Transcripts

The Hon Craig Emerson MP - Minister for Small Business

I’m Craig Emerson, the Minister for Small Business.

When we were designing the Economic Stimulus Package, we put very strong emphasis on infrastructure. In fact, 70 per cent of the Stimulus Package goes to nation building infrastructure – the biggest school modernisation program in Australia’s history; investment in ports and roads and local council works; and public housing dwellings. 

All of this is great news for small businesses, for our independent contractors, our tradies – and in designing that Stimulus Package, we’ve had our small businesses firmly in mind.

Our small businesses are the first to feel the economic effects of a downturn, but we know how resilient they are; but we do want to support small businesses during the economic downturn, and that’s why we’re investing so heavily in what will be around 35,000 construction projects in Australia by around the middle of next year.

That’s an enormous investment in our future. It’s good for Australia’s productivity growth; it’s good for our small businesses; it’s good for their families – and we really appreciate the work that our small businesses, our tradies, our contractors, do in creating prosperities, in creating jobs for working Australians, so we need to support small business during this economic downturn. 

That’s what we’re doing with 35,000 construction projects around Australia.

Good for small business. Good for their families. Good for Australia.