BACKING QUEENSLAND SMALL BUSINESSES AND CREATING LOCAL JOBS

OUR PRIORITIES

1 GUARANTEE NO NEW TAXES

2 INTRODUCE A FAIR PAY POLICY

3 REDUCE RED TAPE

4 INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION

5 PRIORITISE PROCUREMENT

6 DELIVER CHEAPER ELECTRICITY

DEB FRECKLINGTON MPLeader of the Liberal National Party

FIONA SIMPSON MPShadow Minister for Employment and Small Business

That’s why we are unashamedly pro-small business and family enterprises as the champions of local jobs.

These courageous entrepreneurs put their blood, sweat and capital on the line to create jobs and opportunity for themselves, their families and other people’s families. They not only build regional economies, with 97% of businesses being small businesses, they build cities and towns, with their sponsorship of sports and community groups.

It’s time they had a fair go to flourish. They need a Queensland Government that helps, not hinders, and cheers their success rather than charges them for it.

The LNP believes that to grow Queensland’s economy and local jobs you need to make it easier for businesses to do business.

Our policies will support Queenslanders do what they do best – work hard to get ahead and create more local jobs.

AN LNP GOVERNMENT WILL:

1 GUARANTEE NO NEW TAXES

2 INTRODUCE A FAIR PAY POLICY

3 REDUCE RED TAPE

4 INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION

5 PRIORITISE PROCUREMENT

6 DELIVER CHEAPER ELECTRICITY

This is just the start of the LNP’s plan for the future. We will continue to listen to Queenslanders and develop more plans to ensure Queensland’s best days are ahead of it.

We want to make Queensland a better place for our kids.

WHEN SMALL BUSINESSES THRIVE IN QUEENSLAND, COMMUNITIES THRIVE.

01BACKING QUEENSLAND SMALL BUSINESSES

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NO NEW TAXESLABOR’S PROBLEM:• On the eve of the last state election,

Labor announced four new taxes for Queenslanders and flagged a fifth – the waste tax – just months after the election.

• These job-destroying taxes alone will rip over $2.2 billion dollars out of our economy.

• Labor has never seen someone else’s money without wanting to snatch it – whether it’s taxpayers’ money, motorists’ money or public transport users’ money.

• Labor’s job-destroying taxes put a handbrake on small businesses.

LNP’S SOLUTION:

• Queensland used to have a reputation as a low–taxing state, encouraging an entrepreneurial spirit where if people had a go and backed themselves, they could make a decent living and get ahead in life.

• We want Queensland to be the state of opportunity once more.

• That’s why an LNP Government will guarantee no new taxes if we are elected at the next state election.

• We are putting up the signs that Queensland is open for business once again and we are unashamed about our plan to grow our economy.

• It’s only under an LNP Government that business will have the renewed hope and confidence to invest in Queensland to create more jobs and increase wages.

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FAIR PAY POLICYLABOR’S PROBLEM:• The Queensland Government spends over

$15 billion a year on goods and services as part of their annual procurement.

• The Palaszczuk Labor Government is using Queensland small businesses as their bank by failing to pay them on time.

• Under the Labor Queensland Government departments, agencies have unacceptably high rates of late payments, with some departments paying up to 30% of small businesses past the current 30 day deadline.

LNP’S SOLUTION:

• The LNP will help small businesses with their cash flow and lead by example with government payments.

• Government contracts up to $1 million will be paid by an LNP Government within 20 calendar days, down from the current 30.

• The LNP’s Fair Pay Policy would support businesses to organise their plans, hire more Queenslanders and invest in opportunities knowing they’ll be paid sooner rather than later.

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RED TAPE REDUCTIONLABOR’S PROBLEM:• The Labor Government has made it harder for

Queensland businesses by increasing red tape while introducing new taxes at the same time.

• Worryingly, more than a third of businesses are spending more than six hours a week on red tape.

• Many are spending more than 20 hours a week on red tape.

• Too many hours are being wasted on compliance instead of doing business and creating jobs.

• Businesses spend too much time simply trying to understand regulations and their obligations.

LNP’S SOLUTION:

• Less red tape is our priority, the LNP has committed to a 20% red tape reduction target.

• Like anything in life, if you don’t set targets, you don’t have focus.

• Our red tape reduction target will make it easier to do business with government.

• Only an LNP Government will reduce government red tape, helping small business operators to be more productive and focus their time and money on what matters.

• The LNP will get out of the way and let businesses get on with what they do best.

03BACKING QUEENSLAND SMALL BUSINESSES02

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INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION OF BUSINESS OWNERSLABOR’S PROBLEM:• Queensland small business confidence

is at rock bottom under Labor.

• The Palaszczuk Labor Government is consistently ranked the least popular among small and medium sized businesses in the Sensis Business Index.

• Repeated surveys from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland (CCIQ) show that business conditions and profitability continue to rapidly weaken.

• With Labor’s anti-jobs agenda, economic activity in many areas is grinding to a halt, causing sky-high levels of youth unemployment across Queensland.

LNP’S SOLUTION:

• Despite stubbornly high youth unemployment, Queensland’s youth are a generation of highly aspirational young people who dream of being independent.

• The LNP’s young entrepreneurs pilot program will deliver 8,000 students living in high youth unemployment regions the opportunity to receive life-changing training.

• Our Young Entrepreneurs Program will ignite the spark in Queensland’s youth and showcase the opportunities available to them.

• Whether students are interested in a traditional trade or an emerging technology, the young entrepreneurs’ program will introduce them to business and financial literacy skills that will help them chart their business future.

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PRIORITISING PROCUREMENTLABOR’S PROBLEM:• Labor’s procurement policy has no

specific provisions for Queensland small and medium sized enterprises (SME).

• The Palaszczuk Labor Government is anti-small business and does not recognise the significant contribution SMEs make to Queensland’s local communities.

• Labor doesn’t understand that there’s a difference between supporting a local SME and a big multinational business with a regional office.

LNP’S SOLUTION:

• The LNP’s prioritising procurement policy will put Queensland SMEs front and centre in procurement decisions to make sure taxpayer dollars are spent supporting those businesses that support our communities.

• Government departments and agencies will be given more capacity to deal directly with SMEs for contracts under $250,000.

• If any department or agency is purchasing a good or service from a supplier that’s less than $250,000, it must first consider purchasing from a Queensland SME.

• Requiring agencies to first consider a Queensland SME will ensure they’re in the running for these contracts.

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CHEAPER ELECTRICITYLABOR’S PROBLEM:• Labor has been using electricity as

a secret tax, forcing Queenslanders to pay record high prices.

• Labor’s electricity rip-off is hurting the household budget and putting more pressure on small business – the backbone of the Queensland economy.

• It was Labor that reduced competition when Anna Bligh merged the three state-owned generators (Tarong, CS Energy and Stanwell) into two, all while Annastacia Palaszczuk was sitting at the Cabinet table.

• The LNP introduced competition into the retail electricity market for Southeast Queensland. Labor refused to support this reform for regional Queenslanders, costing households $300 a year.

LNP’S SOLUTION:

• To promote more competition and put downward pressure on wholesale prices, the LNP will restructure our government-owned power generators from two to three entities.

• Creating three state-owned generation companies will reduce wholesale prices by more than 8 per cent.

• The LNP will end Labor’s electricity divide between the southeast and the rest of Queensland by giving households and small businesses the opportunity to shop around saving them approximately $300 a year.

05BACKING QUEENSLAND SMALL BUSINESSES04

To learn more about our plan visit DEB2020.COM.AU

LNP SMALL BUSINESS PRIORITIES

✔ NO NEW TAXES

✔ FAIR PAY POLICY

✔ RED TAPE REDUCTION

✔ INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION

✔ PRIORITISE PROCUREMENT

✔ CHEAPER ELECTRICITY

THE LNP WILL ALWAYS STAND FOR LOWER TAXES AND MORE JOBS FOR QUEENSLANDERS