Shop Trading Hours

Mr GEE (Napier) (14:23): My question is to the Minister for Small Business. What impact will deregulation of shop trading hours have on small business?

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite—Minister for Investment and Trade, Minister for Small Business, Minister for Defence Industries, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) (14:23): I thank the member for this most important question because on—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: No, I didn't. You've got a very short memory. I notice that the quality of the debate in the Liberal party room has obviously fallen below an acceptable standard because on Saturday 24 September at the Liberal Party AGM the leader announced that as an alternative government the Liberal government will propose to deregulate shop trading hours.

Mr PISONI: Point of order.

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: There is no mention of the economic research—

The SPEAKER: Point of order.

Mr PISONI: The minister no longer speaks for the Liberal Party.

The SPEAKER: The member for Unley really should go straight out for a bogus point of order.

Mr Pisoni: It was debate, sir.

The SPEAKER: No, you didn't say debate; you didn't nominate debate. That wasn't the point of order, so the member for Unley is called to order for a bogus point of order. Minister.

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: Thank you, sir. There was no mention of the economic research and analysis that might have underpinned such an important policy change. Some Australian cities are deregulated; some are not. Brisbane and Perth spring to mind as places where not every shop has to open all day, every day. Even in Melbourne, supermarkets close at 5pm weekdays. In Sydney, it is 7pm. In Paris, only the shops in tourist precincts can open on Sunday.

Elsewhere in the world where wages are lower and demand is higher, the deregulated model works for their heavy influx of tourists and multimillion consumers, and Singapore springs to mind. Although most shops don't open until lunchtime, Singapore is more a late-night city. In Adelaide, a city of just over a million people, the opposition's shop trading proposal will prove short-sighted and fails to reflect the realities small business and family shop owners face. The plan is designed to work for the big end of town.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: Coles and Woolworths will be delighted—

The SPEAKER: Point of order.

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: —not the smaller operators.

Mr GARDNER: The minister is debating and is contrary to standing order 98.

The SPEAKER: Will the minister be seated? I call to order the members for Mount Gambier, Davenport and Hammond. I warn the member for Davenport, and I warn for the second and final time the members for Morphett, Chaffey and Davenport. Well, the minister is tending to debate. He is being goaded mercilessly by a wall of interjections.

Mr GARDNER: Sir, point of order: the minister is in fact reading a speech so, unless they were pre-empting what he was going to be accustomed to in the chamber, then it's nonsense to say that he is being goaded into what he is writing.

The SPEAKER: The member for Morialta, on Thursday, got up and said the minister wasn't answering the question and then gave an account of the question, which he now admits was entirely false. If I were the member for Morialta, I wouldn't be taking bogus points of order. Minister.

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: The very successful and more than adequate smaller supermarkets, such as IGA, deliver our consumer needs and keep the alternative retail sector alive and well. The government has struck the right balance between relaxed shop trading in the city and suburbs and ensuring retail workers have time to spend with their families. Drakes Supermarkets and the SA Independent Retailers have slammed the policy and warned that the shift will favour the big two supermarket chains. It is not supported by the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: —who have stated that 'the Opposition's proposed changes would deny retail workers the right to public holidays'. Most car yard sales proprietors oppose the change. Claims were made that jobs would be created, but one job at Coles won't be created if two jobs in small business are lost. I call on the Leader of the Opposition to release the research which I assume shows that retailers support the introduction of deregulated hours and how it would benefit South Australia.

Mr Knoll interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Schubert!

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: Which researcher, analyst or university did the opposition leader use to conduct that economic analysis to underpin his claims that deregulating shopping hours would create more jobs—

The SPEAKER: Point of order—

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: —and improve spending?

The SPEAKER: —minister.

Mr GARDNER: Standing order 98: this is still debate, and the interjections have dimmed since the last one.

The SPEAKER: No, in fact, the opposition benches rose as one to interject when the minister mentioned the support of a certain organisation. I warn the members for Hammond and Mount Gambier. Minister.

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: Thank you, sir. How much did the research cost and where is this body of work? Surely, a major political party would not go out with such a substantial policy statement without the research.

The SPEAKER: Point of order.

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Point of order 98: I submit that, if the minister answers a question by calling on the opposition to do something, that's debate.

The SPEAKER: I will listen carefully to what the minister has to say, bearing in mind that the party of the members opposite has not formed government in this state since 2002 and so is hardly responsible for the administration of anything.

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: The leader's claims would also have required extensive consultation with small business associations. What consultation was done by the leader or the shadow minister for small business? How many associations were consulted? How many agreed with the proposals and how many disagreed? Was the policy fully tested and consulted?

Instead, this side of the house believes the policy will deprive workers of valuable family time and it will also hurt small businesses and independent retailers. The City of Adelaide and Glenelg will be particularly affected, who enjoy special trading rights. What South Australia needs is a continuing commitment—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Unley is warned, and the member for Mount Gambier is warned a second and final time. The minister.

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: What South Australia needs is a continuing commitment to good and sustainable growth. What small business does not need are policies cooked and baked up on the run without proper research and analysis, which will hurt small business and favour the big end of town.

The SPEAKER: The leader reminds me that the Liberal Party did not form a government in 2002; it already had an administration that was formed in late 2001.