Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Small Business, and, again, concerns the government's radical industrial relations bill. I again ask: can the Minister for Small Business identify a single small business that has told her that it supports these radical new laws?

Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question. If he met with small businesses and spoke to them on a regular basis, he would know that there are range of issues that small businesses are raising, including, of course, staff shortages. He would also know that there are many small businesses paying above award wages to maintain their staff, given the staff shortages. He would also know that when low-paid workers get a pay rise, many of these workers spend their money in local small businesses.