Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

There is a pattern of uncertainty for our small businesses that has been created by this government. Today's motion perpetuates more of the great myths of this government, particularly when one of the last comments in the motion states that they are the government delivering real and practical assistance. I go out and talk to local businesses in my area. I am the daughter of small business owners. I grew up spending a number of weekends and Christmas holidays working for small businesses.

The challenge for small businesses has not really changed that much. Where this government is hurting small businesses in my electorate is around issues like the NBN and being able to connect properly to not only the local market but also the global market. This is one of the practical problems in my electorate. What have we seen since this government got elected? They tore up the NBN plan for my electorate. It is completely halted. There is no plan right now to roll out fast speed broadband to the Bendigo electorate. That means for small businesses in Maldon, Heathcote and Kyneton—everywhere that is on the map—they have been taken off and they have no idea when they are going to connect. These communities are also struggling under the current infrastructure because of the lack of ADSL ports available. It is a practical problem which this government has no solution for.

Another problem that small businesses have in my electorate is around Australia Post. Again, we have seen this government scale back support for Australia Post. There is a big finance area in my electorate and a number of solicitors. They are saying it is taking a week for vital paperwork and forms to get from Bendigo to Melbourne because of cutbacks in Australia Post. Again, that is another practical problem that this government is not addressing.

We talk about government procurement. Bendigo is home to the Bushmaster. The Bushmaster is built at Thales in Bendigo. At the moment, over 120 small businesses are part of the supply chain. We are not sure whether Bendigo Thales will get the opportunity to build the Hawkei. It is another defence manufacturing contract. We do not know whether this government will do the right thing not only by those workers but also by the small businesses that could benefit from this work by ensuring that they get that contract.

There is no point coming in here and talking about how great you are in opening up and allowing small businesses to compete for contracts if there are no contracts for them to compete for. Time and time again, this government is making decisions based upon price and sending defence contracts overseas. This is another failure of this government to do something practical to help small businesses.

Another example of one of these contracts just recently made that is going to hurt small businesses in my electorate is ADA, Australian Defence Apparel. Part of the most recent contract that they won was all manufactured overseas. So it is great that ADA gets to be the importer—not the producer, not the builder and not the manufacturer but the importer!

When it comes to the RET, this government's indecision and its want and push to water down the RET are hurting small businesses in my electorate—not just the small manufacturers that we have but the installers. People are saying that, until this government comes clean and actually declares its intention around the RET, business will continue to stall.

Another area that other speakers have mentioned where this government has backed away from real and practical assistance to business is repealing the $5 billion worth of tax assistance allowing cash flow for small businesses. Cash flow is critical to small business. I remember that from when I used to work in my parents' small business. It is all about cash flow. Providing assistance which supports cash flow is the reform that this government has repealed. It has repealed the instant tax write-off, which helped cash flow. It has repealed the carry-back tax loss write-off. These are practical measures that this government has repealed. This government keeps talking about being the best friend of small business, but we have failed to see any real reform to suggest that. Instead, we have just seen further attacks in other areas that help small business.

Debate adjourned.

See this speech in context