Ross Vasta (Bonner, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to acknowledge the hard work of small businesses in my electorate of Bonner.

Bonner is home to over 12,317 small businesses. This is a significant portion of my constituents who either have a small business or who are employed by small businesses. This week I had the pleasure in speaking to Mr Mark Betz from Bartons Bayside car dealership in Wynnum. Mark is selling more cars than ever to small business owners, who are jumping at the opportunity to take up the instant asset write-off. Mark told me that this budget measure alone is worth around $6,000 or $7,000 to small businesses come tax time. That is real businesses, making real savings and adding to the value of their business.

Each and every day small businesses across Bonner put their own skin into the game and rely upon nothing but their own ingenuity, ideas and hard work to see a future for themselves and for their families. Measures such as the instant asset write off and the reduction in the company tax rate support business and aim to make what at times can be the risky venture of opening and operating a small business a little easier.

This government is the government for small businesses. Many of us on this side of the House understand small business because we come from small business. We understand that real, lasting jobs come from the expansion of small- and medium-sized businesses.

Once again, thank you to the small businesses in my electorate. I commend them to the House.