Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

Given that the coalition members were denied the right today to speak on the government’s motion—the fact that they were gagged from speaking on the government’s motion—this matter of public importance assumes even greater significance. Australia is facing a period of economic uncertainty. There are challenges in the United States with their financial system. The impact of that is flowing through to the Australian share market and will be felt in the broader economy. There are concerns about the stability of the world economy as the subprime crisis continues to take its toll.

While the Australian economy remains strong, with the latest jobs figures showing the lowest unemployment rate for 34 years, we cannot take this for granted. Small business is the powerhouse of our economy. Many small businesses are family businesses. People often take significant risks to start and run a small business. The almost two million small business operators in Australia are the single biggest business employment sector in this country. It is vital that business remains strong and that business confidence remains high so that small business, in particular, is able to continue providing job opportunities in record numbers.

This year, the Sensis business index—the SBI survey—questioned 1,800 small businesses in the three months to March. The federal government approval indicator—that is, the small business support for federal government policies—dropped 34 percentage points over the quarter. That is the biggest fall in the survey’s 15-year history. The report finds that small business does not approve of Labor’s changes to industrial relations policies and that small business is pessimistic about the economy. This is an alarming finding, but there is more. In March, it was found that confidence among Australian consumers had collapsed to the lowest level since 1993. Members will recall that 1993 was in the middle of the worst recession Australia had experienced since the Great Depression. The March index was down 23 per cent from a year earlier. So we have the Sensis business index dropping 34 per cent over a quarter and the March index dropping 23 per cent from a year earlier.

Attitudes and expectations play a major role in economic outcomes. It has been concerning to hear this new government talking down the economy in its mad rush to demonise the Howard government. Obsessed with scoring political points, the Prime Minister and his ministers have used reckless language and shown disregard for the impact of their comments on the confidence of the nation. Small business should be concerned, because the government—the Labor Party—has not undertaken or commissioned any economic analysis, any economic modelling or any impact statement in relation to its industrial relations laws. What do we get from the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations? In the middle of a crisis in business confidence in the government and in the middle of a crisis in consumer confidence, we get the minister, full of hubris and arrogance, going on the attack by moving a self-congratulatory motion after the transition bill had passed the House. Then the government denied opposition members the opportunity to speak on that motion. The arrogance is becoming a hallmark of this government.

The attack by the minister reflected on every business operator and employer in this country—the people who create the wealth, who create the prosperity and who offer the opportunities for Australians to have a job. We have had years of this minister demonising employers who dared to negotiate individually with their employees. Once again, today in the House the minister stuck her boots into employers. Does everybody remember her attacks on the Lilac City Motor Inn operators?

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