Monday, 12 October 2026

ACT LIBERAL SENATE CANDIDATE, MR NICK TYRRELL:

Welcome, everyone. Well, it's my pleasure this morning to welcome Angus and Tim back to EightyTwenty coffee shop across the road here, and I was educating Tim particularly that Canberra now has better coffee than Melbourne. I won't tell you what he said to that, but I still believe it! I still believe it.

And what's interesting is to spend some time with some small business owners like Aakesh at EightyTwenty, because he, like many other small business owners out there is telling me: there has never been a tougher time in the 20 years since I first started a business, for small business in Australia.

I've never seen small business as agitated and activated about public policy as I have in this last six months, and that's because I think small business has seen in this last six months that they have never had a federal government so hostile to small business, and I'm proud to be part of a team that is set to change that, have pro-small business policies and to turn back these attacks on small business from federal Labor.

So, I'll hand over to the Shadow Treasurer, Tim Wilson.

SHADOW TREASURER, THE HON. TIM WILSON MP:

Thanks, Nick, so much, and nothing would be better than if we had a Senator from the ACT who understood the importance of small business and how it drives the economy. The consistent theme of the Albanese Government has been to punch down and kneecap small businesses who just want to get ahead.

This morning at EightyTwenty we heard directly the consequences of Labor's surcharge ban and the impact it's having on consumer sentiment, and their choices. The important thing is we need competition in the marketplace to address the challenges small business faces. Instead, the Government is increasing costs on small businesses that just want to keep the doors open and serve their customers. The Albanese Government has made a complete hash of its surcharge ban and in particular the ban on credit card payments the Australian Taxation Office. The Albanese Government has turned around to small business and said they should absorb costs that they're not prepared to absorb themselves. The hypocrisy is extraordinary and it's leaving small businesses high and dry.

But this is now a part of a pattern of behaviour from the Albanese Government, where they have consistently failed to implement their legislation and understand the impact it has on small business. We saw this with the federal Budget, where there's now been at least four backdowns from their budget because of how it hurt small business. And of course, we've now seen a stay of execution in the context of the ATO credit card ban.

What we need is a government that understands small business and more importantly actually thinks through and understands the consequences of their legislation. That's why when the federal Government introduces its trust legislation this week, it is only going to reveal a whole new series of failures by Anthony Albanese and Jim Chalmers, because they do not understand what they're doing, and the impact it has on small business.

The Government should abandon its trust changes because of its impact on small business. Small business cannot afford these new minimum taxes. Small business cannot afford these changes in trust legislation, which is only going to hurt them and their capacity to be able to operate. The Government needs to stop targeting and kneecapping small business and back it. The profit margins are thin, it is already so hard to get ahead, and small businesses are screaming for hope, but all the Albanese Government is offering them is harm. Angus.

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION, THE HON. ANGUS TAYLOR MP:

Well said, Tim. It's great to be here with you and with Nick, and as Tim said a moment ago, we need more people with small business experience in all of our parliaments across the country, but most of all the Federal Parliament, and of course as a Senate candidate for the ACT, I want to see Nick representing this area which has a lot of small business people, like Aakesh, who we've just spoken to a moment ago, hard-working small business people.

30 failures a day under this Government, 30 failures a day and only increasing, only increasing. Small businesses run on tiny margins, and it only takes a bad bit of Government policy and the margin's gone, it's gone, and that means the business is gone and with that the hopes and dreams of families and Australians who are trying to get ahead, and frankly under this Government are finding it too hard and in many cases are giving up hope. Hope is the fuel for aspiration, prosperity and achievement in our economy and hope is disappearing fast under this Government, and that's why we have a plan to fix our economy and protect our way of life. Central to that plan is axing Labor's toxic taxes, and we know the worst of those taxes are hitting small business hard.

The Capital Gains Tax, which is a tax on growth, on growing businesses. Get this, at a time when we need more growth in the economy, not just through population growth, but underlying competitiveness, they put a tax on growth. Unbelievable. And the trust tax, which is the tax on small business, as Tim has said a moment ago, but Albanese is also trying to impose a new tax on small businesses, which is telling them that they have to absorb the surcharges. The hypocrisy of that. On the day when the Tax Office says we won't accept surcharges because we're going to ban credit card payments, that hypocrisy knows no bounds. But we're getting used to it under this Government - hypocrisy every single day of the week.

But there is a better way, axe Labor's toxic taxes, their waste, and the red tape that's weighing down on small businesses like Aakesh’s across the road; scrap net zero and get affordable energy back in this country; move from mass migration, record levels of migration, to skilled migration, which has underpinned this country and our economy for so many years; and put Australians first. That is the way forward right now.

Now, there's one particular area where Labor is out to lunch. I mean there's lots of areas where they're out to lunch, frankly, but a new bit of evidence that's emerged in the last little while on the private health insurance rebate. Almost double the number of older Australians are going to be impacted by this, almost double, and that has come out, government analysis, it's not 44,000, it turns out it's 78,000. They get it wrong every time. This Treasurer, this Prime Minister, they get it wrong every time. We'll see if they admit that they had it wrong, we will see if they’re going to scrap this - an imposition on older Australians, who have worked hard. An imposition on our public health system because what it's going to do is force people out of private health into public health and everyone pays a price for that but everyone pays a price for a rotten Labor Government and that's why we need to get rid of this rotten Labor Government.

Happy to take questions.

JOURNALIST:

Mr Taylor, a couple of new polls out today showing support for One Nation has dropped. Do you think your refusal to engage with this conversation on a preference deal with them has made voters look more carefully about what One Nation is offering?

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION:

What I think is Australians want a plan for change, a coherent plan for change - to fix our economy and protect our way of life, to axe Labor's toxic taxes, waste and red tape, to scrap net zero, to move from mass migration to skilled migration and to put Australians first. I think that's what Australians want and I know we've got a big job to do – Tim and myself and the team and Nick – to rebuild trust, with hard-working Australians at a time when trust is eroded across the board. I understand that, but that is what we're out doing every day and we're not going to stop, I tell you. Because our country needs change and we have the team and the plan to make that change happen.

JOURNALIST:

Mr Taylor, on that point, at the CPAC conference over the weekend, Pauline Hanson described you as a "smarmy management consultant" I think were her words. She also said later on during the conference that she wanted the parties of the right to work together. Does it make it harder for any sort of potential sort of cooperation when the leader of one of the other parties is saying things like that?

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION:

Well, can I say a couple of things on this - the first is, we'll work with anyone to get rid of Labor's rotten policies. The trust tax coming up this week, as Tim said, we need Labor to do a backflip - and we need everyone in the Parliament who cares about small businesses, who doesn't want them hit with new taxes, hit with stamp duty, hit with accountancy costs, valuation costs - anyone who cares about small business should be opposing this rotten legislation, which, I've got to be honest, Labor did not understand this legislation when they brought it forward.

Now, it's not surprising they didn't understand it. I'll tell you why they didn't because not a single person sitting around the Cabinet table, not one, has worked in small business. Not one. Think about this for a second, these Cabinet discussions. I've been around the Cabinet table for many years. These cabinet discussions happen and not one person understands the implications for small business, not one, and it's no wonder, then, that they're making these mistakes. Now, so, we'll be out there talking about our plan every day of the week.

In terms of my former career, I am proud that I am not a career politician. I make no bones about the fact that before politics, I turned around industries, I turned around businesses, I worked on our family farming business. That's what I did before politics, and I'm a relative latecomer to politics, but that gives me the experience to turn around our country, and our country needs turning around right now - not because it's not the greatest country on earth, it is the greatest county on earth - but it is going in the wrong direction under this rotten Labor government and it needs a leader who understands enterprise, understands investment, understand what it takes to get an economy moving - and that's my background.

JOURNALIST:

Leader, we heard from your former colleague Josh Frydenberg over the weekend that the GST should go up to 15 per cent. Do you agree?

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION:

No. No. You know, the last thing we need in a cost of living crisis is an increase in taxes on everything we buy.

JOURNALIST:

Mr Taylor, do you think the federal government should look at whether it should ban the live streaming of a US execution that is planned for later this year? The Greens are calling for that. What do you think?

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION:

Well, look, I obviously don't agree with that policy, but that's a matter for the United States. It's not a matter for us. I'm not going to get into coming up with some kind of view on what the United States does. It's up to them.

JOURNALIST:

Do you think, just on the Canberra stadium, do you think that do support that idea, that proposal, and do you that it would help some of the business frustrations in Canberra? I just want your perspective, and I'll ask Nick about it later.

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION:

As someone who represented the area right to the edge of Canberra for many years, I understand the importance of that project and I tell you what, Nick Tyrrell is chewing my ear off about it every day of the week, every day of the week. As are others, people like Stephen Byron and others who I know care deeply about it. I'm a Raiders fan and so, I understand the importance for this region, and I know Nick is going to keep advocating for it hard and he should.

JOURNALIST:

Mr. Taylor, you don't agree with 15 per cent GST, but would you welcome Josh Frydenberg back into the party?

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION:

Look, I welcome every Liberal who cares about the future of our nation, and I know Josh does, to put shoulder to the wheel, in the coming months to get rid of a rotten Labor government and make the change that Australia needs happen, and I ask all Liberals and Nationals and people who are supportive of our view about where this country needs to go, our plan to fix the economy and protect our way of life, to get in there, and help in any way they can. And I tell you, I am seeing a flood of support when I go to cafes and restaurants and construction businesses and building businesses around this country, a flood support for our plan to fix the economy and protect our way of life, and I'm sure Josh will be out there supporting it, too.

JOURNALIST:

Have you spoken to him about that, like if he did come back, have you spoken to him personally?

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION:

I speak to Josh from time to time, but I haven't spoken to him in the last couple of days.

JOURNALIST:

Do you think some of his comments over the weekend are trying to destabilise your leadership from outside of Parliament?

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION:

I think Josh wants the best for our country, as does Nick, as does Tim, as do all of us. We want the best for our country because right now our country is going in the wrong direction and we've had enough. Australians have had enough. They've had a gutful. A Treasurer who just gaslights them every day. I mean, seriously, this bloke is hopeless, he thinks he can spin his way into a stronger Australian economy. He thinks the only way to grow the economy is to grow the population because he's given up on everything else. No wonder Australians are frustrated, angry, in many cases. I feel that anger.

JOURNALIST:

The Digital Duty of Care, Mr Taylor, the Government, as Anika Wells has signalled there, the Government could be open to some amendments and reforms and changes to that particular legislation. We've seen what the Greens have offered up for their support. They want stronger penalties, they want the laws to go further. Where are you and the Liberals and the Coalition on the Digital Duty of Care at the moment?

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION:

Well, we absolutely reject a blank cheque for political censorship. We absolutely reject a blank cheque for political censorship. Now, I know that's what Anika Wells wants to do because she's said it many times in the Parliament and in public, wherever she goes, she wants that blank cheque. Well, let's see, we haven't seen any suggestion that she doesn't want that blank cheque.

JOURNALIST:

Would parliament having the power to specify those harms rather than the minister be a far enough compromise in your view?

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION:

I don't know what they're coming forward with. This Government, honestly they say they're going to fix the trust tax and then what comes out? Well, everyone's got to have a unit trust, a fixed trust, I mean, they don't get it. Australians do not want political censorship in this country, and they shouldn't want it. I know Australians want the harm caused to younger Australians dealt with, I get that, and the Government's policies are failing on that and they need to be fixed and we will work with them to fix that but what we won't do is provide that blank cheque for political censorship.

JOURNALIST:

On the surcharge ban, we've heard from Kristy McBain this morning that the banks should absorb those transaction fees given they make billions of dollars in profits every year. Do you agree?

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION:

Last week, the Prime Minister said that small businesses needed to absorb it, and then he said the Tax Office, or we find out the Tax Office, is not going to absorb it. She can say whatever she likes, but in the end, what we really need is this Government to quit the hypocrisy, to scrap the ban on credit cards for small businesses by the ATO. Not delay it. A delay doesn't cut it. Scrap it. And then we know you're serious about actually having a real discussion about this. That's what they need to do.

JOURNALIST:

There have been conversations about the Commonwealth signing onto the Canberra stadium deal. If you were in power, would you sign on to it?

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION:

Well, I haven't seen a proposal, but, you know, go the Raiders.

JOURNALIST:

Mr Taylor, you've brought us here to a local small business, about 20 per cent of the hospitality industry's workforce are temporary visa holders. What's your message to business owners like the ones here, small business owners around Australia, who rely on those temporary visa-holders to fill their workforce? Will your policy make it harder for them to find the workers they need?

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION:

You know, our policy still allows for over two million temporary visa holders in this country. What happened, though, is it exploded to three million, and many of those people, hear me out here, many of these people are making a relatively modest contribution in terms of tax payment, in fact below $10,000.

We want people who come to this country, who work hard, who earn a good income, who pay their fair share in tax, and that will help to alleviate the labour force problems we have in this country. What we also want is less red tape, so it's easier for businesses to get the job done and frankly under this government we're not seeing any of that.

Now, we know from the work we have done that our policy, our immigration policy, will take pressure off inflation, it will strengthen the economy, it'll strengthen the Budget, it's will improve productivity, it will improve competitiveness. Yes, there are vested interests in this country, who are out there talking about what they prefer to happen. A guest worker economy. We shouldn't be a guest worker economy.

JOURNALIST:

That small businesses say they can't get staff for love or money. How does bringing fewer people into Australia fix the labour force problems?

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION:

Well, you know what, when someone is here and they're making a relatively small contribution it's not helping a lot. Here on a bridging visa - we've got now 400,000 bridging visas, 400,000, only a few years ago it was under 100,000. The Government has lost control of the borders, and we need to regain control, that's what Australians expect, and we have to do that in a way which is sensitive to the workers we need.

Now there's no change to the working holidaymakers here that will have any material impact. In fact, if anything we're trying to get them pushed out into the regional areas where we know the greatest shortages are. But in the end what we've got to do is regain control of the borders and having the right people come to the country. The Government should be choosing that, not universities. It’s the Government should be making those decisions.

JOURNALIST:

When are the costs for that policy going to be released?

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION:

We have released the budget analysis. You asked the question, I'll respond to it. We've been very clear about this. It is Budget neutral, or better in fact, and this is based on the current Government's policies. Now as we get closer to an election, the PBO will be able to base it on the Government's election policies.

But the Government policy changes every second day. I mean, we saw this Prime Minister change the humanitarian visa intake in a text to an ABC journalist. I mean this is how mobile their policy is because they haven't got a clue. They've lost control. So, we've done the analysis that we can on the Government's current policies and what that tells us is versus those policies with great confidence, it's Budget neutral,

And I'll tell you why it's Budget neutral. When you cut the numbers, but raise the skills and the commitment of the people coming to the country, you raise productivity, you raise competitiveness, and you preserve the tax state, and that's what our policy does.

Thank you very much.