James Thompson

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This week's question is from Rosh in Western Australia, and we'll ask our producer Mandy Coulin to do the honours.

Well, Anthony, that's a pretty downbeat assessment of the budget from Rosh there.

Do you think business owners are sitting there thinking, you know what, I'm just going to hit the brakes?

That would be a terrible outcome if we are heading for a period of intentionally slow growth.

Most small business owners I've met don't think like that, but

Anthony, I think you're right.

The fact that Rosh is asking this question is a worry that we might have a bit of a sense that the budget has changed the psyche.

I mean, certainly, it does change the way capital is going to be allocated, and it does that intentionally.

But we can't afford that to reach the small business level because there's not enough dynamism in this economy at the moment.

Rosh is absolutely right about that.

Yeah.

Does that get back to the way this budget's been sold to small business?

I mean, there were some things in there for small business, but clearly Roche isn't listening to any of those around R&D incentives or accelerated depreciation or anything like that.

So, I mean, this goes to the problem that Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese have.