Small Business Commissioner

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart) (15:50): Supplementary question, sir: does this issue now cast doubt upon the government's decision to make the Small Business Commissioner's office exempt from freedom for information requests?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Minister for Small Business) (15:50): Again, it is a fundamental misunderstanding of how business operates in this state. There are things that are given to the Small Business Commissioner by the small business community when they are advocating unfair practice or people not bidding in good faith. For example, small businesses that have large retail tenancies in large shopping centres often go to the Small Business Commissioner to have disputes resolved. I understand that members opposite don't particularly care about those small businesses but we care very deeply about their commerciality, Mr Speaker.

The SPEAKER: I think the minister is debating.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I apologise to the house, Mr Speaker. I absolutely support that decision because I think it is imperative that we give small businesses the opportunity to go to the Small Business Commissioner in a confidential way that is not going to allow large, uncompetitive businesses to FOI commercially sensitive information from those small businesses.