Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) Share this | Hansard source

I actually found what Senator Gallagher said about her small businesses quite offensive. Let me tell you what's going on in Canberra, because I believe that's your backyard, and let me tell you what's going on in Tasmania. Even though we aren't coming in and out of lockdown and all the rest, it's like a domino effect out there. If we're not getting those visitors and those business personnel down there, and if we're not getting others out there, guess what? It means nobody is renting rooms in our hotels or motels, nobody is drinking in the pubs and nobody is playing any music. All the retail shops and small businesses—all those small businesses—are feeling the pain right across this country.

Let me tell you something else that those small businesses want: transparency. They want to know why they're on their knees out there and big boys like Harvey are getting all the extra JobKeeper payments and all the rest. But you don't want transparency to show how much you've paid their shareholders. Think about that with your small businesses in Canberra, because that's what they are telling me. It's a whole domino effect here, and we're all feeling it, whether we're in Canberra or Tasmania. Just because we haven't gone into lockdown as many times—we've only done it once—it doesn't mean they are not feeling the pain, Senator Gallagher. They are feeling the pain. They're not getting business and they're also not getting any dividends. They want to know why some of your donors out there can't be honest and give that money back if they've made too much money. How do you think they're feeling? It is a right slap for them today. It's a right slap.

Please show some courage. If you think the little boys over here aren't going to bend over by end of play Thursday to get this through, you are kidding yourselves. You are supposed to be the opposition. God, you've been doing it for eight years! No wonder you're still there! Stand up to them, because I can tell you that they won't be giving in by Thursday afternoon. Goodness me! Here you are, both Liberal and Labor, with all these staff, yet it takes the Independents and the micros to come up through the lot of you and call you out. It takes one person to continually put in FOIs, when you've got all these staff in your own Labor Party. Call out what's national cabinet and what isn't. What is wrong with you people in the opposition? You are not getting the job done. Quite frankly, you do not deserve to win the next election at this rate, and no wonder why. Start acting like an opposition, because it's not just those repeatedly going into lockdown that are feeling the pain. It's a domino effect. It's everybody across this country—every small business.

Don't talk to me about small business. I am watching the west coast and one of those towns down there, where 70 per cent of their damn street is closed down. We're all feeling it. We all deserve transparency. Every small business deserves a bit of that money, not just the big boys giving it out to their shareholders. That's a slap in the face. At least have the courage to stand up against these animals over here. Have the courage to stand up and say: 'Let's be transparent about this. Let's see who's getting all the money and how much money they made.' Quite frankly, you are slapping the little person, and I thought Labor was better than that. You've definitely lost your way. You're going to be the bridesmaids. You have been for eight years, and that will continue, because you just don't have the courage to stand up to the little boys on the other side. It's shameful!