Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Since budget night, Labor has supported the government's small business measures; in fact, a number of these measures were formerly Labor measures. Why are the Prime Minister and his ministers undermining small business confidence by claiming there is any doubt that this legislation will pass through the houses of parliament?

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There will be silence on both sides of the House, including the Treasurer. The Prime Minister has the call.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You are not going to delay with an inquiry, Bill? Is that it?

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister has the call.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If the Leader of the Opposition is saying that the Labor Party in the Senate will ensure that this legislation goes through the parliament within a fortnight—without any inquiries, it simply goes through the Senate—I am delighted. This is a rare piece of bipartisanship in the parliament, and I thank the Leader of the Opposition for extending the hand of magnanimity on this subject. After all the damage that Labor did to small business over six years, it is high time that they made it up to small business with this measure. But I am delighted. I do look forward to this measure going through the parliament because I want to see the small businesses of Australia out there investing, employing and serving their communities. That is what I want to do. I am proud of the Treasurer and the Minister for Small Business. I am proud of the government more generally for coming up with this measure and I am pleased that Labor now says that they will give an absolute iron-clad guarantee that it will pass through the parliament in the next fortnight.