Ash Ambihaipahar (Barton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to respond to this motion from the member for Goldstein. Let me say this upfront: if there was an Olympic sport for talking down to small business while claiming to champion it, the member for Goldstein would be on that podium every single time. Here's the truth: while those opposite are busy delivering us lectures, this government is delivering outcomes—real support, real reform, real relief—for the 2.66 million small businesses which are the pillar of our economy and the beating heart of our communities. It's the cafe that opens very early, like The Little Cup and Saucer cafe in Canterbury. It's the tradie in Kingsgrove who backs himself to go out every day. It's the family run chicken shop, Hariri, in Kogarah, sponsoring the Banksia Tigers Football Club. Small businesses don't just operate in our communities; they hold them together. And what have we done? We've backed them. We've delivered tax cuts, some already in place and more coming out this year and the next, benefiting 1.5 million sole traders—the very tax cuts those opposite labelled a cruel hoax. Imagine telling Australian sole traders that their relief is imagined. That's not economic policy; that is political theatre, and we've seen it today.

We've legislated the instant asset write-off so small businesses can invest in the tools, tech and equipment that they need to grow productivity and jobs. We're improving payment times with a $33.4 million investment, including an overhauled Payment Times Reporting Scheme and a fast payers list to shine a spotlight on small businesses that aren't paying on time and small businesses that are, because we know cash flow is very important for small businesses. We've rolled out more than $80 million in digital and cyber supports, from the Digital Solutions program to Cyber Wardens, because we know resilience in the modern economy isn't just about foot traffic; it's also about firewalls. We've backed energy efficiency grants, helping businesses cut bills and emissions, and we're reforming procurement rules through the Buy Australian Plan so small and medium enterprises get a fair crack at government contracts, not just the big end of town with the biggest lobbying budget. And yes, we're fixing franchising laws with a stronger code enforced by the ACCC because small operators deserve transparency and fairness, not fine print set-ups.

And let's address the elephant in the room: interest rates. The independent Reserve Bank has increased the cash rate by 25 basis points. That is tough news. It will hurt households and small businesses, and we acknowledge that. Unlike those opposite, we don't pretend these pressures don't exist or come into this House complaining about problems; we actually respond to them. We're delivering responsible cost-of-living relief with further tax cuts this year and next, and we're strengthening the budget while tackling productivity—the real long-term driver of sustainable growth for small business.

When it comes to fiscal credibility, let's compare records. We've turned two big Liberal deficits into two Labor surpluses. We more than halved the deficit in the third year. We found 114 billion bucks in savings, including $20 billion in the most recent update, while the coalition failed to deliver a single cent of savings in their last budget. Not a single cent—doughnuts. Yet we have to listen to lectures on economic management.

Real spending growth averaged 4.1 per cent under the coalition compared to 1.7 per cent under us. So, when we hear crocodile tears about spending, forgive us if we have to check the receipts. Let's talk about energy, because small business owners don't pay their power bills on ideology. After a decade of delay, dysfunction and denial, we are rebuilding the grid with the lowest-cost form of energy, renewables. Wholesale electricity prices fell by a third last quarter, and our job is now to get that relief flowing to the retail bills of households and small businesses. We're reforming the default market offer to ensure small businesses pay a fair price. We've rolled out the Cheaper Home Batteries Program, with thousands of installations already helping businesses take control of their energy bills rather than holding them hostage to price increases. We've invested in the Fair Work Ombudsman advisory services, in the Fair Work Commission and in tailored resources so small businesses can understand new laws without needing any in-house legal team, because we recognise that small businesses don't have HR departments; they have owners who do payroll on a dining table after closing shop.

So when the member for Goldstein stands here, implying small businesses are somehow being ignored, I say this: small businesses don't need slogans; they need support. And that is exactly what we are delivering. Here's the bold truth: small business owners see through this. They know who's turning up with real solutions. (Time expired)

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