Joanna Gash (Gilmore, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Minister for Small Business and Tourism. Would the minister update the House on how the government’s workplace relations reforms are helping small businesses around Australia? Are there any threats to this support?

Fran Bailey (McEwen, Liberal Party, Minister for Small Business and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Gilmore for her question and for her very strong advocacy on behalf of the small businesses in her electorate. Work Choices has freed small business from the burden of having to pay ‘go away money’. Work Choices has streamlined the agreement-making process between employers and employees, and it has reduced red tape. Since Work Choices was introduced, 175,000 jobs have been created. They have been created by people like Mr Phil Connolly, a small businessman from up on the Gold Coast.

Chris Bowen (Prospect, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order, Under standing order 66, in the past whips have been given some discretion to walk around the chamber. Given your ruling before, I would ask you to bring the Chief Government Whip to order.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In response to the member for Prospect, I would suggest he probably means standing order 62. I note that the Chief Government Whip is in his seat. The minister has the call.

Fran Bailey (McEwen, Liberal Party, Minister for Small Business and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was on the point of explaining how those 175,000 jobs have been created by small business people like Mr Phil Connolly from the Gold Coast. I was asked by the member for Gilmore if there are any threats to these benefits for small business that Work Choices has achieved. I have to say that, yes, there are. Let me quote from a small businessman, Mr Connolly, who said, ‘Labor does not care and is not listening to small business. Mr Beazley just does not appear to understand how small business works.’ He said, ‘I am concerned to hear that Mr Beazley would abolish AWAs and rip up Work Choices should Labor win government.’

Small business people like Mr Connolly do feel threatened. The Australian Labor Party just have not come clean about the fact that they are working hand in hand with the ACTU to develop any policy for small business. It would be the only time that the Leader of the Opposition would be content to sit quietly and listen to the ACTU and allow them to speak for him rather than having something to say himself. Business is very concerned about this.

Kim Beazley (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Beazley interjecting

Fran Bailey (McEwen, Liberal Party, Minister for Small Business and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition obviously is not.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will not respond to interjections.

Fran Bailey (McEwen, Liberal Party, Minister for Small Business and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Business is very concerned. Let me say—they might not want to hear it—that Melinda Cilento, from the Business Council of Australia, who holds the position, of course, of the Chief Economist, has said:

... the ACTU was providing far more detail on workplace policy than the Labor Party, which heightened “concerns about the direction of ALP policy”.

In summary, we simply know that this further reinforces what the Leader of the Opposition has said on so many occasions, and I will remind him constantly that the Australian Labor Party has never pretended to be the party of small business.

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.