House debates

Monday, 18 February 2019

Questions without Notice

Small Business

2:43 pm

Photo of Andrew LeighAndrew Leigh (Fenner, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Last week, the government voted against Labor's 'access to justice for small business' reforms in the Senate. But today, the government is briefing the media that it intends to backflip, because Nationals members of the House are willing to cross the floor and vote for Labor's reforms. Isn't it clear that this Prime Minister will say and do anything to desperately cling to power?

2:44 pm

Photo of Scott MorrisonScott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

It's true that this Prime Minister will do everything in my power to support small and family businesses, and here's our track record: we cut the tax rate to 25 per cent; increased the instant asset write-off to $25,000; and introduced legislation, as we're doing just this week under the securitisation fund, to ensure that small businesses can get access to the capital and finance that they need. On top of that, we are making sure that small businesses get paid on time, reducing the payment times to 20 days, down from 30, and getting state and territory governments as well as large businesses to back it. This government has done more for small and family businesses than any other government, and I look at a Labor Party that time after time after time sought to prevent us from delivering tax cuts for small businesses. When it comes to small and family businesses, they have a lot of friends in this parliament and they only sit on this side on the chamber.