PRESENTER:
In recent times we’ve had Toyota, we’ve had SPC of course getting its handout rejected. We’ve had Holden leaving our shores – all the recent focus has been on manufacturing. Big question in amongst that is where small business has been? Has it basically been neglected from the conversation?
MINISTER BILLSONS:
Well we’ve seen some encouraging signs – some of the sentiment surveys point to some optimism, some improved prospects for activity, profitability and employment. The economy has been particularly challenging for small business for some time. In the six years of Labor 412,000 jobs were lost in small business. Its share of the private sector employment market went from 53 per cent to 43 per cent. They’ve been under pressure for some time and that’s why our focus is on a renaissance in small business, getting behind those entrepreneurial Australians that are creating the next wave of jobs and the next lot of prosperity and those opportunities that we need as a nation.
JOURNALIST:
Do you think there’s been too much focus on manufacturing in the past couple of weeks?
MINISTER BILLSONS:
No, you can’t have too much focus on the economic challenges our nation faces and a real need to be more competitive and to be world class every day. Small manufacturers work like they are in the Olympics every day. We’ve seen the winter Olympics at Sochi, we’re celebrating international success of our athletes but a small manufacturing business needs to be world class everyday – knowing they’ve got overseas competitors who are keen for our market, competing for their opportunities. In our case, carrying taxes and burdens that are making that challenge harder – that’s why we want to reduce taxes, reduce regulation to give them the best chance to succeed.
JOURNALIST:
So we have heard that some large CEO’s talk about unions and industrial relations and the cost of business and factors as to why it’s hard to manufacture here. Are you saying that from a small business perspective – it’s all about red tape?
MINISTER BILLSONS:
Well its red tape and those excessive costs like the carbon tax. It’s a reverse tariff.
JOURNALIST:
Yeah but no one we’ve talked to has said the carbon tax has played a role in the demise of the large manufacturers.
MINISTER BILLSONS:
You’re asking about small business and in small businesses case, the carbon tax is yet another bit of lead in the saddle bag as they compete internationally for opportunities. Manufacturing goods are traded and shipped around the world and if we aren’t world class – we miss those opportunities. In thinking about those major manufacturers, aluminum smeltering was predicted to reduce by 60 per cent under Labor’s own modelling. Cars manufactured here carry $400 in extra costs that need not be there. Our policy settings need to be world class so that our businesses can compete effectively on that global stage.
JOURNALIST:
Joe Hockey has said the age of entitlement is over and yet at the same time we see the Government today talking about changes to the Qantas Sale Act. How do you feel as a Small Business Minister, knowing that small businesses don’t get this kind of attention or bailouts, or assistance that large companies do?
MINISTER BILLSONS:
Well small business gets plenty of attention, but they haven’t been getting the hand outs and the hush money that some major manufacturers have. That’s why my role, as the passionate advocate for small business sees me in Cabinet. So every time Cabinet, the boardroom of our nation sits and discusses the future of our country, we can imbed small business considerations in there. Small businesses are constantly telling me get rid of the red tape burden that gums up our business and takes us away from growing our business, reduce that. Make sure policy making has small business interests embedded in them every day. That’s what we’re doing – they’re not looking for handouts. Small business just wants a fair and clear run and getting the competition laws right is just part of our agenda.
JOURNALIST:
We’ve seen a spate of job losses recently with Holden, Ford and Toyota of course, Alcoa now and SPC was rumoured – I’m just wondering Bruce as someone in Cabinet are there any fears at all? Has there been any talk about a possible recession as a result of all of these job losses?
MINISTER BILLSONS:
Well we know we’ve gotta change the policy settings that the previous government left us. We’ve seen that trajectory and those challenges build and grow under the previous Labor administration, we’ve seen that in small business. That’s why we want to implement our policy agenda and the best thing the Parliament can do, is let us do that. To change those policy settings, to make it more supportive of growth and of employment to give small businesses the chance to be as enterprising as those courageous men and women are. That’s why we’ve got a plan and we really just want to get on implementing it.
JOURNALIST:
Is that a yes or a no that recession possibilities have been discussed in Cabinet?
MINISTER BILLSONS:
We’ve got optimism about the economic future, but we know of the pressing need to change the policy settings left to us by Labor otherwise the economic challenges will be much greater than they need to be. Let’s get behind the optimism and the positivity of a good agenda that will secure those better opportunities for our country and our citizens.