Helen Kroger (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

That is because the financial security of families running small businesses is at stake. They are at the coalface, and any significant economic changes will be immediately felt by these operators. Yet Labor is still making life more expensive for small business. Only this week the Prime Minister has formed a committee for sycophants—or should I call them ‘believers’—who are determined to bring forward a carbon tax and legislate it in this parliament. With energy being a significant input cost, this will immediately increase real costs without any productivity gains for those operators.

The bottom line is the chime of the cash register will be an endangered sound. In fact, small business will become an endangered species under the disgraceful and inept management of this Gillard government—a government that has runs on the board in this regard. The irresponsible approach taken by the government should be no surprise; as of the last government, only 12 senators on their side had any experience in small business. That compares to 50 per cent of them who have union backgrounds and are here through the grace of their factional allies and factional mates. They are here because of their affiliation with the union movement. In the interest of the country, the Gillard government should focus on the real issues concerning Australians rather than spend time on petty political point scoring in the other place.