Mr BILLSON (Dunkley—Minister for Small Business) (14:30): It is great to get a question from the member for Barton. He is a great advocate for his community and the small businesses in Monterey, Bardwell Park and Carlton. And isn't it interesting: it has been some 217 days since the Labor Party thought small business mattered enough to actually ask me a question. Doesn't that tell you all you need to know about where Labor is at? Ms Kate Ellis interjecting— The SPEAKER: The member for Adelaide will leave under standing order 94(a). The member for Adelaide then left the chamber. Mr BILLSON: I know on this side we love small business and we will work as hard for them every day as they do for their success. Part of that is getting on with the job of repairing the debt and deficit disaster left to us by the former government. We did not create the problems. We did not create the trajectory of debt, which will cost $25,000 for every man, woman and child. The Leader of the Opposition can smile and smirk and be pleased with his work, but not many others are. The Australian small-business community are not pleased with your work, Leader of the Opposition—519,000 jobs lost in the small-business sector under Labor. And now, when the small-business community are calling for budget repair to build confidence and the economic conditions that we need to grow our economy and so they can grow their businesses, you are now standing in the way of that work. This government did not create the debt and deficit disaster, but you are now standing in the way of repairing it. The coalition has put forward $40 billion worth of savings to start that economic recovery that is needed in this country, and not only are you the cause of the problem; the Leader of the Opposition and his Labor Party are opposing that recovery work. Even independent experts—the Parliamentary Budget Office—made it clear, and I will quote: It is time to start coming out [of debt and deficit], otherwise the longer you leave it the more exposed you become and the harder it is to wind it back. The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry made the point very clearly: The budget goes a long way to restoring all important business confidence that will drive investment and job creation, particularly for Australia's two million small businesses … In this House, I pointed out that Labor wanted to forget that the member for McMahon was once the Treasurer of the country. At least they have now repaired that, and now the member for McMahon actually recognises that he was once Treasurer. We would like to forget, but we cannot forget because— Opposition members interjecting— The SPEAKER: You know the ruling on props! Mr BILLSON: we have got the job to fix the mess. The member for McMahon used to believe in the importance of budget surpluses. He said, and I quote—this was under Labor: The Government has returned the Budget to surplus three years ahead of schedule and ahead of any other major advanced economy. It used to matter to the member for McMahon—budget credibility used to be important. I have reminded him that he once was Treasurer; I am happy to remind him that he once had budget and economic credibility. I suggest the member for McMahon step up, save the Leader of the Opposition from himself, stop having this Leader of the Opposition talking out both sides of his pie-hole and get on board our budget repair task.