Shadow Minister Media Releases
Labor Determined To Kill Small Business (10/08/2009)
The Federal and NSW Labor Governments are doing their utmost to make small business operators suffer, Shadow Minister for Small Business, Don Page said.
“The Federal Labor Government’s Modern Award and Fair Work Bill are both devastating pieces of legislation for small businesses,” Mr Page said.
“They have introduced a so called ‘Modern Award’ that will increase wage costs for businesses who trade on Sundays,” he said.
“Many industries will be adversely affected by the Federal Government’s award changes. For example, the new award will lead to a 22% increase in labour costs in the Pharmacy industry.”
The Pharmacy Guild of Australia has stated that the ‘Pharmacy Industry Award 2010’ will lead to the loss of 2,541 jobs in New South Wales.
“Common sense was applied when the Federal Labor Government heeded the calls from the Federal Coalition on behalf of the hospitality industry to take into consideration the circumstances of that industry in the ‘Modern Award’.
“But Federal Labor refused to back down on the pharmacy, aged care, retail and farming sectors,” Mr Page said.
“This is devastating and grossly unfair. Pharmacists provide a vital service that is required over weekends and in the evenings,” he said.
“Every parent understands that a child does not time the onset of an acute illness between 9am and 5pm on weekdays!”
“New South Wales businesses are already doing it tough. There is no recognition of this from either the Federal or State Labor Governments. Jobs will be lost and services diminished because of their short-sighted and incompetent policies,” Mr Page said.
By contrast the New South Wales Liberal Nationals are committed to improving the business environment in this State by implementing a 15% cut to payroll tax, paying bills within 30 days with penalty interest imposed beyond 30 days, halving the time taken to process major infrastructure projects and cutting red tape.
“New South Wales already has the highest unemployment rate in Australia at 6.1%. The Federal and New South Wales Labor Governments are doing their best to exacerbate that situation,” Mr Page said.
“I call on the State Labor Government to appeal to its Federal colleagues to reverse its decision on the ‘Modern Award’,” Mr Page said.
