New Opposition small business spokesperson Bruce Billson accuses Rudd Government of ignoring SMEs

The Coalition’s new Opposition small business spokesperson, Bruce Billson, says the Rudd Government’s “big government, big spending” mantra has meant small business has been ignored by Canberra for two years and says he is preparing to campaign aggressively on the credit squeeze on SMEs and industrial relations.

Billson, who served as a minister in the Howard Government, says the credit squeeze on small businesses is the major issue confronting the sector at present.

He says businesses with strong track records and good prospects are being starved of funds, despite the fact the Rudd Government has provided support to the banking sector through mechanisms such as the bank guarantee.

“The taxpayer has provided enormous support for the banks and it’s not unreasonable that the banks support taxpayers, including 2.4 small businesses and their 4 million employees.”

“Everywhere I travel this is what emerges. People are saying they’d get a random phone call from a bank who, a very short time ago, was pushing overdrafts and all sorts of products on them.”

He’s also concerned about the reshaping of the industrial landscape under the Rudd Government and the next round of changes that come in one January 1, including the new National Employment Standards and the Modern Awards regime that will particularly impact sectors such as retail.

“We’ve had some preliminary feedback on that and I’m keen to get around at Christmas and see how businesses are being affected,” Billson says.

As a former McDonalds worker in his younger years, Billson says he has heard from a number of people in the fast food sector who are concerned about increasing costs.

“More importantly, I’m concerned it may freeze out the opportunity for young people to get a start in the workforce. “

Another area of concern is the new good faith bargaining rules. Billson says some small businesses in his electorate who have never dealt with unions in workplace negotiations, are suddenly finding things have changed.

“We’ve heard that unions that have never shown an interest are turning up at workplaces.”

Billson has also taken a gentle shot at his opposite number, Federal Small Business Minister Craig Emerson, who also holds the portfolios of competition and consumer affairs.

“I play touch footy with the Minster and he’s a bit of a hog on the field. I suspect that there’s a bit of that going on in Canberra as well.”

Like many on Opposition Leader Tony Abbott’s front bench, Billson was highly critical of the Rudd Government’s emissions trading scheme.

In a Parliamentary debate in late October he said the ETS “really looks like an enormous grab for cash that can then be given away by a big government that wants to be big in everybody’s lives and which really does not tackle some of the compelling issues about climate change and our need to adapt and abate those pressures on our landscape and on our way of life”.

Billson has been in Parliament since March 1996 and is the member for the seat of Dunkley, located in the outer Melbourne suburb of Frankston.

While much of his career has involved working in government roles, he did run a small retail business with his wife Kate on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula.

The business, which sold Australian art and craft, was managed by his wife, with Billson providing back office support. Billson says the couple “cut our losses and sold the businesses” after a few years.

“I would not stand before you and say it was a screaming success, but it was lots of fun. Like all small businesses, cashflow was king. We were heavily affected by seasonal factors, by discretionary spending and by a punishing lease arrangement.”

What sticks out particularly was how the business could be brought to a halt on a wintery weekend, when the tourists stayed at home.

“Those weather events could be tough on the weekend. But one thing you’re sure of is that you know your costs are going to keep going. With outgoings of about $4,500 a month, we knew we had to keep the cash flowing.”

While Billson has only been in the role a day, he is well aware there is a possibility that Prime Minister Kevin Rudd may call an early election, perhaps as early as the first quarter of next year.

“Given that possibility, we need to be ready to go. We’ll have our head down and our bums up working on policy.”

He says he is keen to hear from small business owners and wants to particularly focus on SMEs in the suburbs and rural and regional areas that often get forgotten.

“In those areas, small business is the economy.”