Sarah Henderson (Corangamite, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Small Business. Will the minister inform the House how small businesses in my electorate of Corangamite can take advantage of the government's budget? How are our budget measures helping small businesses have a go across the nation?

Bruce Billson (Dunkley, Liberal Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is great to get a question from the member for Corangamite. I was very fortunate to be with the member for Corangamite shortly after the budget, visiting Colac and one of Greater Melbourne's two great peninsulas, the Bellarine Peninsula, and back to Geelong. We did not get to meet all of the 11,500 small businesses in her electorate, but we got to meet plenty of them.

The small business forum at Colac was extremely positive, and there was such an upbeat and positive atmosphere at the packed house at Truffleduck, hosted by the Geelong Business Chamber. Everyone was energised by the budget. Not only did they respond positively; they were really quite taken by the new opportunities—some of the best policy settings from the best small business government that ever has been in this parliament, delivering the best small business package for their interests and their support.

And we are already starting to see some benefits. Andrew Cleary runs a 90-year-young small family business, JB Scott. It is a family agricultural supply business that has provided, 90 years, almost a century of service for that region. And even those businesses that have been around that long are enchanted by the small business package. Mr Cleary said:

As a business owner, I have found the government's initiatives a fantastic move.

I could not have said it better myself.

My June turnover has been bolstered by the incentive.

The incentive that Mr Cleary was talking about was the immediate deductibility of business purchases for small businesses with a turnover of under $2 million for expenditures up to $20,000 time and time again that supports their business growth and their opportunities. But he was also referring to the instant asset write-off for water and fencing investment that the agricultural minister argued so strongly for.

Ms Butler interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Griffith is warned.

Bruce Billson (Dunkley, Liberal Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The accelerated depreciation for animal food and fodder storage are all part of this package. We are seeing tangible benefits coming out of this package. As the Treasurer alluded to just a few moments ago, the Commonwealth Bank business sales indicator is recording economy-wide uplift as a consequence of the budget. The Treasurer pointed to the May figures but what he did not mention was the CBA as saying these figures now are so far above the decade-long trend, something is happening in our economy.

What is happening in our economy is an Abbott government focused on the small business economy, getting behind the hay balers, the baristas, Tony's tradies that are buying building equipment, and the business services businesses that Joe talked about. We are interested in all small businesses because it is in all of our interests as a nation to get behind small business. They are a driver of growth and opportunity. They provide almost half of all the private sector workforce, and we have all got a job to do to recover from the damage and harm of an indifferent Labor government.

Mr Albanese interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Grayndler is warned.

Bruce Billson (Dunkley, Liberal Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Bill Shorten could not even manage to mention the two-thirds that are unincorporated. We are behind the small businesses of Australia.