"After a week of Ministers defending the Albanese government's assault on small business through the ATO credit card ban, and the Coalition announcing it would force a change if the government didn't act, the Prime Minister has finally dragged the Treasurer into giving small business a stay of execution, but not a solution", said Shadow Treasurer, Tim Wilson.
Mr Wilson's comments come in the wake of the Albanese government delaying its ban on paying tax bills by credit card, after small business was given just eight hours' notice of the ban on the morning the surcharge ban began.
The Coalition will proceed with legislation in the Parliament next week, to give small business the relief and peace of mind they deserve, not just a delay.
"While the Treasurer was hiding under the doona, other Ministers were sent out to argue the government didn't have the power to act, but clearly they did, the government was just making small business sweat", Mr Wilson said.
"This is now the fifth time the Prime Minister has humiliated his Treasurer by forcing a backdown: first the application of his CGT hike on small business, second the widows tax, third the death tax, fourth the trusts tax, and now the ATO credit card ban".
"This government simply doesn't understand the impact of its policy changes - they're imposing costs on tradies, travel agents and the local cafe, but they've said higher costs are too much for them to bear because they can't manage their Budget".
"The Tax Office gets a taxpayer-funded bailout, but the local cafe gets thrown under the bus. It's one rule for Canberra and another for small business".
"Every backdown is an admission the measure should never have been introduced in the first place. Jim Chalmers doesn't understand his decisions, their consequences, or their impact on the economy, and small business keeps getting hit with the financial shrapnel".
"It seems the audition between Clare O'Neil and Andrew Charlton has a winner, and it isn't the Treasurer".
"Thousands of small business owners signed on at standwithsmall.org, and their voices forced the government's hand. But small business shouldn't have to run a campaign every time Canberra forgets they exist".
"That's why the Coalition is fighting for a Small Business Act with a 'right to be heard', so the ATO and every other regulator has to consult small business before they pull the rug out from under them, not after".
"The ATO card ban may be on hold, but the baby tax is still on the cards. Under Jim Chalmers' Budget, a child born and added to a family or small business trust after July 2029 will be hit with a tax before they've even learned to walk. The old saying is there are three guarantees in life: birth, death and taxes, but this Treasurer has turned it into birth taxes, life taxes and death taxes".
"There are still more landmines in Jim Chalmers' Budget waiting to go off. The question is whether the Prime Minister will humiliate him a sixth time, or whether the Treasurer will finally scrap the lot".
"Australia needs a stand-up economy, not a sit-down economy, where small businesses are backed, not billed".
