Aaron Violi (Casey, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'm very lucky to represent the electorate of Casey. It's where I've spent my life as a third-generation local. One of the core parts of our community is our small businesses, and I spent 15 years, prior to politics, working in and with small business. I always make sure I talk about the strength of our small businesses but acknowledge their challenges and make sure we are making a difference in their lives—because small business, really, is the heartbeat of a community like mine. They do so much to give back, sponsoring football clubs, any charity, any organisation—a small business will be there giving back. I get to go to many footy clubs and many cricket clubs. A lot of clubs have the signage around the side. Deputy Speaker, you will know, representing your electorate, that they are all small and family businesses. I've not seen a large multinational sponsoring any of our local clubs.

When our small businesses are strong, our families are strong, because every small business is a family business. It might be a first-generation new business or a second- or third-generation, but someone in that family has taken a risk. They have put on the line their final safety to create something, to create a better life for themselves and for their children. Earning a wage is important. I've worked as an employer before, and it's important that we have that. There is a sense of security knowing that every week or every fortnight the money that you've earnt as a wage will go into your account, but there is that insecurity for small business owners and sacrifices that they make. In many ways, it takes a level of courage, and it is a family endeavour, because it's not just the husband or the wife; many times, both are in the business. If a wife is running the business, the husband also carries the financial stress of that irregular pay. The sad reality under the Albanese Labor government is that we've seen record insolvencies for small business. We've seen more small businesses going under. That means more families not being able to provide the financial security that their family needs, that their kids need, that the community needs. So we need a strong small-business sector to have strong families so he we have strong communities, and that ladders up to a strong nation.

But this government has abandoned small businesses. We do not hear them talk at all about small business in this country. In the last term of parliament, this government, through the Minister for Small Business, brought forward only one bill in three years to help small and family businesses in our country. They have been completely abandoned. Since the election result on 3 May, we have not heard this government talk about the need to help and support small business. They have continued to vacate the field, continued to let families down.

I was proud to be part of a coalition government—you hear a bit of spin from those opposite about our policies at the last election, but I was proud of our policies when it came to small business, and I will continue to work internally to make sure we bring forward positive policies to help small business. Our three-year entrepreneurship accelerator program was a brilliant program that allowed new businesses in their first two years to reduce tax on the first $200,000 of taxable income that they earn. Many small and family businesses in those first couple of years don't earn that taxable income, but, when they did, we were going to let them keep more of it, because we knew that every small and family business would put it back into the business to continue to grow. We also, despite the government cutting the instant asset write-off, committed to making it permanent and increasing it to $30,000 for businesses.

I've spoken before about the importance of the digital economy and the tech sector for our country and for our businesses. That's why we had a policy that, if a tech spend for a small business with under $10 million of revenue exceeded $4,000, they would receive a tax deduction of $2,000 to encourage them to continue to invest in technology to drive productivity and to ensure that their business was sustainable into the long term. There is so much more that needs to be done to help our small businesses. They essentially want us to create a framework so the economy is strong so that they can go about their business. That's what we need to do. That's what this government is failing to do. But there are ways, as I've just outlined, that we can continue to support them. All of these initiatives are unique because they're not handouts of cash to these businesses. That's not what they're asking for. They're saying: 'If I'm investing in my business through technology, partner with me. Let me have a bit of that back as tax relief.' That's what they deserve.

If small business is the heart of our economy and our community in Casey, roads are a crucial part of the infrastructure to allow our businesses to thrive and to allow the community to go about their day. We do not have close networks where schools are five minutes away. We're an electorate of 2,700 square kilometres, and people have to drive hours at a time to get the support that they need. The roads in Casey and in Victoria aren't up to scratch. It's harder for families to get to school, tradies to get to work or locals to get to shops and appointments. It is very dangerous. I've had experiences when living and driving in our community where I have hit potholes that have resulted in dangerous situations for me and my family, and I hear about this time and time again from our community. It also drives the cost of living up for our community to replace tyres and to pay for mechanical work.

It is completely unacceptable in 2025 that the roads in Casey are not first-class roads. The state Labor government and the Albanese Labor government have continued to pull money out of road maintenance in our state and in my community, and it is unacceptable. It impacts the businesses of Casey, particularly our farmers and agricultural businesses. When they are trying to take their quality produce to the markets, Woolworths, Coles or the shops, potholes damage the produce, resulting in wastage and cost for our businesses. As the member for Flinders knows, we have a lot of tradies in Casey, and they find it hard when their utes—their tool of the trade—are damaged and off the road. This costs them time and money. One day, the electorate of Flinders might get more tradies than in Casey, but it's not today.

It's important we continue to invest in these projects. A project I've spoken about a lot—and I will continue to talk about until the Allan Labor government get their act together—is the Maroondah Highway and Killara Road in Coldstream. In 2019, the Liberal government gave the state government $20 million to deliver the project. In 2025, we are still waiting, despite the Allan Labor government committing to start the project at the end of 2024 and the start of 2025. This is a road that impacts tourism; it impacts safety; it impacts all of our local community. The state government have been holding this money for almost six years. It's time they get on and deliver the project.

When I'm out doorknocking and talking to my community, one of the concerns that is raised the most is the increase in crime we're experiencing in Victoria. It's heartbreaking to hear the stories of people fearing for their lives and to see the videos and the testimonials. Criminal incidents in the Yarra Ranges area of my community are up 22.1 per cent; in Nillumbik, 38 per cent; and in Manningham, 9.8 per cent. These aren't statistics; these are real people that are impacted by these incidents. The Allan Labor government has failed the Victorian people time and time again.

That's why I'm backing Brad Battin and our local state MPs Bridget Vallence, Cindy McLeish, David Hodgett and Nicole Werner—to make sure that they can keep Victorians safe. They've got a simple plan. If you break bail, you will face jail. It's not that complicated. There have to be consequences for your actions. This plan is going to close loopholes, end the exemptions and restore real consequences for criminal behaviour. That is what we need. We need to feel safe in our community. If you commit a crime and there are no consequences, you will feel embolden to do it again and again. I've heard stories from local police officers who have been taunted by criminals that are saying: 'Lock me up. I'll be back here in our community before you get back from the magistrates court.' And that's what happens—local criminals commit a crime, get bail, turn up at a police station and taunt the police officers because the police do not have the support they need. Brad Battin and the state Liberals have a plan to make sure all Victorians are safe, and I'm backing them in November of 2026.

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