During his announcement on Saturday, opposition leader Peter Dutton introduced an “entrepreneurship accelerator” program. This initiative would provide new businesses with tiered tax offsets and tax deductions for technological upgrades.
In addition, Dutton reaffirmed the Coalition’s stance on tax breaks for business lunches, a policy criticized by Labor as a waste of taxpayer money intended for “shout your boss steak tartare”.
During his visit to the Sydney Royal Easter Show, Dutton also announced a $20 million investment in infrastructure and new attractions for regional agricultural shows. He notably met Hephner the alpaca, famous for sneezing on King Charles last year, and admired the animal’s fluffy hair.
He defended his frequent visits to petrol stations to underscore the Coalition’s proposal for a 25c per litre reduction in the fuel excise, but did not confirm plans to visit proposed nuclear reactor sites.
He accused Labor of running a “scare campaign” over the community backlash against the Coalition’s controversial nuclear power plan and stated that decisions on reducing overseas migration would be made after winning government.
Under the Coalition’s small business policy, new businesses would receive a tax offset on a significant portion of their taxable income, tapering off over three years. A $2,000 tax deduction would apply to tech upgrades over $4,000, with the plan projected to cost $214 million.
Dutton claimed these policies are needed to address a “record number of insolvencies” under Labor and within four years, intended to boost the number of small businesses by at least 350,000.
He dismissed concerns about the Coalition’s position in the polls and stated he believes in climate change, without directly addressing whether its impacts are worsening.
Dutton also raised the issue of being denied a government briefing regarding Russia’s request to access an Indonesian air force base, questioning the transparency of the Albanese government.
