SMALL BUSINESS COMMISSIONER BILL

Final Stages

The Legislative Council agreed to the bill with the amendment indicated by the following schedule, to which amendment the Legislative Council desires the concurrence of the House of Assembly:

Schedule 1, clause 14, page 11, after line 34 [clause 14, inserted section 28F]—

After subsection (2) insert:

(2a) If a Minister initiates a proposal for regulations prescribing an industry code or provisions of an industry code under this section, the Minister must, before the regulations are made, consult with each organisation that the Minister considers to be representative of an industry likely to be affected by the code or provisions.

Consideration in committee.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I move:

That the Legislative Council's amendment be agreed to.

In doing so, I would like to thank Mike Sinkunas, John Tresize, Frank Zumbo, John Darley, Family First's Dennis Hood and Robert Brokenshire, the Greens (Mark Parnell and Tammy Franks), Kelly Vincent, the MTA, COSBOA, the South Australian Farmers Federation, Nick Xenophon, my department, my staff, and Stephen Griffiths for being a very decent man. I would also like to thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, for without your initiative this would not have happened.

Mr GRIFFITHS: The numbers issue was a bit obvious to us as soon as the debate occurred in the house. I noted that the minister thanked everybody except people from this side.

An honourable member interjecting:

Mr GRIFFITHS: I thank you for that, too. It was a spirited debate, though. There were a lot of concerns raised in both chambers about the impact that the bill will have and about how the bill and the commissioner's role will work and, indeed, if the commissioner will be able to deliver on the minister's grand vision. I do not disagree with you on the fact that change needs to occur. The position we put was that federal change should occur so that there is consistency, but I respect the fact that the numbers dictate that the legislation will become a law and will impact upon South Australians.

There was spirited debate in the other chamber. I listened to it all this afternoon because I wanted to hear about the concerns, the issues and the support that existed from various members. It comes down to the fact that the Liberal Party is here to support small business, too. It believed that there were flaws in the legislation. I look at the minister now in the hope that the legislation will deliver what he believes because small business does need support. We have had this debate ad nauseam about where it needs support and different philosophies that come into it but small business in South Australia needs to be successful.

In acknowledging the amendment that has come through, and the result of the bill and the debate that has occurred in both places, I hope that that success is there, too. Small business has been the backbone of South Australia's economy. In the future it will continue to be no matter what industry areas become the strong ones; all levels of small business across the state need to be successful. In this place, we have a responsibility to put policies, frameworks, legislation, and taxation reforms in place to give it the best possible chance.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I would like to thank the Hon. Ann Bressington, of course, in the upper house and, of course, Connie from the Hon. John Darley's office for her fantastic support.

Motion carried.