Kate Lundy (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Hansard source

Those opposite have an absolute hide asking questions about small business as though they have their interests at heart. For example, yesterday the member for North Sydney, Mr Hockey, announced that the Liberal Party would not be supporting a tax cut for companies, and this comes right after they turned their backs on the small businesses of Australia and voted against the tax breaks for 2.7 million small businesses in this country.

We recognise, of course, that the carbon price will impact on some business costs. There has been a lot of exaggeration from one side of the debate, but the fact is that the overall price impact is modest at 0.7 per cent. It is true that there will be some cost increases around 10 per cent, but that is why businesses, we expect, will pass on those costs where they cannot change production, and that is why we are providing $15 billion of household assistance over four years, $15 billion dollars in the pockets of people who spend their money— (Time expired)