It's always heartbreaking to sit on this side of the chamber and listen to Labor tell small-business owners and the Australian people that they have never had it so good under their, quite frankly, mismanagement of the Australian economy. I don't know how many people on that side of the chamber in their lives have ever owned their own business or who have ever employed people, but I can tell you, as a former small-business owner, that it is tough out there. When government is constantly coming at you, getting in your way, adding costs and charges and making it very difficult to do what you do in your core business, it is almost impossible to keep the doors open and, frankly, that is where we are at now in Australia. Small businesses across the country are shutting up shop after decades of running a small family business. They can no longer take what this government is dealing out to them. The credit card surcharge was just the final straw that broke their backs for a lot of businesses.

It is ironic that we've got Labor over there saying it's fantastic these small businesses can't charge a surcharge anymore so consumers will be better off. You won't be paying $5.08 for a coffee at your local cafe anymore. No, the cafe is going to have to put up that cost. So now consumers are paying $5.50 for a cup of coffee. And these poor businesses have had to look at how they are going to just make ends meet. Because, let's not forget, it's not just this surcharge for credit cards; it's their power bills which have gone up by over 40 per cent under this Labor government. For these businesses, a lot of them are set up under family trust structures and let's not be sort of blind about this. Labor's also coming after those structures as well. These businesses are trying very, very hard to do what they do, whether it's making a cup of coffee or pouring a beer. They are struggling. It is not good enough that those opposite sit here, sitting week after sitting week, constantly telling the Australian people that they've never had it so good. We have seen the greatest fall in living standards in the developed world, right here in Australia. This Labor government is responsible for that, and the Australian people know it. Every time those opposite go out and try to tell the Australian people, 'We've got all these extra things that we're doing,' they know that they are being fed a pack of rubbish, quite frankly.

The Prime Minister himself has acknowledged that he thinks that small business is the lifeblood of the Australian economy and it's creating jobs. But we've seen all of that stagnate under this government. Let's not forget the latest interest rate rises, because those that own small businesses generally have a home mortgage as well. So these poor people are struggling to try and keep the lifeblood of our economy going—the lifeblood of our economy, as our own Prime Minister accepts as fact—and, instead, we've got those opposite lecturing us, and telling us that Australians have never had it so good and to think about all the changes that they've made.

Well, when I sit back here and I look at the changes that this government has proposed, all they are doing is looking after their union mates. They are not interested in the mum-and-dad small businesses, because—let's be frank—they don't sign up to a union. So this government is not interested in looking after hardworking, everyday, mum-and-dad small businesses and everyday Australians—those that are out there working the land, growing the food that we need. They're not interested in them, because they don't sign up to a union. These guys only want to look after their union mates, and they are coming after everyone for as much tax as they can get. (Time expired)