Senate debates
Thursday, 25 November 2021
Questions without Notice
Small Business
2:53 pm
Perin Davey (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small and Family Business, Senator Cash. Can the minister please outline to the Senate how the Liberals and Nationals in government are putting in place the framework for small and family businesses to have the confidence to invest as we secure Australia's economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic?
2:54 pm
Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
I thank Senator Davey for her question. I acknowledge all the work that Senator Davey does with rural and regional small businesses, in particular in the lead-up to Christmas, where each and every one of us should be looking to spend whatever money we can with our small and family businesses around Australia.
Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
As we all know, small and family businesses are the lifeblood of the Australian economy—
Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
particularly when it comes to our rural and regional communities—
Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Order! Senator Ayres, I have called you to order by name three times. Cease interjecting.
Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
As we know, despite the comments from Senator Ayres across the chamber, these businesses have been the key to Australia's economic recovery.
Honourable senators interjecting—
Senator Ayres's colleague, through an interjection, has said, 'Talk about jobs, talk about employment.' Can I tell you—
Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
I can tell you, Senator Ayres, that on this side of the chamber we're always happy to talk about jobs. Let me assure you. Since we were elected to government, the economy has created almost 1.4 million jobs. Look at where Treasury said unemployment would be at the outset of COVID and, Senator Ayres, look at where unemployment is now. It is because of the policies put in place by the Morrison and Joyce government that so many more Australians have work than otherwise would.
Honourable senators interjecting—
Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
What we want to do is say a big thank you to all of the small and family businesses out there because, colleagues, as you all know, the closest those on the other side have ever come to a small business is to close it down. That's what you want to do: close down small businesses across Australia. Just look at the tax policy you took to the last election—$387 billion in additional taxes. Senator Ayres, what would that have done to all of the small businesses in Australia? If you close down a small business, people lose jobs.
Honourable senators interjecting—
That's right, you want to talk about jobs? You talk about job losses, we talk about backing Australians each and every way and making sure that they have jobs.
Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Senator Davey, before I go to your supplementary question, I remind you, Attorney-General, to direct your marks through the chair, not through another senator.
2:57 pm
Perin Davey (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Thank you, Minister, for that response. Can you also explain how the government's plan for lower taxes has helped to create more jobs—as opposed to what Senator Ayres has been claiming—and put more money back into the pockets of workers and businesses across Australia?
Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
This is a continuation of my answer to the first question. When it comes to lowering taxes, it is just in the DNA of a coalition government. We will do everything in our power to ensure that Australians are able to keep more of their money and that all of those businesses out there, particularly small and family businesses, are able to keep more of what they earn. That is in direct contrast, colleagues, to those on the other side. Their gift to the Australian people, had they been elected at the last election—and you would have legislated it with the help of the Australian Greens—would have been $387 billion in additional taxes. We know they are still wed to that policy. Just weeks ago we saw Labor was planning another hit—not surprising—to small and family businesses with $27 billion in higher taxes on 300,000 family businesses. What contempt for business in this country!
Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Senator Davey, a second supplementary?
2:58 pm
Perin Davey (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Why is it so important for us to continue to support small and family businesses, and what are the risks that would derail the small-business-led economic recovery that we're on?
Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
The reason we back small and family businesses and businesses generally in Australia, Senator Davey, as you know, is that they are the job creators in this country. Governments don't create jobs. What they do is put in place the economic policies that can see businesses in Australia prosper, grow, create more jobs for Australians, or—we will never be on the 'or' side of the chamber. That's for those on the Left, on the Labor side of politics. You don't like business for some reason, and yet businesses are the job creators in this country. That is why we are proud in the Morrison-Joyce government to back our job creators every step of the way. If there is a policy we can put in place that will ensure they have the capacity to prosper, to grow and to create more jobs for Australians, that is exactly what we will do. We will back our small and family businesses, the job creators of this country, every single step of the way.