Topics:  Labor’s cost of doing business crisis, Labor’s smoke and mirrors on surcharges, Pollie Pedal raising money for Wandering Warriors  

 

E&OE   

 

KIERAN GILBERT: 

Let's go live to the Shadow Treasurer, Angus Taylor. Angus Taylor, thanks for your time. The government announcing some plans to try and crack down on surcharges. Do you, in broad terms, do you support the idea of reform in this space to help reduce costs for people at the checkout? 

 

ANGUS TAYLOR: 

Well, there's no doubt that rising prices and surcharges have been a huge aggravation to Australian families, Kieran. An 18% increase in the cost of living for working families across Australia since Labor has come to power, and they're annoyed and frustrated about it. But this is smoke and mirrors, this so called announcement. I wouldn't even grace it with that name and announcement, because it's smoke and mirrors. It's a plan for a plan, if it ever happens, and it's an openness to do something in the future, it won't be until 2026. They've said that it's subject to a Reserve Bank review. This is the kind of thought bubble that we see constantly from Labor, because they've totally failed to deal with the underlying challenge Australian households are facing, which is a huge increase in their cost of living, rising interest rates, 25% increase in personal income taxes being paid, and nothing Labor is doing is restoring Australians' standard of living to where they were at when Labor came to power. So we see these thought bubbles constantly from Labor. It's all politics. It's not dealing with the underlying problem. 

 

KIERAN GILBERT: 

And in your statement with Sussan Ley today, you've said that they're blaming small business. Why is that? Isn't it not the banks demanding fees here?  

 

ANGUS TAYLOR: 

Labor's always looking for someone to blame Kieran, whether it's the banks, whether it's small business, whether it's the Reserve Bank, whether it's the Productivity Commission. I mean, they're in fights with everybody at the moment. I mean, the Treasurer has been fighting with his great mentor, Paul Keating, in recent times over superannuation taxes. So they always want to pick a fight with somebody. But the truth is, this is completely smoke and mirrors. It's a plan for a plan. It's not actually going to solve any real problem, anytime soon for Australian families, if ever at all. And it's Labor again, looking around for an announcement to deal with the fact that they've completely failed to even maintain Australians' standard of living, and certainly haven't done anything to increase their prosperity. 

 

KIERAN GILBERT: 

The Opposition Leader was campaigning today, he held his news conference in the seat of Reid in Sydney's northwestern suburbs. I'm wondering, this is one out of left field to an extent, but from your perspective, because if you beat Sally Sitou, the Coalition is going to do really well at the next election, because she's quite a popular local member. There are a lot of small businesses in that constituency. I wonder, is this part of your thinking, as you head into the election season, that you want a really strong pitch to small business? And if so, what's the message? What are you going to take to them?  

 

ANGUS TAYLOR: 

Well, households are hurting right now out there, Kieran, but so too are small businesses. And we've seen record levels of insolvencies in the last couple of years. We've never seen numbers like this before. We're seeing enormous pain from the rising cost of doing business, customers who are now buying less. We've got a household recession. GDP per capita hasn't moved forward for 18 months. I mean, it's an absolute diabolical disaster for many small businesses. I speak to them every day. And of course, small businesses are the backbone of our local economies, and as we lose them, we lose our local economy. So it is a disastrous situation for families. And we're seeing this right across Australia. It is important that we have a strong small business sector. I wouldn't relate that to the issue you were just talking about, but more generally, we are seeing a small business sector that is really struggling right now, particularly in industries like construction, in retail, in cafes and hospitality, where there's no doubt we're seeing enormous pain, and that pain is not letting up. 

 

KIERAN GILBERT: 

And finally, a charity initiative I know you've been a part of for several years now, and you're putting your foot to the pedal as well. This Sunday, the Pollie Pedal. 1000 kms you're

going to have in the saddle. Talk us through it.  

 

ANGUS TAYLOR: 

1000 kms over eight days, supporting a really brilliant charity, the Wandering Warriors who are Special Forces veterans, and supporting them as they leave the Special Forces and go out into the community. It can be a really challenging time we know for veterans, and Special Forces veterans in particular, I think, have faced some real challenges in recent years. So we supported them last year, supporting them again this year. This Pollie Pedal has been running since 1998 Kieran. We've raised many, many millions of dollars for just brilliant, brilliant charities over many years. And so I'll be doing the hard work over eight days, but it's a brilliant opportunity too. Up through the Hunter Valley, New England, to meet people in their communities. And I absolutely love that opportunity, and looking forward to doing it again next week. 

 

KIERAN GILBERT: 

Yeah, indeed, a good way to get a sense on the ground or on the road. Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor, thanks all the best on the ride. 

 

ANGUS TAYLOR: 

Good on you. Thanks Kieran. 

 

ENDS.