SMALL BUSINESS COMMISSIONER

Mr BIGNELL (Mawson) (14:45): Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Mawson, be quiet for just a moment. We will have order on my left, please. Member for Mawson.

Mr BIGNELL: My question is to the Minister for Small Business. Can the minister update the house on the government's small business commissioner reforms.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Small Business, Minister for Correctional Services) (14:46): I am very pleased to be here and I thank the honourable member for his question. On 1 October last year I announced plans to draft legislation to establish a small business commissioner, and I am pleased to inform the house that the bill has now been drafted and I have subsequently released it for public consultation. I look forward to submissions from the opposition.

Mrs Redmond interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I look forward to your support, Leader of the Opposition. The release of the draft bill and its explanatory paper is aimed at encouraging community, industry and business to provide feedback to facilitate a constructive and interactive discussion of the bill's proposals. The Department of Trade and Economic Development has held, and is continuing to hold, numerous information sessions—

An honourable member: Is there anybody left in that department?

The SPEAKER: Order! Minister, continue with your answer. Do not respond to their interjections.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —across the metropolitan area and in many country areas. I am advised that, to date, the consultation is going exceptionally well, and was held recently in Norwood. Did you attend?

Mr Marshall: What's that?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: The consultation in Norwood.

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: There you go!

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister will continue with his answer.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: The consultation is going exceptionally well, with very good attendance from a wide variety of small businesses. I would have thought the party that purports to represent small business may have shown some interest in the consultation on a small business commissioner, but I suppose they are too vain to turn up.

There were representatives from many local chambers of commerce and industry associations. There has been a wide range of support from industries and chambers, yet I am still waiting for the party of small business to tell me their views on the small business commissioner. As I have previously stated, the proposed South Australian small business commissioner is modelled closely—

The Hon. I.F. Evans interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Davenport!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —yet not identically, on the well-established and very successful Victorian small business commissioner.

Mr Marshall: We had one.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Sorry?

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Norwood will behave.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: All feathers. He's an all feathers man.

The SPEAKER: Minister, will you stop responding to them?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Peacock's a very hard one to notice.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.M. Rankine: Are they a protected species?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Peacocks? All feathers, no meat. It is proposed that, as an independent officer, the small business commissioner would be responsible for performing the functions set out in the legislation and to do so in a manner that promotes business relationships that are conducted fairly and in good faith. The question about good faith dealings is something that the opposition are finding very hard to deal with.

The SPEAKER: Order! There is a point of order. Member for MacKillop.

Mr WILLIAMS: I know it is disorderly for ministers to read answers to questions but, at least when the minister reads his answer, he doesn't debate.

The SPEAKER: I am not really sure what your point of order is. I do not uphold that point of order. Minister.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I don't know how you draw your salary and are not embarrassed.

The SPEAKER: Minister, you will finish your answer.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! There is a point of order.

Ms CHAPMAN: The minister has just directly reflected on you in saying he doesn't know how you draw your salary and have good character.

The SPEAKER: Order! I think it is terminology. Minister, get back to your answer—and stop this nonsense from both sides.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Madam Speaker, that was in no way a reflection on you.

The SPEAKER: Thank you.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: She got 24 votes. She earned her position. Included in the role will also be the powers to investigate and resolve disputes and complaints between small businesses, larger businesses and government departments. The commission will also be responsible for maintaining a range of information resources—including a website—with information to assist small businesses in understanding retail leases and franchise agreements—and I am looking forward to seeing what opposition members have to say about franchising agreements. I am looking forward very soon to your views on franchising. Madam Speaker, this is very important reform, and I look forward to seeing what members opposite have to say about this, because of this—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —it is important that we garner the views of the business community. Initially, the shadow minister for small business has been very supportive, although I understand that, as yet, he has not made a decision—but in private he has been very supportive. I am looking forward to seeing how supportive the rest of the Liberal Party is with respect to small businesses.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: You have seen the bill. I encourage all members on both sides and on the crossbenches to look at this bill.

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Norwood, be quiet! I warn the member for Norwood.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I encourage all members on both sides and on the crossbenches to tell their small business constituents—even those they want to open on Sundays—to come and look at this bill, see what they think and whether they think they can add value to a small business commissioner. The deadline for submissions closes on 15 March, and I look forward to having many conversations and briefings with any member who would like to have a briefing on this important reform.