Zali Steggall (Warringah, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. Last year, the government voted against my amendments to the support for small business bill, extending the instant asset write-off and the Small Business Energy Incentive from 30 June 2024 to 30 June 2025. Given the financial year is fast coming to an end and the measures have not yet come into effect, will the government now commit to extending them for another year, or were the measures just window-dressing?

Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Of course they weren't. But, in relation to the rest of the member for Warringah's question, we are enthusiastic supporters of the small-business people and communities of this country. That's why the measure in the member's own question goes to the kind of support that the wonderful Minister for Small Business, and our whole cabinet and our whole party, who are enthusiastic supporters of small business, give.

The measure that the honourable member mentioned in her question has been an important way that we are supporting the small businesses of this country, but not the only way. We are also supporting the small businesses of this country with their cyber challenges. We are also supporting the local communities which keep small businesses in operation, by providing a tax cut for every Australian taxpayer, which will find its way into the shops and small businesses of your community and all of the—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order. The Treasurer will pause. The member for Warringah on a point of order?

Zali Steggall (Warringah, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Relevance, Mr Speaker—it's simply a question of: will they now extend them or not? It's not about everything else.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question did contain that in there, but there was some other information. I'm just going to ask the Treasurer to return to the question—to make sure he's directly relevant to the member's question.

Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, no dramas, Mr Speaker. And, as I was getting to, when it comes to small business, we will always do what we can. We're not going to release, in the beginning of February, the May budget. The Minister for Small Business and all of the colleagues on this side are always looking for ways to support small business. Whether it's the things that the member for Warringah is proposing in good faith, or whether it is other measures, we'll always try and do what we can to support small businesses but also the communities which rely on a thriving, competitive, dynamic, innovative small-business sector.