Ken O'Dowd (Flynn, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Small Business. Will the minister advise the House why the government's commitment to delivering affordable and reliable energy is important for the success of our small business sector, including in my electorate of Flynn? Are there any threats which will put small business and the jobs of hardworking Australians at risk?

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'll take the question from the member for Flynn in a minute, but I probably need to take the 'supplementary question' about the notes. I don't have any notes, just like the member for Maribyrnong has no vision, has no policy plan when it comes to energy and, quite frankly, as many say, has no scruples.

As far as the member for Flynn's question is concerned, he would buy and sell most of those opposite—all of those opposite, in fact—before breakfast when it comes to business acumen, and they should know that. He represents 16,821 small businesses in his electorate. One of those is Biggenden Meatworks, run by Peter Gibbs. It is the biggest employer in that little town—52 people, it employs—and it is one of the largest employers in the North Burnett. Peter's energy usage has halved, and yet his energy costs have risen by more than 70 per cent. This has to stop.

Tim Rose, who runs Southern Oil Refining in my hometown of Wagga Wagga, also has an oil refinery in Gladstone. The member for Flynn and I opened that particular facility, and they employ a lot of people. The energy bill that Tim is paying in Wagga Wagga at his Southern Oil refinery has risen by $140,000 per year. That's the equivalent of two jobs. Two jobs mightn't seem much to those opposite, but in the Northern Oil Refinery in Gladstone his energy costs are even higher. This has to stop, and it is stopping because of the National Energy Guarantee providing affordable and reliable power and providing a policy initiative those opposite would never come up with, because they've got no vision. They've got no plan. They are just subservient to the unions.

We have a plan. We have reserved gas exports for domestic supply. We have abolished the limited merits review. There is Snowy 2.0, in the member for Eden-Monaro's electorate. He should be more supportive of that because it is going to provide not just thousands of jobs in the building and construction phase, but, indeed, power for half a million homes and small businesses on the eastern grid. Not only that, but for Adaminaby, Cooma, Tumut and Talbingo it's providing an upsurge in their local economies.

I'm asked what the threats are. The threats are those opposite, because they are a job-destroying party. We are the party for small business. That's why we have lowered the tax rate to 27½ per cent, the lowest it's been since 1940—the lowest it's been for 77 years. We have also— (Time expired)