there's another double-faulter that we can't put up with in the economy, certainly the small businesses of Bennelong can't put up with another double-faulter, and that is Kristina Keneally. What we need in Bennelong is somebody who supports tax cuts. What we need in Bennelong is somebody who supports the instant asset write-off, who supports the red-tape reduction, who supports the digital task force—

Josh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Jobs.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

and who supports jobs. I hear 'jobs' from the member from Kooyong. Three hundred thousand jobs were created—many of them in Bennelong—by business. What we need in Bennelong is a real ace. What we need is the Liberal candidate, John Alexander, because he will serve up tax cuts and he will serve up the instant asset write-off. That's who we need in Bennelong. Vote Liberal. Vote John Alexander. (Time expired)

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

After that stirring message, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.