Steve Georganas
Adelaide · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“It reflects one of our most important national values. Health care should be available to everyone, not just to those who can afford it. Many people prioritise their health and paying their everyday essentials. That is a fact.”
“That means more than 172,000 occasions when individuals and families have been able to receive urgent medical care without needing to attend an emergency department or a public hospital and without needing to face out-of-pocket costs.”
“That is really important because that gives the confidence to those people that I spoke about earlier, those families that are doing it tough that may have previously considered whether they received the health care that they really required and was a necessity or whether they put food on the table.”
“People receive treatment earlier, chronic illnesses are managed more effectively, hospital admissions are reduced and pressure on our emergency departments is eased. Every dollar invested in effective primary care saves costs elsewhere in the system while delivering better health outcomes for Aussies.”
“I too rise to make a contribution, just as the member for Pearce just did, on the Health Insurance Amendment (Incentive Payments and Other Measures) Bill 2026. At its heart is Medicare.”
“In my home state alone, bulk-billing has risen to 80.4 per cent across the state, representing one of the strongest improvements in the country. We heard, the other day, other statistics around the country. They are all increasing, and this is a good thing. It means people are having to fork less out of their pocket when visiting a GP.”
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“To Believe Housing Australia, trustee of the Laura and Alfred West Cottage Homes, I extend my thanks for their great work that they do in our community, housing vulnerable people. And not only have they delivered this incredible redevelopment in conjunction with the state and federal governments, but their commitment has restored hope, strengthened our community and ensured that more South Australian women can live with the security and respect that they deserve. So I thank them for helping us build a future where every woman, regardless of age and circumstances, has a safe place to call home.”
“That particular project is a $13.3 million project to deliver 29 new homes in my electorate, and it stands as a powerful reminder that housing availability, social infrastructure and dignity in ageing are priorities shared across the federal government and with our state colleagues, of course, because they were assisting as well. Previously there were some ageing cottages there. They were falling apart on the very site where they had served their community well. But their time has passed and what rises in their place is not simply new housing; it is a renewal. The Laura and Alfred West Cottage Homes represent opportunity, stability, safety and ultimately a place to call home, a home where older women can rebuild, reclaim their independence and re-imagine their futures.”
“Through the federal government's Housing Australia Future Fund or the HAFF funding, there's investment in redevelopment projects all around my electorate to provide safe and contemporary homes for older women, who are the biggest group of people to find themselves in vulnerable positions, and who are, tragically, as I said, the fastest-growing group at risk of homelessness. This is not a statistic that we just sit with comfortably nor is it one we can ignore; t's a call to action. These events to launch these projects are part of our answer.”
“I was honoured to be there—again, representing the honourable Claire O'Neill, the minister for housing—that day to celebrate the project which will deliver secure, modern and dignified homes for women over the age of 55. Right there in my electorate, you can actually see the promises of the federal Albanese Labor government come to fruition and it's something that fills me with immense pride. These homes are more than just bricks and mortar; they are about housing human beings. We see these people, we value them and we will not leave older women behind.”
“These homes will be built across two levels with shared communal spaces designed to encourage friendship, connection and create a real community. Our focus at the campaign of the last federal election was on housing, certainly for women, who are the biggest cohort of homeless at the moment, the fastest-growing rate, especially women over 55. This housing project will ensure that it houses people that are in vulnerable situations. Every aspect of this development has been shaped with care and safety in mind. Universal design principles will make sure that every home is accessible, comfortable and suited to women with different physical needs. Another project I attended in my electorate was the Law and Alfred West Cottage's home.”
“It was only recently that, on behalf of Clare O'Neill, I attended a sod-turning ceremony for a Uniting on Hawker project in my electorate with the premier, Mr Malinauskas. This is a great housing project to be built in collaboration with the state government and the federal government. The project is not just about building apartments; it's about rebuilding lives. For the people who will be going into these houses, it's about restoring their stability, about giving them hope for the future and about creating a place where people can feel safe, valued and supported. Uniting on Hawker will replace some outdated buildings with 30 modern, thoughtfully designed apartments combining both social and affordable housing.”
“by leave—One last issue I want to speak about in the debate on the appropriations bill, which I didn't get the chance to do the other day, was housing, which is very important, especially in my electorate. Housing has been an issue for a long time across Australia and homelessness remains a serious challenge. This Albanese Labor government is working to turn this around. Since coming into government, more than 220,000 Australians have bought their first home, rent assistance has increased for over a million households, more than 25,000 social and affordable homes are in planning or construction, including in my seat of Adelaide, and the government has committed to $45 billion to build more homes to support renters and help more Australians into homeownership.”
“We believe works will be starting very soon once they've been ticked off by the infrastructure minister. This will be keeping Hutt Street's village feel and making it safer and easier for people— Debate interrupted.”
“So three generations just in my family have used those facilities. I'm very pleased they were successful in getting the $7.5 million. We also have the Hutt Street revitalisation. That's another three-point-something million dollars. Those of you who know Adelaide will know that Hutt Street is a beautiful street with restaurants, pubs, cafes and small shops. This will be redeveloped to entice more foot traffic into the area to ensure that the street remains a thriving street. It needs to be revitalised, because it's a great street. There were some issues with parking and how many car parks we're going to have. That's been resolved. We conducted a meeting with the state member, Lucy Hood, and the shop owners. Thankfully, council listened to them and have come up with a viable plan now that everyone's happy with.”
“The Western Youth Centre is a great community group in my electorate. They are a governing body that has about 15 different groups that operate at the centre—everything from football to cricket to judo to kinder gym; you name it. It offers programs for individuals of all ages, from infants right through to seniors. I'm very pleased that the $7.5 million will come to fruition by the end of this year. It'll be a great refurbishment of the club rooms, the tennis courts and the oval. Certainly it'll be an area that many people in Cowandilla and those western suburb areas will be able to use for years to come. For example, I played sport there when I was a kid, my kids played tennis there and my grandkids are now participating in the activities there, from kinder gym right through to tennis and other things.”
“It had put into the Australian economy more than $230 million each year in lost productivity, just from the time wasted on that north-south corridor. It's one of Adelaide's most important transport corridors. It has access to Adelaide Airport and to Port Adelaide, the state's maritime gateway, as well as to the wider national highway network, and there's funding of $7.7 billion—so, $15.4 billion in total. It is another project where we're working very closely and collaboratively with the state government and the federal government. Also during the last election many commitments were made in my electorate, and I was very pleased that some of them are starting their works right now. For example, the Western Youth Centre, through the Thriving Suburbs Program, was given $7.5 million, and the council is putting in some extra money.”
“When completed, with the rest of the network it will decrease the crash rate. The crash rate along the T2 section of South Road is 11 times higher than along the Northern Expressway and seven times higher than on the Southern Expressway. Infrastructure Australia expects daily car trips across Adelaide to increase by 26 per cent by 2031. That's up to 6.2 million car trips each day. This needs to be addressed, and I'm very pleased that this government is addressing it. In fact, in 2013 we turned the first sod with the Prime Minister, who was then the infrastructure minister, Minister Albanese, and I recall that moment very clearly. To see this project coming to fruition today is a great result, because this congestion will clear up the North and South roads, especially going right through my electorate.”
“I'm very pleased that it is now just about completed, if not completely completed. The other big one in South Australia, of course—which is huge and has been going since 2013—is the River Torrens to Darlington project. This project involves constructing two separate tunnels under the ground, the Southern Tunnels and the Northern Tunnels. The tunnels go right through my electorate and will be connected by an open motorway. The motorway and the tunnels will have three lanes operating in each direction, with a combined total distance of 10.5 kilometres. A preferred alliance partner has been selected to deliver this important project. The consortium includes John Holland and others. There are more than 120,000 vehicles using South, Marion and Goodwood roads each and every day.”
“Marion Road and Sir Donald Bradman Drive are major commuter freight and public transport routes, with around 60,000 vehicles crossing the intersection daily. The intersection became very congested with long queues, especially during peak times, with increased demand. The current intersection will not cater for future road-user demands, and therefore this project has come to fruition and is nearly completed, with $85 million from our federal Labor government and $42.5 million from the South Australian state government. The day after the last federal election I was there to do the announcement, together with the then state infrastructure minister, Tom Koutsantonis. So we had the election on the Saturday and on Monday morning at nine o'clock we did a press conference releasing the information.”
“I was very pleased that it was announced at the last election and that it's now come to fruition, together with the state government. I went down to the original sod turning and then to different stages of the project. It was great to see the $435 million of federal funding—and the rest from the state—come to fruition and clear up the congestion that used to take place. That makes it easier for people to access the Marion Road and South Road and, of course, Morphett Road in the seat of Boothby. We also had an upgrade in the suburbs of Cowandilla and Hilton at the Marion Road and Sir Donald Bradman Drive intersection. Those from South Australia who know that area know that crossing through Sir Donald Bradman Drive takes you straight into the airport. Thousands and thousands of cars use it every day. It was getting really congested.”
“Ever since I've been a member, constituents have lobbied me and have sent me letters about the traffic congestion, about crossroads, about the tram crossing and about Marion Road, which has been a huge congestion pocket. It is right on the border of the member for Boothby's electorate and mine, and I'm very pleased that funding of $870 million—jointly funded by the Australian federal and South Australian state governments, 50-50—has now come to fruition. We've seen the Marion Road and Cross Road level crossing removals with the tram overpass, starting at South Road, going right through to Marion Road and down to Morphett Road into the seat of Boothby. For many years, the South Road Tram Overpass Upgrade is something, as I said, about which constituents have been lobbying members of parliament to have fixed.”
“It gives me great pleasure to stand here today and talk on the appropriation bills: Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2025-2026, Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2025-2026 and Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 2) 2025-2026. It gives members of parliament an opportunity to look at budget promises that were made and what's been delivered—and certainly in the area of infrastructure, lots has been delivered in the federal seat of Adelaide. We have seen the tram grade separation projects, which basically included building new tram overpasses over certain roads, something that's been an issue in the federal seat of Adelaide for many years.”
“When the system grows stronger, workers are finally protected. These reforms work together towards a single powerful purpose—to ensure that every worker in the black-coal mining industry, no matter their role, no matter their employer and no matter their history, can access the long service leave they've earned with their time, their labour, their effort and their sacrifice for every shift, every year and every contribution. This is not just a policy; it is fairness and it is justice for those miners, those workers that work in the mining industry. It is respect for those workers who've carried this industry and contributed so much to Australia's prosperity. It is long overdue. Debate adjourned.”
“That's why this bill also restores the additional levy, a key compliance tool designed to ensure employers pay their levies on time. We know that, for too long, this penalty has been tied to an outdated interest rate which the Reserve Bank no longer publishes, meaning it no longer discourages late payments the way it was meant to. Without timely payments, the system weakens and when the system weakens, workers suffer. By updating the additional levy to align with the current Reserve Bank cash rate, the bill ensures that compliance is meaningful again and not just symbolic. It sends a clear signal that long service leave is not optional, not negotiable and not something that can be delayed without consequence. When employers meet their obligation, the entire system grows stronger.”
“It will be the first time their service is acknowledged and it will be the first time they can finally begin accruing the leave that they were always entitled to. Where records are missing, because they're old, incomplete, were never kept properly or have been mishandled or misplaced, the bill ensures workers are not punished for those gaps. Reasonable assumptions will be made, fairness will be applied and people can finally be connected with what they've earned. No miner should lose an entitlement simply because a folder went missing or a company disputed its obligations. This is a good reform. It is about doing right by the people who did right by their industry. But fairness must also have a structure behind it, a system strong enough to protect workers not just today but for decades to come.”
“Whether they're maintenance crews, repair specialists, labour hire workers, shotfirers, emergency service teams, testing and inspection staff and certification providers—the many unseen hands that keep mines operating day and night and operating safely, smoothly and reliably, often without even receiving the recognition that they deserve—these workers have been the silent backbone of this sector, yet some have been left without that long service leave that they rightfully earned for their hours of work put into the mines. This bill begins to change that. Coal LSL is already working with dozens of employers to review eligibility and gather the information needed to update the service records. For many workers this will be the very first time in years their dedication is properly recorded.”
“This reform does not just affect one group of workers; it reaches across the entire industry. The truth is that we may never fully capture the number of people whose lives will be changed by these measures. We may never meet every miner, every contractor or every support worker whose entitlement will finally be restored. But we know this: the impact will be real, and it will be wide-reaching. Across the black-coal mining industry, thousands of employees have fallen through those cracks not because they didn't work the hours and not because they didn't earn the service but because of longstanding disputes about whether certain roles were even covered under the scheme. We now have certainty with this bill.”
“No miner should ever reach the end of their career only to be told that the years they devoted to the industry—years, as I said, spent away from family, turning up and showing up every day, years spent in danger, years spent pushing through the fatigue, the hardship and the shift work—somehow didn't count. So this bill ensures that it does count—every shift, every week, every year and every sacrifice. It means workers can finally accrue and access their rightful long service leave not someday, not after years of legal battles, but as soon as possible. And it restores something deeper than entitlements; it restores faith—faith that the system sees them, faith that the system values them and faith that the system will stand up for them. Miners have always stood up for Australia. Now, the system must stand up for them.”
“Under these changes, workers will no longer be punished because paperwork was lost or misplaced, because an employer disputed coverage years ago or because records older than seven years were never required to be kept. Where information is missing, reasonable assumptions can now be made, and those assumptions are assumptions that protect the worker rather than disadvantage them. This bill is fairness in action. This is a policy that's compassionate for those workers. This is recognising the reality of an industry where records don't always follow the worker but the worker's service should.”
“While those disputes dragged on, it was those workers who missed out, and it was those workers that suffered. Those workers kept on showing up to work—workers who kept putting their safety on the line and workers who kept this country's lights on. They were left unable to accrue their long service leave, unable to access it and unable to claim what they had spent many years earning. This bill works to finally right that wrong. It creates real incentives for employers to come into the Coal LSL scheme, comply with their obligations and provide the information needed so Coal LSL can accurately create or update service records. Without those records, workers cannot build their entitlements, and, without their entitlements, years of service risk being forgotten.”
“It is the industry's way of saying your years of hard work matter and you've earned time to now rest. This bill is about making sure that miners—the men and women who have spent decades underground, on the surface, on the machinery, at the plants on the mines—are finally connected to long service leave that is rightfully theirs. For eligible workers in the black-coal mining industry, long service leave is meant to be portable. That means that your service should follow you no matter which mine you worked at, which contractor you were hired through or how often the industry changed around you. But, for too long, some employers disputed whether they were covered under this particular scheme. They argued over definitions. They debated eligibility.”
“For those workers underground, the workers at the surface, the workers who have carried this industry on their backs, this is about dignity and justice for those workers. It's about giving people the certainty that they should have and should have always had. When someone gives years of their life to the job—their sweat, their strength and their time away from loved ones—the very least they deserve is the security that their service will be honoured. That's what this bill is about. When we talk about dignity, when we speak about honouring the people who have given so much of their time to this industry, we must talk about long service leave, because that's what long service leave is. Long service leave isn't just a workplace entitlement; it's a recognition. It is respect.”
“Importantly, the bill also restores the additional levy rate, a tool that helps ensure contributions are paid on time and strengthens the system's ability to hold employers accountable. This makes the portable long service leave scheme more reliable, more transparent and better equipped to protect miners' entitlements for the long term. At its heart, this is about fairness. Miners don't ask for any special treatment. They don't ask for shortcuts. They simply ask that their years of service be respected and also recognised. This bill helps clear the way for exactly that by fixing these old problems, simplifying how levies are calculated and ensuring that miners can build the long service leave they deserve, no matter which part of the industry they've worked in or how often they've moved between employers.”
“These issues go back many years, sometimes decades, and have left workers stuck in uncertainty, unsure whether their service would ever be recognised. Recent court cases helped clarify how the scheme should apply, and this bill steps in to fix the gaps so that workers can finally move forward and claim what is rightfully theirs. It creates a pathway for employers with unpaid levies to come into the system, make voluntary arrangements and resolve the historical debts in a fair, equitable and workable way. Employers will be able to pay around 80 per cent of what is owed in instalments, and the remainder can be waived once they meet the requirements. This acknowledges the reality that some older records may be incomplete while still ensuring the scheme is properly funded and workers are not left behind.”
“Is that my dad or one of my classmates' parents that's been injured or even worse than that?' So it is a challenging job. It's a dangerous job. Today, safety requirements are much better, and many people make a living working in the mining industries. They help power our economy. They keep our industries moving and shape our entire communities. The work is physically hard, mentally exhausting and absolutely essential. And, because they give so much, they deserve a system that protects them, supports them and honours the years of service they put in. The Coal Mining Industry (Long Service Leave) Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 makes sure that miners receive the long service leave that they have earned, leave that many have been unable to access because of historic problems with how levies were paid or recorded.”
“He became a miner as well. They would hear the siren go, and the siren was for the change of shifts—7 am and 3.30 pm, I think, which was the afternoon shift, and then the 11.30 shift at night for the midnight shift. But, if the siren went between those known hours, it meant that something had gone wrong in the mine. It would be shut down, and people would run home from school. The whole town would hear the siren, and dread would overcome the whole town because there'd obviously been either a dreadful accident—someone may have lost their life—or something terrible had happened in the mine for it to be shut down. This was a regular occurrence. He's relayed this story to me of, when he was in school, hearing that siren and thinking: 'Is that my father?”
“We know that mining is one of the toughest and most demanding jobs in Australia and, in fact, one of the most dangerous jobs. It has improved over the years, and safety records have improved tremendously, but nevertheless it's still dangerous. It's still demanding. And, as I said, it's one of the toughest jobs that you could do. Miners work long hours in challenging conditions, often far away from their families. One of the things that stand out in my mind when I think of the mining industry and the workers in mining is, of course, the conditions that they worked under many years ago. As I said, they've improved. But a very good friend of mine, a former secretary of the AWU, Wayne Hanson, would tell me a story, and he mentioned this story many a time. He was a young kid at school in Broken Hill. His father was a miner.”
“It's an important bill and a bill that should be supported by all of us in this place. Shame on the opposition for not supporting it and for not supporting low-income workers.”
“It's not about being used as an offset to save on taxes and do a whole range of other things. It's there as a savings account for workers to be able to retire in dignity. That was the focus and purpose of superannuation back in the eighties when it was firsts proposed that we wanted workers to be able to retire with dignity and to know that when they retire they weren't going to be just wanting the social security pension, as it was called at the time, but to be able to retire in dignity with their own money. The way to do this is through a savings scheme, the superannuation plan, that was put in place by a Labor government way back in the late eighties. What we see today is thousands of workers that have an account, a retirement fund and have some income coming to them when they retire.”
“Eligibility for the low-income super tax offset means more money in the super accounts for low-income workers. It means more money in the pockets of those low-income workers. In my electorate, I have all the restaurants in the CBD. There are many, many part-time workers struggling. Perhaps they're students working part time. This will make a huge difference to those people. The steps in this legislation today put in place actions that we have full confidence will work and benefit Australian families and households. This is an important bill. It makes it a fairer balance for superannuation, and it ensures that those low-income workers will have more money in their super. It'll ensure that those low-income workers will retire with more and retire with dignity, and that's what superannuation is all about.”
“As I said, it's about people retiring in dignity and people being able to continue putting food on the table, paying their bills and not worrying about where their next dollar is going to come from when they retire. It's their futures, and it's their right to retire with that dignity, security and peace. It's our shared responsibility to make sure the system protects that right, not just today but for generations to come. These are the decisions that we don't make in haste but with time and consultation of a broad range of unions, industries and other stakeholders supporting this expansion of eligibility for the low-income super tax offset. I'll repeat that. I love repeating that because I can't believe that the opposition would oppose it.”
“What is wrong with that? Why is the opposition opposing these low-income workers getting a fairer tax concession on their contribution? That's the difference. It isn't an abstract. That's the reality. For some families, super is more than just savings. It's what's going to give them dignity in retirement. These are not small changes. They're changes that honour the effort of people who work incredibly hard for every dollar they earn. These changes strengthen the superannuation system so that it remains a pillar of security, not a source of inequity, and they ensure that a system built for all Australians continues to serve all Australians fairly, responsibly and with an eye to the future. At the heart of this discussion is not just tax rates and legislation. It's people.”
“By adjusting the concessional tax rates, as I said, of the very high balances, the bill helps protect retirement incomes for everyday Australians while preserving the long-term health of the superannuation system itself. Super's not just a financial instrument. It's a lifelong safety net, built year by year, shift by shift when you're working shifts, sacrifice by sacrifice—small increments that then should enable you to retire in dignity. That's what it's all about. Importantly, these reforms do more than protect. They lift up those who need it the most. Raising the low-income super tax offset threshold from $37,000 to $45,000 will ensure that workers earning modest wages, like childcare workers, retail assistants, disability support workers, cleaners and early career employees, will receive a fairer tax concession on their contributions.”
“It maintains the concessional treatment of superannuation for all taxpayers and makes superannuation tax concessions more targeted at those people with large balances. The measures in this bill reflect the principle of a fairer tax system. It will also rebalance superannuation tax concessions so they're directed where they matter the most and ensure that support goes to those who need it the most, not to those with extraordinary balances. The vast majority of people that will be getting the tax offsets are workers, like nurses, teachers, apprentices, carers, hospitality staff, small-business employees and countless others, so nothing changes except the reassurance that the system will be fairer and stronger.”
“The legislation will mean that it's paid on every payday there and then, which makes it easier for both the employer and the employee. Some of the other things that we've done include increasing the superannuation guarantee to 12 per cent. As I said earlier, it should have been increased back in 2013, but it was overturned by the former coalition government. We've also legislated the objective for superannuation. This legislation implements the government's policy to better target concessions available to individuals with superannuation balances that exceed $3 million, which is a very small group. It's less than 0.5 per cent of all superannuants and people who are contributing to super funds.”
“It's targeting super concessions, paying super on paid parental leave and introducing payday super. Payday super is very important. We've seen millions and millions of dollars that have never been paid into super. Many, many constituents have come to see me. They've mainly been young people that have been working in apprenticeships or have started their very first job. They're basically unaware of their industrial rights and of what superannuation is. They usually speak to a third party who says to them, 'Have you been getting your super paid?' and they discover when they look in their account that no super has been paid. We've all seen situations like that, because, when you're paying it every three months, it's so easy to fall behind and not pay it.”
“In fact, they even overturned legislation, which was proposed and brought to this place in 2013, to take the super requirement up to 12 per cent. Then—I mentioned this the other day when I was speaking on the other bill, the Treasury Laws Amendment (Supporting Choice in Superannuation and Other Measures) Bill 2025—Joe Hockey overturned it when he came into being Treasurer in 2013. He said, 'No, we're not going to give that increase to workers.' It was 1.5 per cent or 2.05 per cent, or whatever it was back then. It took another Labor government to give that increase to workers. That little increase that they receive makes a huge difference to their superannuation at the end of their retirement plan, which means there will be more in their pockets. So this bill is increasing the low-income super tax offset and also super concessions.”
“Why do those opposite not want low-income workers to have a better system and a super tax offset which means there'll be more money in their retirement so they can retire with dignity? If someone can tell me why that is wrong, maybe I can see the sense in it. But that's what this bill does. This bill is delivering more help to low-income workers. It reforms the superannuation system to make it stronger, to make it fairer for everyone and to make it more sustainable. It boosts those low-income workers superannuation tax offsets and better targets superannuation concessions for large balances. So, as I said, it does not surprise me that once again we're seeing an opposition who is opposing superannuation. They opposed the whole concept of it back in the eighties when it was proposed under the Hawke-Keating government.”
“I rise to support this bill, unlike those on the opposite side who are not supporting this bill, based on what we've heard so far from different speeches yesterday and today. It doesn't surprise me that they're not supporting this bill. When you look at the history of superannuation and superannuation legislation in this House, and in the older house down the road where superannuation was first mooted, discussed and proposed in the Hawke-Keating years, it has been opposed every single way by the opposition. Every time there's been legislation in this House to better superannuation for workers, it's been opposed by the other side. So it's no surprise that they'll be opposing this. What are they opposing? They're opposing a better superannuation system for low-income workers.”
“My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. How has the Albanese Labor government acted to strengthen Australia's fuel security? Why has this been so critical after a decade of mismanagement?”
“We're updating the Commonwealth Procurement Rules to significantly increase the small and medium-sized business participation target and improving AusTender to make it easier to identify small and medium-sized businesses on government panels. There's much more that we've done. There's more than $30 million to help small businesses through the tough times, supporting the mental health and financial wellbeing of small-business owners through the NewAccess for Small Business Owners program and the Small Business Debt Helpline. This government understands the pressures facing small businesses. That's why we've put all these measures in place. There are many family owned cafes and small businesses that switch their lights on before dawn, tradies who keep our cities moving— (Time expired)”
“We know that energy costs are a big burden on all of us—on families and especially on small businesses. That's why the $56.7 million Energy Efficiency Grants for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises program, which is now closed, provided up to $25,000 to eligible businesses to fund a range of energy upgrades. There's been more than $80 million in supports through the Digital Solutions program, the Cyber Wardens program, the Small Business Cyber Resilience Service and the Cyber Health Check. We know digital technology is key to productivity and a stronger, more resilient economy. There's the Buy Australian Plan, helping small and medium-sized businesses compete for and win more government contracts.”
“There's nothing worse than having to wait for money that you're owed, especially by government departments. So there's been an improvement in that area, including $25.3 million in the 2024-25 budget to support the overhauled Payment Times Reporting Scheme, enhancing the regulator's ability to deliver better payment outcomes for small businesses. We legislated to extend the instant asset write-off measure to help small businesses manage their cash flow. This is about incentivising small businesses to invest in the equipment that they need to boost productivity, to create more jobs and to help them thrive. The threshold applies per asset, which means small businesses can claim multiple purchases—new tools for tradies; computers, tablets and office equipment; kitchen equipment and coffee machines for cafes et cetera.”
“Australia's small businesses employ 5.16 million people right across the country. That's 39.1 per cent of our total workforce. Nearly 40 per cent of the total workforce in Australia is employed by small businesses. That is an incredible figure when you think about it. What has this government done to try and help and assist? We've created the National Small Business Strategy—the first of its kind to bring together governments across Australia to support our small businesses, creating efficiencies and reducing the duplication of effort; providing actionable policies and programs to support local small businesses across the nation; and elevating small businesses in the government decision-making process at each level of government. We've investing $33.4 million to improve payment times for small businesses doing business with government.”
“Australia's record 2.6 million small businesses are the backbone of this nation. We all know that. They employ people, they create the economy, and they work extremely hard as small-business people. I know this. I have relatives and friends who have small businesses, and I see the work that goes into it. This government is continually improving the operating environment for small businesses across the country, creating an environment that will help them to thrive, and that's what we should be doing as a government. We should be ensuring that small businesses have all the tools required to thrive. As I said, they are the backbone of our nation. They employ people and keep the economy going, and they work extremely hard. We know that 2.6 million small businesses contribute about $596 billion to our national economy.”