Gai Brodtmann (Canberra, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today in support of small businesses right across the country who have been doing it tough since this government was elected. That is why I find it absolutely galling that those opposite can claim to be the best friend of businesses when, as my colleagues have discussed today, business confidence has fallen over the course of this government, consumer confidence has fallen over the course of this government and unemployment has risen. That has had a huge impact on small businesses.

A particular case is what has happened in my electorate of Canberra, which has been devastated, once again, by a coalition government. We saw it in 1996 when the Howard government came into office. What did they do to Canberra? They absolutely decimated it. It just underscores the coalition government's complete contempt for Canberra and their complete contempt for public servants, the servants of democracy that serve this government and that served the government then.

What happened to Canberra in 1996? We saw 30,000 public servants right across the country lose their jobs. We saw 15,000 public servants here in Canberra lose their jobs. That had a huge knock-on effect on the local economy and also the capital regional economy. Business bankruptcies went up. Businesses closed down. Local shops closed down. People left town. We saw a reduction in the population here in Canberra, we saw unemployment go up and we saw personal bankruptcies go up. That was 1996. Fast forward to 2013, when this government was elected. What did we see? Again, a huge whack to small businesses in this town. Coalition governments have form on having a huge negative impact on Canberra. What have we seen since this government was elected? We have seen 8,500 public servants lose their jobs.

Mr Ewen Jones interjecting—

As we saw in 1996, you cannot take 8,500 Public Service jobs away and expect to have zero effect on the economy. Since this government was elected, 8,500 Public Service jobs have gone, and we have seen small business confidence fall through the floor.

I say to the member for Herbert there, as I say to many members both on this side of the aisle and on the other side of the aisle: go to Canberra businesses and actually have a conversation with them. Do not just order dinner or a glass of wine—

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