Gladys Liu (Chisholm, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's always great to see the concrete, real-life efforts of our government's policies on the ground. Twin Electrics and Plumbing is a fantastic Chisholm business. Located in Burwood, it's a local business and a family business, run by father-son duo Brian and Darren Cross. Having run a small business myself, I know how much hard work it takes to succeed, even at the best of times. The COVID-19 pandemic put significant stress on all of our local businesses, and Twin Electrics was no exception. But thanks in part to the Morrison government's policies, especially JobKeeper, they were able to make it through. Even better than just making it through, Brian and Darren were able to invest in their business to set it up for future success. With our expanded instant asset write-off, Twin Electrics was able to purchase two more road vehicles as well as a trailer, mounted jet-pressure machine and a scissor lift.

Of course, I was thrilled to hear all this, but I really want to talk today about a problem that Brian mentioned to me, which is that Twin Electrics, like many small businesses, are struggling to find the qualified specialists they need. State government infrastructure projects have had the effect of crowding out small businesses from being able to hire qualified tradies. Meanwhile, closed borders, necessary due to the pandemic, have meant that skilled workers from overseas cannot fill the gaps. Due to our record investment, the Morrison government have succeeded in getting record numbers of Aussies into trade apprenticeships, but these apprentices won't be suitably qualified to work for a business like Twin Electrics for a few years yet.

That's why last week's announcement from the Prime Minister that the borders were opening for skilled visa holders was so important. Although omicron has delayed this a little, it's clear that the Morrison government is alive to the concerns of small businesses and will make this move in the right direction as soon as it is safe to do so. Thanks, Brian, for your very important feedback. Our government will always deliver for small businesses like Twin Electrics.