Tim Wilson (Goldstein, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Small Business) Share this | Hansard source

I will start by saying what a wonderful speech that was from the federal member for Moore. Finally, we have a member of the Labor Party who isn't a neo-puritan. Finally, we have a member of the Labor Party who actually believes that people have a right to have fun and live their lives as they see fit, who respects their capacity to do so, and who actually believes there is a place in society for people to have the freedom to choose how to live their lives. It was one of the most refreshing and enjoyable speeches I've heard in this chamber in the many years I've been here. I say this with great affection. It was one of the most passionate speeches I've heard him give. So I say: more of this. More of this principle of freedom to choose. Now just put it into absolutely everything else in the legislative agenda put forward! But I know I'm going to be disappointed.

I consider this to be the high-water mark of the member for Moore's career. He has reached his Everest. Sadly, I doubt it's going to go much further up from here, but that's okay. I nonetheless want to congratulate him, because he's right. When you've got so many people in communities around the country catching up at a pub and enjoying a beer on their terms, good luck to them. It's their life and their choice. Of course, it's great to have people be sociable. But we also need to remind ourselves that you don't need to have alcohol to be sociable. Even the member for Fremantle, with his puritan lifestyle, is sometimes sociable as well, and there are other members on the other side of the chamber who are also sociable despite not necessarily choosing their way through to conversation. I know I'm casting aspersions on the member, and if it offends him I will, on this occasion, withdraw. I'm happy to do so.

But I do support this Excise Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025 and the Customs Tariff Amendment (Draught Beer) Bill 2025. We support these bills for simple reasons. It's because we fully believe (1) in lower taxes, (2) in the freedom to choose, and (3) in the idea that it's good to be able to give reprieve, as the shadow assistant minister for financial services believes himself in saying that the coalition actively pursued exactly the same sorts of measures in the lead-up to the election. We fundamentally believe that we shouldn't be punitive; we shouldn't seek to chase down or to hunt or to haunt people for simply going about living their lives. It's very different from, for instance, the approach the current government is taking in other areas of excise regulation, where they're active participants in fuelling organised crime, criminal gangs and the firebombing of small businesses—something that is utterly insane, but that is exactly where we are right now.

So, I'm glad to see, again, that the member for Moore, the member for Fremantle and other members understand that perhaps, sometimes, just increasing taxes in perpetuity isn't necessarily the best policy answer. Sometimes it can have an unintended consequence too.

Anyway, let's get off the firebombing of small businesses and the fuelling of organised criminal gangs by the Commonwealth government, and let's look at breweries and who will benefit from this legislation. Let's go to the good electorate of Goldstein. In the electorate of Goldstein, we actually have, believe it or not, in or around the vicinity, quite a few local breweries. We always want to say cheers people who are backing themselves to be successful. In Cheltenham, there's Amber Brewery. It's a business that began as a dream shared between two mates, Kieron Hewitt and Alex Kutlajevs, who turned their passion for quality beer into a thriving local brewery. In Moorabbin, we've got Bad Shepherd Brewing Co., which I've been to. It was founded by husband-and-wife team Dereck and Diti Hales. Dereck started out brewing award-winning home brews while Diti, with her love of quality dining, American-style barbeque and expertise in brand marketing, helped turn that passion into a genuine community venue. Also in Moorabbin we've got Stomping Ground brewery, which was established in 2016 by Steve Jeffares, Guy Greenstone and Justin Joiner, after their success with a local tap house in St Kilda. In less than a decade, Stomping Ground has grown into Australia's champion large independent brewery. And we have 2 Brothers Brewery, another great local success story of hard work.

Of course, it's not just those breweries, where they produce the quality liquid amber ale, it's also the local pubs that which play such an important part of the social infrastructure of our community. I say this because it's one of the things that people perhaps don't know about my personal background: my parents were publicans. I grew up in pubs. I share the member for Moore's passion for pubs as part of the social infrastructure of the community. They bring people together. They bring people on their terms, whether it's for their social engagements for sporting clubs or whether it's just somewhere to go, after they knock off after a long day, to be able to find their friends. We live in a free society. Everybody finds their own place and their own home in their own different way. That's why we fully respect the important role that pubs play.

I know that Ferg from the AHA will, of course, love to know that he and his industry are always in our thoughts and prayers. I saw him on Saturday, and the first thing he talked to me about was beer excise. It's not really that surprising. He's very consistent on that and always has an ask, but that's okay because we believe in the freedom to choose, and he knows that I will always stand up for pubs because they play such an important part.

It doesn't matter which pub it is. The Sandy, in Sandringham, is important one. One of my favourites is the McKinnon Hotel. Not only is the food outstanding but the pulled beer is fantastic. Hotel Brighton is where I spent way too many nights during my campaign. After long days—particularly after the summer sun—I hit Hotel Brighton. To the good folks at Hotel Brighton: keep up the great work. Believe it or not, the pub where my parents met was once called Hotel Central. It is now called the Half Moon, and it is a place that I regularly visit in Church Street, Brighton. The Brighton Beach Hotel is a regular for many people, particularly after Saturday afternoon footy. There is Hotel New Bay in Brighton as well—G'day to Cieran—the Bentleigh Social and the Camden Hotel in Caulfield South. These, of course, are not just places to drink but the heart of the community—places of connection, friendship and belonging. But these businesses—

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