Topics: Beer excise; Labor’s cost-of-doing business and cost-of-living crisis; Labor’s homegrown inflation; Labor’s budget flops; Russia-Ukraine war

 

E&OE   

 

ANGUS TAYLOR: Well, we've seen 4,000 hospitality businesses fail since Labor has come to power. That's 4,000 hospitality businesses that have been crushed by a cost of doing business crisis, cost of living crisis, which has been driven by Labor's homegrown inflation. This is businesses, small businesses doing it tough right across this great country, and it’s Labor's economic mismanagement that has resulted in these failures right across the country. Now we've been in discussions with the hospitality industry for some time now about how we can provide relief and make sure our local cafes, our local restaurants, our local pubs, and our local clubs are able to survive this cost-of-doing-business crisis and this cost-of-living crisis. That’s why we announced some time back now that we would make sure that Fringe Benefit Tax exemption for small businesses to come and enjoy a meal at a place like this pub here. That will ensure that we give the best chance for our businesses right across this country to survive and prosper.

 

We've also been in discussions for some time about the rapid rate of excise increase due to Labor’s homegrown inflation over the last couple of years. We will support freezing of the excise for the next two years to provide some relief to what has been enormous pain for small businesses across this country. Now the truth of the matter is, we recognise that this is a bandaid on a bullet wound. This is not a solution to the underlying problem, which is Labor's homegrown inflation. We need to eliminate that homegrown inflation, and we should be realistic about this measure. This measure is not going to reduce the price of the beer for beer drinkers around Australia. This is about giving some modest relief, which is a bandaid on a bullet wound of the complete failure of the Labor Government to manage the economy, to beat inflation, to boost growth and to make sure that we've got a strong hospitality sector that is able to serve customers right across this great country.

 

Sadly, we have to, we have to do these things because Labor has failed. Labor continues to fail. The way to beat the cost of living crisis is better economic management. The way to make sure we've got a strong hospitality sector is better economic management. Labor has failed to deliver that. That's why we will be supporting this measure alongside the important measure of tax exemption to small businesses who frequent a place like this pub to have a meal. These are measures that are necessary at a time like this, made necessary by Labor's absolute failure. Happy to take questions.

 

JOURNALIST: [Inaudible]

 

ANGUS TAYLOR: Yeah absolutely. This is clearly a modest measure, and at the end of the day, it is a bandaid on a bullet wound. We've got a cost of living crisis, a cost of doing business crisis caused by Labor's economic mismanagement. They've had multiple budgets and they've been multiple flops. They simply haven't dealt with the underlying issues here, and that's why modest measures like this are necessary. But the better answer over time always will be better economic mismanagement. That ensures that we have a strong hospitality sector. That ensures that Australians don't have to pay more for everything when they go to a local restaurant, cafe, pub. That will ensure that Australians are able to make ends meet at such a tough time.

 

JOURNALIST: [Inaudible]

 

ANGUS TAYLOR: Well, the mistake was for Labor to continue to fail to beat home grown inflation. The mistake was economic mismanagement from Labor, which has continued to cause huge pain for Australians, burning a hole in the pockets of Australians as they try to make ends meet. The mistake for Labor was to not recognise that 4,000 hospitality businesses have gone bust under this Labor Government. I mean, we've seen mistake after mistake from Labor, and that's why these measures are necessary. It's also why it's important that we provide a tax exemption for small businesses coming in for [inaudible] today. That will ensure that we've got our best chance of having as many businesses as possible come out from under this crisis that we're facing right now.

 

JOURNALIST: [Inaudible]

 

ANGUS TAYLOR: Well, what I will say is that this is a modest measure made necessary because of Labor’s failures. That's why we're supporting it, because of Labor's failures. Because Labor has not managed the economy and when you don't manage an economy, what you see in an inflation crisis like this one is it goes for too long. Australians have paid a high price for prices that continue to go up. There's no prospect of prices coming down anytime soon. We've seen a collapse in Australians’ standard living, and on Labor's own numbers, we're not going to see that standard of living restored to where it was when Labor came to power until 2030 or beyond. Until 2030 or beyond. That's why these measures have been made necessary. It’s why we'll support this freezing of the excise as I say, we've been in discussion with the hospitality sector for many months. That's why we have already announced an important measure to support this sector, and we'll continue to provide support.

 

JOURNALIST: [Inaudible]

 

ANGUS TAYLOR: Well, every budget that we've got from this government has been a flop, and no doubt if they bring down another budget, that will be a flop as well. What we do need to see is transparency of the way this government's managing its finances. We have seen huge increases in government spending. The highest levels of spending across governments, across this country we've ever seen as a percentage GDP. We do need to understand where all the money is going and how Labor’s spending money. So that needs to be transparent. If Labor was to hand down another budget, I'm sure it would be another flop. Sadly, that's what we've seen time and time again from this government.

 

JOURNLIAST: [Inaudible]

 

ANGUS TAYLOR: We’re fully supportive of the Ukraine at this time. This was an illegal invasion by Russia. That is our position. That will continue to be our position. We do all want to see the end of this war. I think that is something that's in everybody's interests. But the starting point is that this was an illegal invasion of Ukraine, and that Russia was in the wrong and I think that's an important starting point. We will not veer from that position.

 

ENDS.