Bernie Ripoll (Oxley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader for Small Business) Share this | Hansard source

How embarrassing it must be for the government to come into this place, after carrying on ridiculously for 22 days, saying Labor must get out of the road and support the budget's tax measures and small business package. This is where the rubber hits the road, this is where we are right now: we can do it immediately. Let's not waste one more minute. Let's get on with the job. If Tony Abbott and the government say that want to support small business, then Labor says let's get on with it, let's do it. Today will be the 23rd day that small business have had uncertainty from this government. They do not get the tax measures that are in the budget. This government is holding it up. This is the 23rd day, yet they come into this place every day saying Labor should do everything it can to support these measures.

Well, here we are. The test is right before us, right now. Let's have them all come into the House. Let's not talk about this ad infinitum. Let's do it right now. Let's support small business. Let's support the tax measures that are in the budget. We just gave the government that opportunity—no more talk; talk is cheap. Let's vote on it and let's do it right now. We moved to put these bills before the House, to put the motion, to give small business the certainty they need, because their certainty and confidence is being destroyed. For 22 days this government, Tony Abbott, has been talking down the possibility that this just might not get through the parliament. 'Let's get a lot of uncertainty out there', the Liberals say. 'Let's make sure we scare the living daylights out of small business. Let's make sure we get out there and create the uncertain environment that small business certainly does not need.' I will come back to that point in a minute and tell you about what that uncertainty has done over the past two years that this government has been in and the damage that has been done to our economy and to small business.

So, no more of this false 'We support small business' and the rest of it. How embarrassing it must be to have to speak on this. Why are you going to waste the parliament's time speaking on this? Why? Let's just put these bills. You can speak about this to your small business friends all the time.

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