Bert Van Manen (Forde, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that small businesses are struggling under the:

(a) burden of the Government's cost of living crisis; and

(b) weight of the Government's additional administrative red tape;

(2) acknowledges that according to the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman:

(a) conditions for small business:

(i) have deteriorated by 3.5 per cent; and

(ii) continue to be well below the long-term average;

(b) the operating environment for business has been in decline for the past two years with rising concerns about regulations, increased costs and slowing demand; and

(c) fewer people are considering starting a small business and businesses are less likely to invest in expansion; and

(3) calls on the Government to address its failure to support small business, the backbone of Australia's economy.

We all know that small business is the cornerstone of many of our communities. They are out there every day employing locals, seeking not just to create wealth for themselves as the owners of those businesses but also to create opportunity, employment and wealth for their employees and for the nation as a whole. But it's not just about the people they employ. It's also about what they give back to the community. Many of our small businesses are intimately involved in our local community groups, sporting organisations and other community activities. They're out there each and every day. You see them at presentation nights, when they're thanked for supporting a local charity in its work in, for example, supporting the homeless. Or you'll see their signs or their advertising on the jerseys of your local sporting clubs through the sponsorships they pay to help these clubs get through the season and cover their costs of operation.

But, as we've seen often over the past nearly three years, small business and the importance of small business seems to be anathema to this government. What we already knew after three years was confirmed in Labor's recent economic statement: that they've made bad decisions and have wrong priorities, and one area that is suffering enormously as a result is small business. We hear often about the cost-of-living crisis and the impact it is having on households. What we don't hear so much about is this cost-of-living crisis and its impact on small businesses: the increasing costs of rent, electricity, staff, and food and services in the hospitality sector. And over the course of the past 2½ years we've seen the average rent costs for small businesses increase by some 16½ per cent, electricity costs by 30 per cent and gas costs by nearly 34 per cent. In addition, we've seen personal income tax collections grow by 25 per cent, and food and input costs for many of the small hospitality business and cafe owners I talk to have increased significantly.

This is evidenced by the level of business insolvency. Businesses are the canary in the coalmine for the consequences of actions of this government. Business insolvencies are at a record high, and this has been overseen by the Labor government, including the highest number of business insolvencies on record in a single month, with 1,364 Australian businesses going under in October 2024. And under the two and a bit years of the current Labor government, nearly 25,000 Australian businesses have gone insolvent.

In addition, Australian now has 85,000 fewer apprentices and trainees, and in the construction industry there has been a 22 per cent decrease in the number of apprentices. Businesses have also been hit with additional red tape, with 82 per cent of small business indicating that it is having a major to moderate impact on their operations. Part of the reason for this is the major increase in insurance costs for small business. At a recent manufacturing roundtable I held, insurance costs were one of the main issues that were raised with me by those businesses, with 92 per cent of small businesses experiencing significantly increased insurance costs compared with 12 months ago. And the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman has reported that many businesses can't afford the prohibitive premiums that in some cases have risen by 200 or 300 per cent.

With these additional costs of living or imposts on the costs of doing business, and the additional administrative burden affecting small business, it's not hard to see why fewer people are opting to start their own small business, which means that we have a generational gap. When our average small-business owner is in their mid-50s and they are looking to retire, we have nobody to replace them. This government should hang its head in shame with the way it has treated small business.

Rebekha Sharkie (Mayo, Centre Alliance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

Terry Young (Longman, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion and I reserve my right to speak.

Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on this private members' motion on small business. On this side, we recognise that Australian small businesses are doing it tough. When we came to office, inflation was racing at an upward pace. Interest rates were also screaming upwards. With Australians feeling the effects of the cost-of-living crisis and high global inflation rates, small businesses—enterprises that everyday Australians pour their heart and soul into—felt the full brunt of the economic conditions that we inherited. That's why we have put in place a range of support and funding to help our mum-and-dad local businesses.

After the largesse that was delivered through COVID, which fired inflation through the roof and left many small businesses behind, we recognise that small businesses help drive the nation's economy and that they are the heart of local communities across the country—especially for communities like ours in McEwen, where small businesses are a hub for families, friends and community groups. Small business employs millions of Australians, whether it be a 14-year-old on their first job or someone who has pursued a career with small business. We know they are the engine room of Australia's economy. That's why, in the most recent budget, the Albanese Labor government committed to helping ease the pressure on Australia's small businesses, whether through energy relief or making sure that over $640 million is going to practical, targeted support—and doing this without adding pressure that sends inflation back on the increase.

The most important thing for any small business experiencing challenges is that support and assistance is available. Across Australia, 2.5 million small businesses can access support that is focused on saving them money and time, reducing administrative burdens and making it easier for small businesses to fulfil their obligations, including a business tax cut through the $20,000 instant asset write-off. The opposition made it seem like we were moving heaven and earth. We are glad they eventually agreed to reintroduce this simple and easy cost-of-living relief for small businesses, after they slashed it in 2013. Additionally, we are extending the instant asset write-off for a further year, until June 2025. This will provide small businesses with the confidence and the ability to invest. It is estimated that, over the two years, this measure will provide $580 million in support.

The Albanese Labor government is also abolishing 457 tariffs in the largest unilateral reform in two decades. The topic of tariffs has been prevalent in the cultural zeitgeist recently. I'm sure people can understand the importance of removing nuisance tariffs, because the removal of these tariffs will cut more compliance costs for small businesses, creating better economic opportunities for Australians and making importation costs for materials cheaper. You always hear politicians talking about the quality of Australian-made things, but this government has actually been putting its money where its mouth is. We know Australia produces some of the best-quality goods and services in the world and that is why we are backing them.

Since coming to government, we have updated the Commonwealth procurement rules—changes that mean small Australian businesses are getting a bigger slice of $75 billion in contracts that we spend every year. We have set ambitious targets to make sure that 40 per cent of contracts that are up to $20 million in value go to small businesses, and 25 per cent of contracts that are worth up to $1 billion, because only an Australian Labor government will back Australian small businesses and give them the opportunities that they deserve.

Unfair contract terms are now illegal, thanks to our actions, so small businesses can negotiate fair agreements with their larger partners. The Buy Australian Plan is opening the door to more government work for more small and medium businesses by simplifying procurement procedures. Small businesses can continue to count on the Albanese Labor government to back them every step of the way. Since coming to government, we have provided two energy bill relief measures and we're continuing to build on the $650 rebate that was provided in the last financial year. This has been there to combat the near decade of the former coalition government's neglecting of the energy sector and refusing any direction, which caused great angst to those in small business. Time and time again, we hear that they're the party of small business, but they never put their money where their mouth is, only providing small businesses and hardworking Australians with platitudes and empty cheques for photo-ops.

We'll continue to keep working for small business because we actually have backgrounds. Despite the untruths that get said by those opposite, we're supporting new jobs, supporting new skills, supporting new trade, supporting new taxation and supporting the market, which are so important to keeping our small businesses growing—not empty rhetoric. (Time expired)

Terry Young (Longman, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak on the private member's motion moved by the member for Forde. Small and family businesses, or SMEs, are part of the backbone of the Australian economy. These enterprises are often started by everyday Australians who simply have a dream. Many work hard for years or even decades to pay down their mortgages and to realise enough equity to approach a lender to use this equity as collateral to fulfil their dream of starting their own business. They literally risk everything they own, and they contribute so much to our economy by doing so.

SMEs employ 42 per cent of all apprentices and trainees in training. They contribute an astounding $600 billion to the national GDP, or around a third. They employ 42 per cent of Australians in the private sector, and the 2.5 million SMEs employ around five million hardworking Australians.

One of the most important aspects in the economy space for any Australian government is to ensure that these entrepreneurial Aussies are not burdened with red tape and bureaucracy that prevent them from the most important role of their vocation—that is, the ability to work on their business so they can become more productive and profitable. This leads them to employ more people and invest in more equipment and systems, which creates economic growth for our great nation.

Unfortunately, when I'm speaking to small- and medium-business owners in the electorate of Longman, which I proudly serve, many feel the exact opposite is happening. These hardworking Australians feel bound by stifling legislation and red tape introduced by this anti-small-business Labor government.

Good governments understand and ensure by their policies and legislation that SMEs need fewer burdens, not more. Good governments understand that SMEs in the main don't have accountants, lawyers and dedicated HR staff on their payroll. I know that the small businesses I had ownership in certainly didn't. It was simply unaffordable, so my business partners or I would take on many of these roles as part of our responsibilities. Every minute spent on what in many cases was simply overreach and unnecessary red tape was a minute not working on our business to increase productivity and profitability.

Good governments understand that business requires affordable and reliable energy, which currently they simply do not enjoy under this Labor government. A classic example of this is Bongaree Hot Bread on beautiful Bribie Island in the electorate of Longman that I serve. When I visited them I noticed their shelves were devoid of bread at a reasonably early hour of the day. Always the optimist, I made the comment, 'Sold out of bread already, Mick?' The reply was: 'We don't make hot bread anymore, Terry, because our electricity bills increased by $12,000 in the past year. So it's no longer viable. We just now make a few speciality sourdough loaves on the weekends.' The name of the business is Bongaree Hot Bread. Maybe they should change their name to 'Bongaree No Bread' under this Labor government!

The new IR contracting laws state that if a contractor is doing business primarily for one business it is, in this Labor government's eyes, an employee. An owner of a carpet business, who for years has been contracting carpet layers to install the products he sells, asked me, 'How would I know how many other businesses my contractors work for, and what percentage I am of their business?' To find out would be dependent on him meeting them—more time out of his day—and then relying on them to be (1) truthful and (2) that this percentage would remain steady, which is not reality. His business demands rise and fall, as do other businesses', which, of course, would affect the percentage that he uses their services. Again, this is interference from the government into an area that was just going along nicely.

We now have data that shows that 43 per cent of SMEs in Australia are unprofitable—that is almost half, which is alarming; 20 per cent of SMEs are struggling to pay their energy bills on time; 45 per cent are concerned that they may not be able to pay them in the future; and just 22 per cent are feeling more optimistic about their future than 12 months ago, compared with 49 per cent—over the same period—who are feeling less optimistic about their future. They are screaming for more certainty around the investment-inspiring instant asset write-off program and want to see more incentives to encourage tech adoption to support the day-to-day running of their businesses.

Small and medium businesses feel abandoned and neglected by this Labor government. Sadly, 45 per cent have considered leaving or closing their business in the past 12 months, which, unsurprisingly, is very close to the figure of 43 per cent of businesses that are unprofitable. Why would you risk everything to make a loss? At the next election, Australians need to vote for the coalition—the party that supports small business and will get us back on track.

Josh Burns (Macnamara, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Macnamara is home to some outstanding small businesses. In fact, some of the best small businesses in our country are in my electorate, whether at the markets, on high streets, or in community-run cafes. On one end of the electorate we have the Caulfield Village shopping precinct. There's Elsternwick Village on Glen Huntly Road, Carlisle Street in east St Kilda, and Acland Street and Fitzroy Street in St Kilda. And Middle Park has wonderful little shops. In Albert Park there are brilliant high streets, such as Victoria Avenue, with great boutique shopping as well as cafes. In Port Melbourne there is the iconic Bay Street, and, up and down Southbank and South Melbourne, Clarendon Street. In so many pockets around Southbank there are small businesses where you can get literally anything you could possibly want.

Of course, we are bringing back into Macnamara Chapel Street in Windsor. I personally am very happy about Windsor coming back into Macnamara, after we briefly gave Windsor to the excellent member for Higgins for some short-term care and representation. We're bringing them back to Macnamara, and I'm very pleased about it. Not only is the community of Windsor so wonderful, so multicultural and so vibrant but also there are so many outstanding small businesses in Windsor. They've got so many great options where you can go and enjoy your free time.

The thing about these small businesses and these little villages in Macnamara is that, when you ask people about what the great things are about living in our area, in our community, they don't just mention the schools and the different recreational facilities that we have around there; they mention the people behind the small businesses. They mention the people who make up our community businesses that have been there for generations—for decades. They mention the fact that each of these small businesses is a part of what makes our community so wonderful.

It is really hard right now, especially as a retailer. The economics of being a small business is really hard. If you're in a high street in Melbourne right now, it can cost you somewhere between $70,000 and $100,000 for a 70- or 100-square-metre retail outlet. When you add staff on top of that, you're talking about hundreds of thousands of dollars of outlay before you even make any income. These small businesses on our high streets have to have $700,000 worth of revenue before they become viable, and it is really challenging for a lot of businesses.

So, the retail market is really stretched and the retail sector is really stretched. But what keeps them going is our community, and they keep our community going. They are really valuable and we need to support them in every way we can.

Another model that's happening in our local community in South Melbourne is the South Melbourne Market. This is a modified retail model with smaller market stalls. The overall market is managed by the city of Port Phillip. With obviously a high amount of foot traffic they are really successful businesses. Some of these businesses have been there for decades, and they have really good relationships with the council. In fact, I even took the Minister for Small Business to the South Melbourne Market recently to show off some of our fantastic small businesses that are operating in South Melbourne. The first one we stopped into was Georgie's Harvest, a potato store. The minister was talking about Tasmanian potatoes—which I had to admit isn't my level of speciality! But I was very happy that all these things and some of the best food in the country are available in the South Melbourne Market.

This goes on top of some of the work we're doing to try and support small businesses. Obviously we're extending the $20,000 instant asset write-off. We have also given small businesses $325 for energy bill relief, which builds on top of the $650 rebate provided last financial year, which is almost $1,000 for energy bill support. I'll note that the coalition likes to talk a big game but opposed both of those measures—almost $1,000 to help small businesses with their energy costs. Nonetheless, I'm always pleased to stand up and talk about the small businesses that make our community vibrant, small businesses that are run by wonderful members of our local community and small businesses that make Macnamara the best electorate in the country.

Aaron Violi (Casey, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is always a privilege to be able to rise and talk about small business. Like many in parliament, small businesses are the heart of my community, but in a community like mine with regional and rural parts, it's even more important. I was lucky enough to spend 15 years in business working with small businesses prior to my time in politics. One of the most important reasons we need strong small businesses and family businesses in our community is that strong family and small businesses mean a strong community.

I've been lucky enough to have gone to every sporting ground all across the electorate of Casey before politics, as a struggling cricketer and now as the member for Casey. There is always one thing you notice at all of those grounds, outside of that strong community spirit. It's all the signs around the sides of the grounds. I always say I have seen lots of IGA independent supermarket signs. Deputy Speaker, I'm sure you'd see lots of Foodland signs in South Australia. I've yet to see a Woolworths or Coles sign sponsoring a local sports club. That's why we need to support small business.

Unfortunately, under this government, small business has been abandoned. Just one piece of legislation, which I had the opportunity to speak on about four weeks ago, is all the Minister for Small Business has brought to this House. The best business gets is the important asset write-off of $20,000, which is down on what the coalition offered during the last term of government. The coalition committed to extending it to $30,000 in perpetuity to give businesses that certainty.

They talk about the rebate at a time when bills for small businesses and medium-size businesses are going up tens and tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of dollars. They are giving $370 back, and that's going to solve the problem. But I do want to talk about the real world impact of this. We can sit here and debate this while member after member from those opposite—I know they have to do it—runs through the talking points given to them by the Treasurer.

I had the privilege and the honour just before this to hear the Member for Braddon speak. He gave his valedictory speech just now in the House, and he spoke about the real Australians. The real Australians all across the country just want us to fix their problems. I want to share an email correspondence I had from a small business owner in my community, just to understand the pain that they are going through. She said to me:

… 23 & 24 have been extremely difficult years for my business. FY23 saw incredible cost increases on raw materials and packaging which we could not stem with retail price increases, resulting in a loss for the business. In FY24 we experienced a 30% decline in sales stemming from our customers nervousness in stocking shelves in this current economy, and whilst we could increase some prices, cut back on purchases and reduce labour hours to manufacture less, then slash any other unnecessary spending (mostly marketing and advertising), the unjustified increase in expenses outside of our control has resulted in another loss. We received increases as follows:

WorkCover—5.7% even though wages are down

Merchant fees—6.5% up

Interest on business loans -16.1%

Electricity, Gas & Water -35%

Registration and insurance—11.6%

Freight—3.8%

We are clawing back as best we can in this current FY, but if we do not see any relief on interest rates or electricity in the very near future, I fear we will join the 100,000 businesses that have already fallen into receivership!

The story is one of hundreds I could share across my community. But at the same time that my community is feeling this pain we have the Treasurer of Australia standing in the House last week giving his economic statement update and saying: 'Success. We're on track for a soft landing.' He's delivered brilliant numbers for the Australian people. How lucky are the Australian people!

Day after day we have to hear the Prime Minister and the Treasurer of this country stand at the dispatch box in the House and tell Australians how lucky they are, that they've never had it better, that inflation's down even though it's artificial—

Government Member:

A government member interjecting

Aaron Violi (Casey, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And I'll take the interjections, because those opposite don't like hearing the truth. The real Australians are struggling while those opposite interject because they don't like hearing the truth that the Prime Minister and the Treasurer of this country were distracted for 18 months. They have no solutions to the troubles that the Australian people face. I'll take the interjection, because they do not like to hear the truth about the challenges of the Australian people. (Time expired)

Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

According to the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, over 97 per cent of all Australian businesses are classified as small businesses. There are over 2.5 million of them, many of them sole traders, and each of them supports up to 19 employees, making up 42 per cent of the workforce. These were the people I looked after when I was a lawyer, and I've always respected their courage and their have-a-go attitude when representing them as an MP. These are the people who make our morning coffee. They submit our tax returns, they bake our bread, they give legal advice and they even groom our dogs—a special call-out to those on the weekend that looked after my dogs, Dash and Henry.

The variety of things they do is endless. One thing they all have in common is that they are the lifeblood of our communities. They provide local jobs and they support local schools and community groups. We all benefit from their hard work, as does the Australian economy. Small businesses contributed nearly $590 billion of value in 2022-23, about 33 per cent of our GDP. Small businesses do better when Australians have more dollars in their pockets. That's why we gave them all a pay cut to spend in their local small businesses. Sadly, the coalition opposed that, unbelievably—a slap in the face for small businesses.

There's no denying that small businesses have been doing it tough during this cost-of-living crisis that was kicked off by the coalition. That's why the Albanese Labor government is providing supports—because we know the importance of small business. This year's budget included a range of measures, valued at $640 million and targeted at easing the pressures on small business. We extended the $20,000 instant asset write-off for small businesses by 12 months. Small businesses with an annual turnover of less than $10 million can deduct eligible assets until 30 June 2025. This direct and targeted measure provides cashflow support, simplification benefits and eases financial pressures. It's equivalent to an estimated $290 million of support each year for two years.

We gave pay rises and tax cuts because we know that cashflow is crucial to the success of small businesses. We've improved payment times, directing over $33 million towards reforms that assist this, including identifying big businesses that do not pay small businesses within the agreed terms, as well as enhanced powers for the regulator. It will all be transparent, with a dashboard that makes payment-time data more accessible.

We've provided more support in the form of energy bill relief. This meant $325 off energy bills for one million eligible small businesses and comes on top of the $650 rebate that was provided last financial year.

We're also supporting small businesses to strengthen their defences against cybercrime. Amazingly, 43 per cent of cybercrime targets are small businesses, often resulting in financial loss and mental and physical stress on the small number of owners and staff. The Australian Signals Directorate reported that the average cost of a cybercrime incident involving a small business was $46,000. It's no surprise that these owners describe cyberattacks and scams as one of the biggest challenges they face. That's why I'm glad we've actually started to see a decrease in this—thanks to the Cyber Wardens, which is the free, online cybersecurity training program set up to help protect small businesses from the threat of attacks, and the Small Business Cyber Resilience Service, which was launched recently by the Minister for Small Business.

We've also made some big changes to the Commonwealth Procurement Rules to make it possible for small businesses to benefit from the $75 billion in contracts that is spent every year.

These measures all sit within that bigger picture of supports being driven by the Minister for Small Business, who is holding regular meetings with small-business ministers and ensuring that all levels of government are collaborating on the new National Small Business Strategy. A federation can be a curse, especially for small businesses that want to go big.

There is further support for small-business owners with our $26 million program for Fremantle health and financial counselling support. Small businesses will also benefit from another Albanese Labor government initiative that is helping Australians with the cost-of-living crisis and positioning us for the future. These include reforms that bolster employment opportunities, such as fee-free TAFE, cheaper child care and expanded paid parental leave, with one of the No. 1 concerns of my businesses—admittedly, they're not all small: manufacturing and the like—being that they need trained staff. They need warm bodies at the moment; they'll take anyone off the street, almost.

The Labor government values the economic and social contribution of the small business sector and will always back these hardworking business owners every step of the way. I still admire their ticker and courage for having a go.

Pat Conaghan (Cowper, National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I've sat and listened to many of the speakers on this side and on the other side of the floor talking about how important businesses are—that they're the backbone of our communities. The truth is, in regional and rural areas, they are. They put the food on the table for our mums and dads. They put the money through the economy. If not for them, we would not have our smaller regional and rural communities.

I've heard people talk about 'real people'. Well, can I give you some real examples of how tough it is out there for people in regional and rural Australia—firstly, Wicked Elf Beer. Wicked Elf was a brewery in Port Macquarie. It had been there for about 12 years. They closed this year because their electricity bill was higher than their rent. They had a warehouse, a place 10 times the size of this room here. They had invested tens of millions of dollars into that business over the dozen years that they operated. But because of this government's policies, they saw their power prices increase by more than 150 per cent, and they had to close down. So they sacked people; they lost jobs. And part of Port Macquarie lost a community that had been established there for many years.

Then there is the Dorrigo hotel. The owner there got in contact with me and said: 'Pat, I just got my forecast for contract for the next year. It has gone up by $25,000.' Now, Dorrigo, if you don't know it, is a small country town. Tourists come in and out. The Dorrigo hotel is a small pub. So, that's somebody's wage in Dorrigo. It's a lower socioeconomic area. Where are they going to find the money to pay that additional $25,000? Either they're going to have to put somebody off, and the boss will have to get on the taps, or they'll have to put the prices up, which then affects the community of Dorrigo and surrounds. And people are doing it tough. The farmers around there are doing it tough, because their electricity prices have gone through the roof. The cost of living has gone through the roof. Gas prices are up by over 30 per cent. And this is all because of this government's policies.

Labor members over there are speaking out of both sides of their mouths saying how much they support local businesses, yet they are silent on these cost increases. Not one member has talked about the Prime Minister's promise to reduce bills by $275: 'Oh, no: we've reduced it by $300'—after the subsidy, because prices have gone up by, on average, $1,000. It's smoke and mirrors.

If Labor indeed supported small businesses, they wouldn't have tied small businesses up in knots by, for example, legislating to have a union member be able to come into your business on a suspicion that you may not be paying your workers correctly—a suspicion. At least in my 12 years in the Police Force, it was a reasonable suspicion. You had to hold a reasonable suspicion to go and get a warrant, and then you had to go in front of a judge and plead your case: 'I want to enter this person's personal home or this person's business. I have to have reasonable grounds, and a judge has to agree with those reasonable grounds.' Nup: 'I'm a union member. I have a suspicion. So I am coming in. I don't need anyone else's permission. I'm coming in to hammer you.' These mum-and-dad small businesses don't have the ability to go and get lawyers or people to sit with the union member for days at a time. They have to go through this by themselves. And what happens there?

Government Member:

A government member interjecting—

Pat Conaghan (Cowper, National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They lose business, and it costs them money. I take the interjection from across the road, across the aisle, because they don't understand business; half of them have never been in business, and they wouldn't know what a BAS was. It's about time they got out of the road and let us govern.

Jerome Laxale (Bennelong, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I stand as a member that's been involved with a small business all my life, with regard to the comment from the former member there. I know from experience that small businesses are the beating heart of Australia's economy and the backbone of our local communities: 2½ million small businesses across the country employ more than five million Australians, contributing over $500 billion annually to our economy.

In Bennelong, just like across the country, small businesses bring people to our town centres and are a real part of our community. They create jobs for local families, they sponsor our community sports clubs and they help make our high streets thriving, diverse and places we all want to go, see and visit. Across Bennelong, there are hundreds of small businesses employing countless locals, each contributing to the fabric of our community. Whether it's the family that has owned a shop for generations or that new entrepreneur taking their first steps in business, our small businesses are at the heart of what makes Bennelong such a dynamic and connected community.

As their representative, someone with a long and proud history in small business, I'm pleased to be a part of a government that values small businesses and their owners. I understand the unique challenges of small business, and I'm committed to ensuring that the government delivers support they need to thrive, not only in Bennelong but across the nation. It's not about headlines or broad economic platitudes; our support is about addressing the real issues that confront small-business owners.

I know that they're doing it tough right now. Rising costs, sticky inflation, supply chain disruptions and evolving consumer habits have created new pressures for business owners, many of whom are still recovering from the economic shock waves of the pandemic. These challenges are real, and they are significant. That's why our government is stepping up to provide practical and targeted support that helps small businesses not just to weather the storm but to build for the future. Our approach prioritises resilience, innovation and fairness, ensuring that small-business owners have the tools they need to thrive. We do that in a number of ways.

We've extended the $20,000 instant asset write-off until June 2025, which is an initiative that allows businesses to immediately deduct the cost of equipment and tools, freeing up cash flow and enabling them to grow. In Bennelong, this means that local cafes can upgrade their equipment, tradies can invest in better tools and startups can purchase the technology they need to compete and to grow. These investments ripple through our local economy whilst creating jobs and opportunities for our community.

We also understand the burden of rising electricity costs. That's why we've delivered targeted energy bill relief to nearly one million small businesses: $325 this financial year and $650 the year before that. That reflects our commitment to easing cost-of-living pressures where we can. We've also rolled out really important efficiency grants to small and medium businesses to invest in renewable energy technology. Systems that help use less power for refrigeration and allow businesses to invest in solar and battery technology were rolled out and were incredibly successful, because we want businesses to have confidence in investing in this new technology to cut their bills. This is all about resilience.

Further, we've invested $60 million in cybersecurity and digital transformation programs. You just need to look at our recent announcement on banning debit payment surcharges, made off the back of the fee-free digital campaign I ran, just to see how much small businesses matter to this government. From day one, I acknowledged that small business costs also need to be addressed alongside the need of consumers to have a fee-free digital option at the checkout. It was so great, then, to hear both the Prime Minister and Treasurer acknowledge this exact view in their October announcement. They said that surcharging can only be addressed if the RBA addresses the cost to small business, because we know that digital payment costs are severe for small businesses and are unfairly targeted at small businesses.

There is much more to be said about how this government is supporting them—too much to list in one five-minute speech. But I just want to say this to local businesses in Bennelong: I spent my whole life in and around small business. I know how great they can be and I know the strain that they can place on owners and their families. In my time as an elected official and now in this place, I have done all I can to ensure small businesses' perspectives are aired in government and around decision-makers, and that's something I will continue to do.

Rebekha Sharkie (Mayo, Centre Alliance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There being no further speakers, the debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for next day of sitting.

Before I call the member for Moreton, I'd like to welcome to the Federation Chamber members of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Welcome to the second chamber of the parliament.