Abbott’s rallying cry to small business

AAP
July 31, 2013

OPPOSITION Leader Tony Abbott has called on small business to back the coalition in what he expects will be hard fought federal election campaign.

Mr Abbott told the NSW Business Chamber’s third annual Australian business congress the upcoming poll was always going to be a close contest, whether Labor was led by Julia Gillard or Kevin Rudd.

He promised if the coalition won, it would be a government for small business.

“We will not forget small business,” Mr Abbott told the congress in Sydney on Wednesday.

“I do hope some of you will join us in this effort. Not necessarily because you want to be politically partisan, but because you want to build a better Australia.”

Mr Abbott reiterated a coalition government would have a dedicated small business minister sitting in cabinet.

He also announced the coalition planned to involve the sector in economic decision making by including a dedicated small business representative among Australian delegates on the Business 20 (B20) group.

The B20 provides business input into the Group of 20 of advanced and emerging countries, which will be hosted by Australia in 2014.

The vast majority of Australian businesses are small businesses, which make up about 90 per cent of the sector.

The federal election could be held in September.

Mr Abbott said a coalition government would cut down on excessive red tape, making it easier for small businesses to submit superannuation contributions and administer paid parental leave.

He also pledged to boost productivity with the restoration of the Australian Building and Construction Commission, scrapped under Labor, and to work within the existing Fair Work Act to “restore the work places pendulum back to the sensible centre”.

Mr Abbott warned small businesses they faced being the “meat in the sandwich” between higher taxes and bigger government if Labor were returned to government.
“If this government is re-elected as sure as night follows day we will see higher taxes and bigger government.

“You will be once more the meat in the sandwich between this government’s desire to spend and this government’s imperative to tax.”