Andrew Charlton (Parramatta, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Small businesses right around Australia are doing it tough. From my experience in business, I know that the looming deadlines to pay the bills, meet payroll, and serve customers can often feel like an unbearable burden on your shoulders. Small-business people walk into the office every morning knowing that no matter how hard it is, they just have to keep going because their employees and their customers rely on them.

It was particularly tone deaf of the Deputy Leader of the Opposition last night to walk into a small business gathering and berate those small-business people for not being sufficiently critical of the Labor Party and not being sufficiently supportive of the Liberal Party. Maybe the Liberal Party isn't getting the support they want from businesses because they aren't supporting those small-business people. They are the party suggesting we use draconian divestiture powers to break up business. They are the party reducing business certainty in the energy sector. They are the party lecturing businesses on what they can and cannot say on social issues, and now they are demanding that small businesses spout Liberal Party talking points. This is the most antibusiness Liberal Party in Australia's history. No wonder they aren't getting the support they so desperately crave.

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

In accordance with standing order 43, the time for members' statements has concluded.