Andrew Gee (Calare, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. Will the Deputy Prime Minister update the House on how the government is supporting small businesses in regional Australia, including in the central west of New South Wales, and is the Deputy Prime Minister aware of any roadblocks to tax reliefs for regional Australians?

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Calare for his question. When the regions are strong, so too is our nation. We certainly see that at the moment writ large—

Mr Bowen interjecting—

Don't you start! Seriously, member for McMahon, you wouldn't know a region if you saw one. Quite frankly, your leader wouldn't either. He's covered more territory than Burke and Wills or Tony Burke and the member for Wills lately. Quite frankly, he did Glenn Robbins proud. Russell Coight would have been laughing when he—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Deputy Prime Minister will come back to the question and ignore the interjections.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

went into the regions and starting talking about, 'My mic is not on, so I can't say what I'm thinking!' Further to the member for Calare's question, the Liberals and Nationals have delivered historic tax relief for hardworking mums and dads and for businesses right throughout the Central West of New South Wales. They are doing it tough. They need every dollar that they can get so that they can reinvest it in their own business, because that's what good small businesses do. They get a bit of tax relief and reinvest it in their own business. They give that young Australian their first start or they give that the older Australian—who might be transitioning from one long career and have fallen on hard times—a new career. They get work with a small business, particularly one in a regional area who is willing to give them a go.

There is Barkers Butchery in Oberon, which I visited with the member of Calare. It is a good little small business. It was part of my small business road show; I dropped in there. Wayne Barker has had the business since 1978. He is having a go. They're the sorts of people who we want to back; they're the sorts of people who the Treasurer is backing with the historic tax relief. It is the lowest tax rate for 78 years, which was brought about thanks to a Liberals and Nationals government. There is Akehurst Bakery in Blayney. It's is owned by Matthew and Denise Hutchison. It is another great little small business in the Central West.

The Central West is doing it tough because of the drought, but we are there backing them with tax relief. We are also backing infrastructure, such as $2.3 million of bridge replacements, making sure that these regional communities are connected and making sure that we get those vital linkage points from the farm gate to the rail line, or on better roads, to the ports and to the markets. There are our free trade agreements that we've been able to broker with South Korea, Japan, China and Peru. That was thanks to the good work by the trade minister and his assistant, the member for Parkes. We are making sure that we get those trade points backed up through better roads and bridges, such as the bridge on Browns Creek Road, the Blayney overbridge and the Gunderman bridge. There is $2.5 million for an upgrade at Bathurst Regional Airport, another piece of vital infrastructure. There is $10 million for Velocity Park under the Building Better Regions Fund. These are all funding measures that will go if this man ever becomes Prime Minister.