Senator IAN CAMPBELL (Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer) (1:57 PM) —Thank you for that clarification. That is helpful. The point that I would like to make in response is that those figures do not reveal the angst and anguish that this creates amongst thousands of businesses who know the cost and pain to the business and to all involved, the process and the length of the process, and the distraction that takes away from their businesses. For every case that goes in, there are probably many that never get there, because the employee gets a payout as a result of the threat of that—and there is an understanding of this amongst the business community.

The figure you quoted of about 50,000 was put together by the small business community. It was COSBOA, as I am informed, who did the survey. So it is not a government figure; it is a figure that was created by the small business peak body at the time. The fact is that there are thousands of small businesses who are aware of the threat and the cost involved in unfair dismissal cases and that is what creates the concern small businesses have about employing new staff. That is why I reiterate that reducing that disincentive to the employment of new staff, particularly in small businesses, will remove an impediment and should, and I believe will, have the effect of increasing employment in the small business sector.

Progress reported.