Bridget Archer (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Industry, Science and Technology. Will the minister outline to the House how the Morrison government is creating a stronger economy by providing practical support and assistance to help small businesses succeed and create more jobs?

Karen Andrews (McPherson, Liberal Party, Minister for Industry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Bass. While she has been a member in this place for only a short time, she is a long-time fighter for small businesses in Tasmania. She knows, as does everyone on this side of House, that small businesses are the backbone of our economy in the cities and, importantly, in our regions. Small-business owners work hard; they face risks. They're the ones who are out there innovating, investing and, importantly, generating jobs. And the Morrison government knows that the best thing for small businesses is a government that responsibly manages the economy and delivers some real, practical outcomes and support for those people who have a go.

Delivering for small businesses is a whole-of-government approach. The assistant minister to the Prime Minister is further cutting red tape through our deregulation agenda. The Treasurer is delivering lower taxes, including the hugely popular instant asset write-off which has been extended and increased to $30,000. We have the energy minister, who is delivering lower power prices, which I know is a major concern for our businesses and for industry. We have the education minister, together with the Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business, delivering record funding to ensure small businesses have the skilled workforce that they need for the future. And the Deputy Prime Minister and the urban infrastructure minister are delivering better roads and infrastructure links that are going to help our businesses, because it's going to save them time and money. And we know that every dollar that a small business saves on dealing with red tape, taxes, bills or transport is a dollar that they have to spend on expanding their business, and that will lead to them being able to create more jobs.

In my own department, we've revamped and simplified our business one-stop shop: business.gov.au. This is a great resource. In the last year alone, there have been 9.5 million clicks on the website and 65,000 calls made to the helpline. Over 4,300 businesses have had contact with our AusIndustry outreach staff.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Karen Andrews (McPherson, Liberal Party, Minister for Industry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And it's fine for those opposite to heckle, but if they had been elected at the last election with their almost $400 billion in taxes, they certainly would have damaged small businesses—

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

The minister's time has concluded. The Leader of the Opposition.