Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the opposition for their interest in the carbon price. The largest single-cost impact for small business, though, as identified by the opposition, will be electricity. This was analysed by both COSBOA and AIG, but they suggest the majority of small business owners spend around two per cent. It is a very small component of their overall costs.

What is more astonishing is that, if you look at the opposition's position on this, in case you missed it those opposite opposed assistance to small business. I found this extraordinary given the amount of those opposite put into telling the chamber that they support small business. They opposed: tripling the tax-free threshold; tax cuts for more than seven million people; a company tax cut; the seniors and pensioners tax offset; the Medicare levy surcharge thresholds; early start for the company tax cuts for small business; an increase in the instant asset write-off— (Time expired)