Bruce Billson (Dunkley, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Small Business, Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Macy Gray’s 1999 debut album has a song on it called Why Didn’t You Call Me? That must be the tune which small business organisations are hearing in their heads. What happened was that the Labor government went out of their way to show an interest in small business when they were seeking election in 2007 and they have done precious little ever since—300,000 jobs have been lost in small businesses around Australia while the government boasts about jobs growth more generally in the economy.

To add insult to injury, what must Prime Minister Gillard have been thinking when she appointed Senator Sherry as Minister for Small Business. Senator Sherry has a reputation of hostility to small business. When he was the Assistant Treasure he went after independent contractors and the self-employed, after going to those people in the spirit of Macy Gray, getting all close and personal prior to 2007, assuring them there would be no change to the personal services income tax regime, that Labor can be trusted, that the more than two million people who derive their livelihood from self-employment could rest assured with Labor—no change. But what have we learnt now?

Since that time and during the last term of government, Prime Minister Gillard, the Assistant Treasurer and other Labor ministers have been meeting with a gaggle of unions to do over independent contractors. Macy Gray may have a song which is attractive, but this Labor government is far from attractive to the small business community. It is about time they took seriously this significant section of our economy. They should give them a call. They are yet to speak to them and it is nearly three weeks since ministers were appointed.