Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I want to take this opportunity, while we're still asking questions, to put this on the record and ask a question of the minister. My Tasmanian colleague and Greens federal small business portfolio holder Senator Peter Whish-Wilson is obviously not here this evening. We already explained that a number of our senators were not able to come to participate in this extraordinary session. He and his team have been working round the clock to make sure that they are listening to the needs and desires of small businesses, including many microbusinesses like sole traders. Sole traders include many farmers, stay-at-home entrepreneurs—whether they be in the arts and creative space or in various health fields—tourism operators and musicians. Much like in my home state of South Australia, these people are the backbone of the small business community in our smaller states and smaller economies.

I want to ask the minister exactly what they are going to do to make sure that these people have everything they need to not have to fold their business. As you would know, in many of these small towns, being already on such a tight margin is hard enough. If these businesses fold, the cascading effect throughout regional areas and towns is going to be huge. The question to the minister is: why won't you do what Boris Johnson is doing, making sure there is a proper jobs and wages guarantee that underpins people's salaries and allows these small and microbusinesses to keep people employed in such a way that the money is still flowing through those local communities? I know that Senator Whish-Wilson, if he were here tonight, would be asking some very direct questions of you. I hope that we can have some short answers this evening.