Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business) Share this | Hansard source

Again, the Morrison government understands that you need to support small and family businesses across Australia because they are the backbone of the Australian economy. It is critical that we put in place policies that will support them through this crisis and enable them to come out the other side and prosper, grow and, ultimately, create more jobs for Australians. There are around 3.5 million small businesses in Australia. They give the dignity of work every day and they employ over six million Australians. When you come from rural or regional Australia, as so many on this side of the chamber do, you acutely understand that these businesses are the backbone of the local economy, they are the ones out there supporting local jobs, they are the ones out there supporting local charities and they are the ones you often see supporting local sporting organisations. It is incredibly important that we put in place the right policies, as we are doing, to support these businesses so they can prosper, grow and create more jobs. (Time expired)