Anthony Albanese hails budget’s big focus on small business and families

Anthony Albanese will flag ongoing energy bill relief for 2.5 million small businesses in the May 14 budget, as he moves to ease tensions with employers over Labor’s IR shake-up.

Anthony Albanese takes a selfie with workers during a visit to the Rheinmetall factory in Ipswich on Tuesday. Picture: Tertius Pickard / NCA NewsWire

Anthony Albanese will promise Australia’s 2.5 million small business owners they will benefit from measures in the May 14 budget, as the federal government finalises ongoing energy bill relief.

In a speech to the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia national summit on Thursday, the Prime Minister will say small business owners and families are “front and centre in our thinking” ahead of a budget expected to include targeted cost-of-living support.

Describing his government as “pro-business and pro-worker”, Mr Albanese will also defend Labor’s industrial relations reforms after Peter Dutton on Wednesday committed to unwinding the workplace changes if elected.

Speaking in Sydney, Mr Albanese will say the energy bill relief package he negotiated with states and territories had “delivered up to $650 in savings for around one million small businesses, along with five million families”.

“Helping Australian families and small family businesses with their energy bills was a key priority in last year’s budget. It helped people under pressure – and it helped fight inflation … and as we put together next month’s budget, small businesses and families will again be front and centre,” he will say.

With almost one in three small businesses using rooftop solar and nearly one in five installing battery storage systems, Mr Albanese will attack Mr Dutton’s nuclear energy push.

“Solar power is a smart investment that delivers an important return to businesses on tight margins. You heard from the Opposition Leader yesterday about his plan to have a plan to build nuclear reactors somewhere up and down the east coast, sometime before 2050 at a cost somewhere in the hundreds of billions of dollars,” he will say.

“Our government – like you – is focused on what works and ­focused on what will make a difference here and now, as well as deliver for the long term.”

After business groups joined forces last year to push back against Labor’s IR shake-up, Mr Albanese will seek to ease ongoing private sector anxieties.

“We understand that there are no good jobs, fair wages or decent conditions for employees without employers. That’s the constructive and balanced approach we’ve sought to bring to our industrial relations reforms.

“Our government has made a point of working with big firms, small businesses and unions on these changes, because we understand that reforms which create a better system and a level playing field serve everyone’s interests.

“I did see when my opponent came here … he warned you about being ‘supine’ and ‘silent’. ­Demanding that you criticise the government more loudly and more often. Trying to drag you into his politics of negativity and conflict. I think more of you than that and our government has more respect for small business than that.”

Following criticism of the government’s use of non-disclosure agreements and freezing out stakeholders who criticise policies, Mr Albanese will say “unlike our opponents, we don’t think co-operation is a sign of weakness and we’re not interested in talking you down or talking the economy down”.

As Mr Albanese travels the country selling his “Future Made in Australia” push, he will tell small business owners he is ­inspired by their dynamism and resourcefulness.

“We need to show the courage and ambition you demonstrate every day. The courage to invest in new ideas and new industries, the ambition for our people and our products to win in the world. This is what I mean when I talk about a future made in Australia.”