Mr REBELLO (McPherson) (15:39): I thank the shadow minister for small business for putting forward this MPI, because it's not only giving me an opportunity to voice the concerns of the thousands of small businesses across my electorate of McPherson on the southern Gold Coast but it has also given this chamber and the Australian people an insight into the arrogance of the Minister for Small Business and, in doing so, an insight into the arrogance of this Albanese Labor government. The member for Bonner has just given us all these reasons for why we should end this MPI and, in effect, congratulate Labor. She started talking about the things that Labor has supposedly delivered. Well, what have Labor delivered? They've delivered 13 interest rate rises, they've delivered the highest government spending outside a recession in the last 40 years, they've delivered the sharpest fall in living standards across the developed world, and they've delivered budget blowouts left, right and centre. This is the record of this government, and it's affecting small businesses in my electorate of McPherson and across the country. If you actually look at what this minister said—and this goes back to the arrogance—her interjections, when the shadow minister for small business was raising legitimate concerns felt by small businesses across this country, went to the fact of 'if you're a small business that's going out of business, it's probably because you're dodgy'. That is absolute contempt for small businesses in this country, and it's consistent with— The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Ms Claydon ): A point of order, Minister? Dr Aly: If I may, I've heard time and time again the quotes from those opposite as they're using them through their speeches. I just want to clarify that that's not what I said, and I think that those— The DEPUTY SPEAKER: That's not a point of order, but there's another opportunity to do that and correct the record. Dr Aly: I will take that opportunity, then, thank you. Mr REBELLO: This is consistent with what we're seeing from ministers in this government. We've also seen the Treasurer ditch his responsibility to admit to the Australian people that he should be taking responsibility for this most recent interest rate rise. Labor have presided over the biggest collapse in living standards in the developed world. This government's inability to rein in its spending means that, now, Australian families and Australian small businesses have to. The government know that their spending was directly impacting inflation, but they don't care. This is not a global trend, because, while other countries are seeing inflation return to pre-COVID levels, we are the outlier. And we've seen, as I've said, the 13th rate rise under this government. The member for Casey mentioned that the first step in fixing a problem is acknowledging that there is one, and that is what we are calling for today as the opposition. This government needs to sit up and acknowledge that it is the problem. Its reckless spending over the last 3½ years has contributed to the situation that we're in. I think that we in this place should be subject to the same levels of fiscal constraint that we expect of the people we govern. If this place can't do that and if this government can't do that, then we are disrespecting the people who have put us here. We're disrespecting the small businesses and disrespecting our constituents. This government should be stronger and better than that, because Australians deserve better and the people in my electorate of McPherson deserve better. When I go and speak to small businesses across McPherson on the southern Gold Coast, they tell me about the real effects they are feeling of the decisions that are being made in this place. They're telling me about the increases in what they're spending to lease their venues. They're talking to me about the difficulties that they've got in the industrial relations space. They're talking to me about the impacts of interest rates on their family homes. These are real and genuine concerns. For those opposite to just sit there and call things out, not take note and listen, is disrespectful. This is all because Labor can't show budget restraint. Those opposite may not share the values that we do, but what they should do is take into account where they are sending this country and where they are sending the people in this country. They need to stand up for them—for small businesses—rein in expenditure and get this economy back under control.