Nicolle Flint (Boothby, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs. Will the minister outline to the House how the government is backing Australian businesses and supporting job growth through tax relief and an innovative visa program? How does this compare with other attitudes?

Alan Tudge (Aston, Liberal Party, Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Boothby for her question. She, like all members on this side of the chamber, is backing every business, small and large, to grow, because we know on this side of the chamber that, when businesses grow, they employ more people, they generate more wealth and they create more money with which we can fund the essential services that we need: the schools, the hospitals, the PBS listings. There are businesses such as Global Pumps in her electorate. It is a 40-person business earning revenues between $10 million and $20 million. It's exporting to the world. We want to back that business to the hilt. We want it to be not a 40-person business but an 80-person business, and consequently we are delivering tax cuts for Global Pumps.

Not only that, we're building infrastructure so that they can get their product around the country more easily. We're developing trade schemes; the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment is signing more export trade agreements so they can export more. In my space we're developing innovative visa products so that, if they can't find Australian skills to do the jobs, we'll have visas to enable them to attract the best and brightest from around the world to enable that business to continue to grow. Certainly, from next month the Global Talent Scheme will be kicking off to allow businesses like it to attract the best and brightest from around the world.

The contrast between us and the Leader of the Opposition is absolutely stark. With the Leader of the Opposition, when he looks at a businesses like Global Pumps he doesn't see a family owned business, which he wants to back and wants to grow—no, he sees the big end of town. He sees the big end of town that needs to be punished. He sees a Collins Street business of fat cats, apparently, that should have their taxes go up even further, and that's exactly what the Leader of the Opposition is promising—not a tax cut, but a tax increase.

The interesting thing is the Leader of the Opposition does not have everybody behind him. There are differences of opinion on that other side of the chamber. We know that there's the crouching tiger over there in the member for Grayndler. He's ready there to pounce. He doesn't agree. We also know there are hidden dragons on their side who are briefing out to Simon Benson, saying that they do not like the position which the Leader of the Opposition is taking either.

We are backing business. We are backing businesses like Global Pumps, because we want them to grow. The Leader of the Opposition should also back these businesses, ditch those company tax increases and let these companies grow. (Time expired)

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.