Craig Kelly (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

You have no idea about small business.

Here is my suggestion: if the government is not willing to show some discipline and rein in their reckless spending, let’s simply change the name of this levy. Rather than call it a flood levy, let’s name it after one of the many other disasters that this country has suffered in recent times. How about the ‘pink batts fiasco’ levy? Or the ‘glorious revolution in education’ levy? How about the ‘green loans debacle’ levy? Or even, to borrow a phrase from the Prime Minister, the ‘we have lost our way’ levy?

My suggestion is simply to call it the ‘Labor waste and mismanagement levy’, because the waste and mismanagement of this government has caused far more economic damage to this nation than any flood possibly could. After all, but for a range of government debacles and waste—a list too long to mention here—we would have the funds, and more, for all the reconstruction work needed in Queensland, Victoria and elsewhere throughout Australia.

In conclusion, if the government are determined to go ahead with this new tax, I would ask them to simply have the honesty to rename it. Change the name. Do not call it a flood levy tax; let’s just call it the ‘Labor waste and mismanagement levy’. You may get some more acceptance from the public if you do that.

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