House of Assembly Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1) 52 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Small Business SMALL BUSINESS Mr GRIFFITHS House of Assembly Goyder SMALL BUSINESS Mr GRIFFITHS (Goyder) (15:11): My question is to the Minister for Small Business. Does the minister stand by his comments on television news last night, and I quote, 'We are one of the lowest taxing states in the country for small business,' given that page 44 of Budget Paper 3 highlights the Commonwealth Grants Commission assessment that South Australia has the highest tax effort of any state? Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS House of Assembly West Torrens Minister for Mineral Resources Development Minister for Industry and Trade Minister for Small Business Minister for Correctional Services The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Small Business, Minister for Correctional Services) (15:11): I refer to that publication of note, The Australian. The Australian— Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS House of Assembly The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: The Australian has South Australia as one of the lowest taxed jurisdictions in the nation. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS House of Assembly The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: What I was saying yesterday on television was that the Leader of the Opposition went to a small business and said, 'It's the government's fault that power prices are going up,' but refused to mention, or failed to mention—and electricity prices—that she supported the privatisation of our electricity assets. That's the point I was making. I would refer members— Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! Mr WILLIAMS House of Assembly Mr WILLIAMS: Point of order: the Leader of the Opposition was not even in the parliament when the electricity assets were privatised. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! I am not sure what point of order that was. However, minister. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS House of Assembly The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: It is a matter of record that John Olsen's candidate in the seat of Heysen supported the privatisation of our electricity assets. Did you not? Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS House of Assembly The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I stand by it. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The member for MacKillop and the Minister for Mineral Resources will be quiet. The Hon. M.J. Atkinson interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Croydon will behave also. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order!