Bruce Billson (Dunkley, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Small Business, Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I dare say you would probably do a much better job, sir; and may I compliment you on your taste in your attire as well. These guys do not know what they are doing. The Gillard Labor government—and this is the underlying concern of the Australian public—do not know what they are doing. So why would people want to give them more money to misuse in the way that they have done? This is a time when small business is looking to have confidence built. Small business is suffering and finding it difficult—and, as the Prime Minister conceded today, small business is having its needs overlooked in some of the design of the support packages.

So what does the government need to do? The government can be just as lazy as it has been in the past and pick up the coalition’s agenda to revitalise small business. We took to the election more than a dozen initiatives that would build confidence, vitality and viability in the small business community to put ‘business’ back into small business. That is why the electorate overwhelmingly endorsed the coalition, well and truly, in the best interests of the small business and family enterprise community. But you do not have to take it from me. The Australian Financial Review released FOI documents—the blue book, the incoming brief for a new government. Do you know what they said? ‘Implement your small business plan; it will generate innovation and economic vitality.’ This lazy Gillard government should at least follow the lead that has been set by the coalition and do something to help small business.

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