Shorten to kill jobs for a chance at own pay rise

TODAY Bill Shorten has confirmed what we have long suspected, he will proactively destroy Australian jobs if it means an increase to his own salary, Minister for Small Business Michael McCormack said.

“Mr Shorten is saying to Australian workers employed by business - that your livelihood doesn’t matter, so long as his gets better,” Mr McCormack said.

“Confirmation of Mr Shorten’s anti-business, anti-jobs, anti-growth ‘war with big business’ is a disgrace but not a surprise.”

“Mr Shorten is telling working Australians that the alternative government is at war with your employer. A war on business is a war on jobs and the economy in general. 

“It has to be seen to be believed to read that Mr Shorten has labelled tax cuts a ‘drag on the economy’ after once beaming to the House of Representatives: ‘… lowering corporate tax assists the creation of jobs. What can be more important in this country than the creation of jobs?’”.

As part of the Coalition Government’s Enterprise Tax Plan, it has succeeded in lowering the corporate tax rate to the lowest level since 1940 for micro, small, medium and unincorporated businesses.

“The Turnbull Government has cut taxes for small businesses so they can remain internationally competitive and increase investment, productivity, wages and employment,” Mr McCormack said.   

“We have widened the definition of small business, increased cash flow, fixed competition laws, slashed red tape, made doing business fairer, increased access to finance, created competitive advantage in new markets and brought in dispute resolution services.

“The question for Bill Shorten is: which bit don’t you like?

“Which business-friendly measures are you prepared to sacrifice for the chance of a pay rise yourself?” 

According to the October National Australia Bank Monthly Business Survey, business conditions, trading conditions and profitability are at the highest level since the survey began in 1997. Similarly, ANZ Job Advertisements research shows job ads steadily rising, reinforcing the 355,700 more Australians in work than a year ago.

“The best business, trading and profitability conditions since at least 1997 and more than 830,000 jobs created since coming into government is reinforcement of the business-friendly policies put in place by the Turnbull Government,” Mr McCormack said.

“The longest consecutive run of jobs growth since 1994 and total employment at record highs is reinforcement of the business friendly policies put in place by the Turnbull Government.

“The last thing our strengthening economy needs right now is a poisoned Bill, hell-bent on destroying the jobs and wellbeing of Australians on the off chance of a pay-rise for himself.”

Sam Edwards