Labor’s lies about small business spread to the Senate today, with the Government continuing to mislead on the number of small businesses who will benefit from company tax cuts.
After Treasurer Wayne Swan incorrectly told the House of Representatives yesterday that 2.7 million small businesses would benefit from the yet-to-be-legislated tax cuts, today, Senator Kate Lundy, the Minister representing the Minister for Small Business in the Senate, spread the same lie during Senate Question Time.
Reading from her brief yet again, Senator Lundy neglected to inform the Senate that only incorporated small businesses would actually benefit from the tax cut.
Far from the 2.7 million figure quoted in Question Time, according to Treasurer Swan’s own figures in this week’s Economic Note, fewer than 300,000 small businesses currently pay company tax. Only 1 in 9 small businesses will benefit from any cuts to company taxes, 2.3 million small businesses will not receive any benefit.
“This was not a slip of the tongue by Senator Lundy. The Senator was reading a brief, presumably prepared by somebody who should know better,” Senator Scott Ryan, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business and Fair Competition said. “This was a feeble attempt to deceive the Australian people and to deceive small business owners.”
“It also follows hot on the heels of another misleading comment to the Senate by Senator Lundy last Thursday that ‘ … this contrivance that somehow the carbon price is going to impact on small business is a complete furphy’.”
“Anyone who has spoken to small business owners knows that the carbon tax is going to hit them hard, forcing up their costs, and no amount of spin from this Government can deny this fact,” Senator Ryan said.
“This Government needs to be honest with small business and admit its measures for the sector are entirely tokenistic. Only the Coalition has the track record and the policies in place to restore hope, reward and opportunity for all small businesses.”