Darren Cheeseman (Corangamite, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs and the Minister for Small Business, Independent Contractors and the Service Economy. What support is the government providing to 2.4 million small businesses across Australia? Are all small business owners, like other Australians, expected to comply with the rules of disclosure and accountability?

Craig Emerson (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Finance Minister on Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Corangamite for his question. The Rudd government have supported Australia’s small businesses through the global recession, and we continue to support small businesses during the economic recovery phase. They need our support because they are still struggling. We recognise that and we want to support them in a number of important ways. But at every turn the coalition in opposition have tried to undermine the support that this government has been providing for small business. The coalition voted against our stimulus package designed to help our tradies and the small businesses that supply them. The coalition have indicated that, if elected, they would scrap the small business tax breaks. Why would you do that? They say they are the party of small business, but they would scrap our small business tax breaks. The coalition have said that they would pull the plug on the National Broadband Network, which would be so important to our small business community.

Australia’s 2.4 million small businesses are required to follow the rules, and we are helping them to do that. We are helping them to follow the rules with Standard Business Reporting, which will start on 1 July, enabling small businesses to meet their compliance obligations with the Commonwealth through the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and to meet their tax obligations with a real reduction in red tape. We are helping small business comply with their superannuation obligations through the superannuation clearing house that will come into force on 1 July again, in just a couple of weeks time. The Rudd government is creating a national business names registration system so that those small businesses that operate across state boundaries do not have to register their business name in each and every state and territory and make those renewals every couple of years.

Small business owners, like all Australians, are expected to comply with these basic rules of disclosure and accountability, and parliamentarians are among those Australians who are expected to comply with their obligations of disclosure and accountability. Yet of course the Leader of the Opposition failed for two years to disclose a $700,000—

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order. Under standing order 98(c):

(c)

A Minister can only be questioned on the following matters, for which he or she is responsible …

(i)

public affairs;

(ii)

administration; or

(iii)

proceedings pending in the House.

The minister for small business has absolutely no responsibility for the pecuniary interests of the House, therefore his answer at the moment could not possibly be relevant to the question he was asked.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

First of all, the Manager of Opposition Business has based his point of order on the standing orders relating to questions. I am just indicating that that is the case. Therefore, it relates to the question. The question was in order. He then makes a point that he would like that to then apply to the answer. He quite correctly has understood that he cannot directly use the matters that can or cannot be contained in a question to dictate that. The suggestion is that there is a thread between the intent of the standing orders on the questions and what should be contained in the answers. House of Representatives Practice actually has a good discussion about that but has indicated that—despite, from time to time, the Procedure Committee offering comments—there has been no attempt to address the standing orders. In this case, without ruling the minister out of order, I indicate to the member for Sturt that I will listen carefully to the way in which the minister relates the material that he is producing to the question that was in order.

Wilson Tuckey (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on the point of order: there are some requirements placed on members as to the reporting of their financial affairs. My clear understanding is that the detail of those amounts is not public property, and nor should it be. Any attempt to disclose that is contempt of this parliament and its standing orders.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On the point of order—and not wishing to muddy the waters of where we are at at this stage—the member for O’Connor realises that the register is made available for public perusal.

Wilson Tuckey (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

But not the dollars.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This was the point. If the member for O’Connor could just sit there for a second and listen: the amount is not in the pecuniary interest.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! I cannot go further into where amounts come from. The minister has the call. I have indicated to him that he must relate the material he is using to the question.

Craig Emerson (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Finance Minister on Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was asked whether all Australians, not just small businesses, should meet their obligations of accountability and transparency. Of course, small businesses should meet their obligations of accountability and transparency, and that is what we are helping them to do. But there should be one rule for all Australians, whether they are small business owners, whether they are parliamentarians, whether they are working Australians or whether they are companies—and that is my point. I am not suggesting that this case was anything but an oversight.

Wilson Tuckey (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Tuckey interjecting

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I really think from time to time that the member for O’Connor should think about the way in which he is not really assisting. One of the things that I have to say as the Speaker is that, when I am asked to make sure that a minister is actually answering a question in a certain way, I am supposed to possess a wealth of knowledge and to know all the answers. I only say that in the context of some comments which have been made by way of interjection in the last minute or two, which I do not know the background of and which are, therefore, a bit difficult for me to act upon. Certain people who are making those interjections should temper them. I am listening carefully to the matters that are now being raised by the minister. I would prefer some members to keep their comments to themselves.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Mackellar, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Seniors) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop interjecting

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Mackellar should know—she has been here long enough—that it is not helpful to carry on in the way that she is at the moment. The minister will relate his material to the question.

Craig Emerson (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Finance Minister on Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I was asked: should there be a single standard of reporting and accountability for all Australians, whether they are small businesses or other Australians? And I am directly answering that question. The answer is that there is a double standard. There is a double standard going on in this parliament.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of view. I listened very carefully before to your quite correct and lengthy description of the standing orders in respect of this matter in relation to my last point of order. I think in addition to what I said before that there is a line of bad taste in this House, which obviously the Leader of the House and the Prime Minister think is reasonable to have crossed on this occasion, but the response from the opposition is, unfortunately, commensurate with the attack on the Leader of the Opposition. I would ask you to ask him to sit down for the benefit of the House.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. I have listened for the 20 seconds that the minister was on his feet. There is nothing that he has transgressed in that 20 seconds. The minister has the call.

Craig Emerson (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Finance Minister on Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I will bring my answer to a close by observing that there is a double standard. There is a born-to-rule mentality on the other side of this parliament—the famous ‘victory is at hand’.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Goldstein will resume his seat. The member for Goldstein has approached the dispatch box. I am indicating to him that he can approach the dispatch box but he must have a point of order.

Andrew Robb (Goldstein, Liberal Party, Chairman of the Coalition Policy Development Committee) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, surely a filthy smear campaign cannot be relevant.

Andrew Laming (Bowman, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You were so much better, Kevin.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Before I deal with the members for O’Connor and Goldstein, the member for Bowman will go for one hour under standing order 94(a), and I indicate to the House that this is an illustration of the failure of 94(a) because people now think that one hour is a reward. In dealing with the member for Goldstein, he will leave the chamber for one hour under 94(a), because exactly the same thing that he had one hour for he has repeated. The member for O’Connor, because he is displaying things, waving around and interrupting proceedings, will leave for one hour as well.

The members for Bowman, Goldstein and O’Connor then left the chamber.

The minister has the call. He will bring his answer to a conclusion.

Craig Emerson (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Finance Minister on Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

All we are asking for is consistency in standard. This man is a risk to the Australian economy.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will resume his place.