Ken O'Dowd (Flynn, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is true. I have got the evidence. Actually, I have given the evidence to the Senate. Reed Constructions was a favoured son of this government. Where is it now? Where are the contractors—the subbies—going to get their money from? There is nearly $100 million owed to subbies. Where has the money gone? The overall cost of the BER was about $4,300 per square metre to build libraries and that type of thing. The price to build a four-bedroom home with a double carport is about $1,200 per square metre. Where did that money go? How come Reed Constructions is in administration? I do not know.

Even the Road Safety Remuneration Bill 2011, which was discussed today in the House, is more red tape and more costs to small business. What small business hates is getting more bits of paper under their nose and being told: 'This is more regulation. You will do this; you will do that.' We have a taxation system. If you ring the tax office to get clarity on a problem you might have, depending who you ring, you might get five different answers. If you ring five different times you get five different answers.

Mr Bruce Scott interjecting—

Unbelievable! What was that?

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