You know, the response from Tara Moriarty's team? "Oh, that's a Commonwealth issue, not us." I mean, surely the New South Wales minister responsible can tell me on 2GB Mornings whether or not this facility was shut down in the first place, and whether or not we still have containers going in and out of this joint.

Well, we have to ask ourselves how dysfunctional Labor really is, where we've got one Labor minister blaming another Labor minister in the Commonwealth.

Why can't they pick up the phone to each other and sort this out? I mean, this is Uh, do they not get along? I mean, I don't get it.

This is something that is actually, uh, tremendously serious for the people of the Inner West, but potentially for the people of Sydney.

I mean, this can shut golf courses down.

This can shut playgrounds down, schools, uh, uh, school playgrounds, school fields.

So, so it's not, you know, this is not just some little ants.

Everyone was on board from day one.

You know the response from Tara Moriarty's team? "Oh, that's a Commonwealth issue, not us." I mean, surely the New South Wales minister responsible can tell me on 2GB Mornings whether or not this facility was shut down in the first place and whether or not we still have containers going in and out of this joint.

Well, we have to ask ourselves how dysfunctional Labor really is, where we've got one Labor minister blaming another Labor minister in the Commonwealth.

Why can't they pick up the phone to each other and sort this out? I mean, this is- Uh, do they not get along? I mean, I don't get it.

This is something that is actually, uh, tremendously serious for the people of the inner west, but potentially for the people of Sydney.

And this can shut golf courses down.

This can shut playgrounds down, schools, uh, uh, school playgrounds, school fields.

So, so it's not, you know, this is not just some little ants.

Everyone was on board from day one.

You know, the response from Tara Moriarty's team? "Oh, that's a Commonwealth issue, not us." I mean, surely the New South Wales minister responsible can tell me on 2GB Mornings whether or not this facility was shut down in the first place and whether or not we still have containers going in and out of this joint.

Well, we have to ask ourselves how dysfunctional Labor really is, where we've got one Labor minister blaming another Labor minister in the Commonwealth.

Why can't they pick up the phone to each other and sort this out? I mean, this is-- Uh, do they not get along? I mean, I don't get it.

This is something that is actually, uh, tremendously serious for the people of the inner west, but potentially for the people of Sydney.

And this can shut golf courses down.

This can shut playgrounds down, schools, uh, uh, school playgrounds, school fields.

So, so it's not-- You know, this is not just some little ant.

We all need to be vigilant because we can't allow these, um, red imported fire ants to, uh, to make their way through our communities." Everyone was on board from day one.

Do you think there's any truth to that? Or is that smothering over the bigger issue? Now,

I think that's smothering over the bigger issue.

And the bigger issue is that people don't feel confident in the economy.

They don't feel confident that the government actually has their back.

Because, you know, the strange thing about confidence is, is that when a business is confident, they'll expand, they'll invest in new machinery, they'll invest in new staff and they'll grow.

And a growing business actually helps other businesses around it.

but what we're seeing at the moment from hospitality all the way through to construction through to manufacturing is that no one's expanding in fact only I think one in nine out of a hundred businesses so less than one in ten businesses actually had any confidence in their local economy and what that's telling you is that the vast majority of small businesses don't have any confidence at all and I think that's fundamentally being driven by a lack of leadership from the top, both state and federal level.

Broadly, what are they saying? Are they just saying we're headed for a point where we're going to have to close up and we just can't keep going? Is it that simple?

Do you think there's any truth to that? Or is that smothering over the bigger issue? now

look i think that's smothering over the bigger issue and the bigger issue is that people don't feel confident in the economy they don't feel confident that the government actually has their back because you know the strange thing about confidence is is that when a business is confident they'll expand they'll invest in new machinery they'll invest in new staff and they'll grow and a growing business actually helps other businesses around it But what we're seeing at the moment, from hospitality all the way through to construction, through to manufacturing, is that no one's expanding.

In fact, only, I think, nine out of 100 businesses, so less than one in 10 businesses actually had any confidence in their local economy.

And what that's telling you is that the vast majority of small businesses don't have any confidence at all.

And I think that's fundamentally being driven by a lack of leadership from the top, both state and federal level.

People don't have confidence that the Premier and the Prime Minister have got any clue what they're doing when it comes to small business.

Broadly, what are they saying? Are they just saying we're headed for a point where we're going to have to close up and we just can't keep going? Is it that simple?

I think a lot of them got into business for a couple of reasons, one being obviously financial, but other reasons being that they're doing something that they love, that they love serving people, they love building things or they love making things.

Okay.

But look, I guess as, um, as a coalition, uh, we would look to work constructively, constructively with the government on laws that actually, um, do its intended purpose and do it legally as well, that they can't be struck down by courts.

And that's something that we've seen, uh, you know, time and time again from the Minns Labor government.

They, they didn't consult.

Uh, they rushed laws through just before Christmas without going through the proper process.

And, um, you know, what we need to see now is a proper process and laws that, uh, stand up to these court challenges because it is important.

It's important to the state of New South Wales that we're able to protect-Uh, you know, protect our citizens and protect our, our bottom line and protect the businesses in the CBD who are doing it tough in these weekly protests.

What, what, what do you make of, uh, of the increase? Fair enough? I mean, it did come through the Fair Work Tribunal, but fair enough?