MINISTER BILLSON:
Today is a very positive day for Australian small businesses and family enterprises. This significant contribution to our election commitment to take $1 billion of red tape out of the economy means a great deal to Australian small businesses.
Small businesses are overwhelmingly time poor – they've got many things on their mind and have had to contend with a difficult economic climate and frankly six years of a labor government where small business just wasn't on the radar screen.
Well its front and centre for the Abbott Coalition Government. This is part of our comprehensive plan to put the business back into small business and give those courageous men and women of small business, who mortgage their homes, a chance to focus on their business, to grow opportunity and prosperity in their communities and not spend excessive amounts of time on needless compliance burdens that are gumming up the Australian economy.
QUESTION:
Arthur Sinodinos is reportedly considering stepping aside to not overshadow the budget messaging over the next few months; shouldn't he just do that today?
MINISTER BILLSON:
Senator Sinodinos will have his opportunity to provide his input to the inquiries in NSW. He will provide a full and frank account of what he knows with grace and dignity. That's the appropriate course of action and we are getting a bit ahead of ourselves talking about what comes next as those inquiries unfold.
QUESTION:
Labor says he should make a full statement to the parliament, as you demanded of previous labor or independent MP's in the last parliament. Isn't that only fair that Senator Sinodinos should be put to the same test?
MINISTER BILLSON:
Well consistent with all that Senator Sinodinos has done to date, he's provided a full account, on a number of occasions, to the Australian Senate about what has occurred regarding the matters under inquiry in NSW. He will have the opportunity to provide his input to those inquiries and it will be full and frank. He'll do it with grace and dignity, that's the kind of individual he is, and getting much beyond that is simply getting ahead of the inquiries that are underway.
QUESTION:
But isn't he damaging the government and distracting it at a very important time ahead of the budget?
MINISTER BILLSON:
There are opportunities for Senator Sinodinos to provide a full and frank account of what he knows. That's what he's done to date in the Senate; there will be an opportunity for him to do that in the NSW inquiry that's underway and that's the proper course of action. While that's happening, he and all of us on the Ministerial team are getting on with the business of putting the Australian economy back on track, providing a safe and secure future for our citizens and securing the growth and economic opportunities we need as a nation. That is our focus.
QUESTION:
How do you think the Senator will react to the political pressure that he is under?
MINISTER BILLSON:
Well he will provide a full and frank account of what he knows with grace and dignity. He is an experienced person who has contributed a great deal to the wellbeing of our nation. He will provide that full and frank account with grace and dignity. Senator Sinodinos will provide his input in a timely way as he has done up until now.
QUESTION:
Isn't it only proper that he should stand aside temporarily though? He has been named at a corruption hearing.
MINISTER BILLSON:
Well he has been asked to assist with inquiries and that's a reasonable thing for him to respond to. He will provide a full and frank account of what he knows and much beyond that is simply getting ahead of the inquiry that is underway in NSW.
QUESTION:
But do you think it's a regular process for senior government ministers to be hauled before corruption inquiries?
MINISTER BILLSON:
He has been invited to provide his input and he will. While that's happening and that process unfolds, we are getting on with the job of building a strong and prosperous economy for a safe and secure nation.
Today is a very important day for small business. The measures that will be considered by the Parliament over the coming week include, again, another attempt to remove the pay clerk burden the government imposes on employers when a person is taking paid parental leave. There is no good policy justification for that – it costs employers $44 million.
You will also see improvements in the way the Government acquires work and services through its procurement process; we've seen changes to the way the personal property securities register operates and these are all important and tangible examples that are of interest and benefit to small business. That's what this repeal day process is about and its work that we need to continue.
QUESTION:
Was Tony Abbott too late to move on lobbyists being allowed to sit on the party's executive?
MINISTER BILLSON:
The accountabilities that operate within the Ministry are well known and well publicised and the way in which the Prime Minister has required our party organisation to uphold similar high standards, that's all been well publicised and I think that's appropriate.
QUESTION:
But he only moved on that after he was elected to government. Shouldn't he have dealt with this in opposition, indeed when Clive Palmer was calling for reform in 2012?
MINISTER BILLSON:
Well unlike some we don't get ahead of ourselves - you can't provide Prime Ministerial guidance without earning the support of the Australian public. Upon becoming Prime Minister he did what was appropriate and reasonable in relation to our party organisation. So that process has gone down and ordinary, normal pathway and again we are getting on with governing.
QUESTION:
So why does he need to be Prime Minister to reform Liberal Party rules?
MINISTER BILLSON:
When in government, the issues around relationships within the party organisation are very important and the scrutiny that's drawn into those arrangements. That's why it's important for a Prime Minister to take the lead and that's exactly what Prime Minister Abbott did.
QUESTION:
I'm asking why you didn't take that action in opposition?
MINISTER BILLSON:
Well as I've said, when in government we have responsibilities that are more broader to the Australian public and a role and a significant opportunity to influence the direction of the country because we are in government. So it's appropriate for the Prime Minister to introduce those requirements, which he did, that take account of the election result and that in government, particular accountabilities and responsibilities are very relevant and the Prime Minister has acted upon it.
QUESTION:
There are clear divisions within the Coalition about 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act (in-audible) in this parliament. Will the government revisit these plans?
MINISTER BILLSON:
We have a very clear election commitment and that's what's being implemented and there are some very positive discussions being held amongst colleagues about how best to fulfil that election commitment.
QUESTION:
But one is threatening to cross the floor?
MINISTER BILLSON:
One was purely providing his account of his view of those discussions. That's perfectly reasonable. In the Liberal party we're a broad church with a range of views and we value the input of all our colleagues and Senator Brandis has been engaging constructively and positively with those colleagues. We will implement our election commitment and value the input of our colleagues towards that.
QUESTION:
But our particular wording – will the wording of that repeal legislation change?
MINISTER BILLSON:
There is no particular specific proposition on the table, that's what consultation with colleagues is about. Our election commitment is clear and that's what we will implement.
QUESTION:
Do you think that gender reporting requirements are a needless compliance burden?
MINISTER BILLSON:
Well I think you are looking at a measure and whether it is right sized for all the organisations that it touches upon. I've seen business leaders saying this is of advantage to some of those corporations and part of their ordinary reporting. What we are talking about though with regulation, is making sure it is right sized for those people and organisations that have a duty to respond to it. That's the conversation that's part of making sure we don't overregulate the economy. Where those requirements kick in and to whom the respondents need to be, that's part of the deliberation about right sizing those regulatory impositions. We need to make sure we get it right so it's not overreaching and that's part of our work.
QUESTION:
But the current arrangements only affect five per cent of businesses and under the changes that are proposed, it will only affect about 700 businesses but at the moment 13,000 businesses are covered. Shouldn't the current arrangements stay in place so we have a big picture of what's actually happening in workplaces?
MINISTER BILLSON:
Well the discussion is whether all those organisations are well placed to respond to that requirement. You've seen some of the biggest businesses in Australia saying it's an ordinary part of their reporting and that's fine. The question is – how deep it goes? That's the discussion that we are having.