Small Business

The Hon. A. PICCOLO (Light) (15:08): My question is to the Minister for Small and Family Business. Can the minister inform the house how the Malinauskas Labor government is engaging with the small business community?

The Hon. A. MICHAELS (Enfield—Minister for Small and Family Business, Minister for Consumer and Business Affairs, Minister for Arts) (15:08): I want to thank the member for Light for his question and for his passion for the small business community in his electorate. When I took on the portfolio of small and family business, I think the one thing that surprised me was the lack of strategic direction, the lack of vision, for the small business community within state government.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: I might just do that.

The Hon. A. MICHAELS: As the member for Florey suggests, yes, having a Minister for Small and Family Business is something new. I am the first Minister for Small Business in four years and, by my recollection and going through history, the first Minister for Family Business ever in this state. What I have done since coming in is actually talk to small business, which has been very welcomed. I can tell those on the opposite side that since coming in I have spoken to a number of small businesses, including last week—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Morialta, member for Chaffey!

The Hon. A. MICHAELS: —dozens and dozens, actually—

The SPEAKER: The minister has the call.

The Hon. A. MICHAELS: —and I can say I have been doing that—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. MICHAELS: —for the last 20-odd years.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Dunstan is called to order. The minister has the call.

The Hon. J.A.W. Gardner: Some of them were big businesses before Labor was in.

The SPEAKER: Member for Morialta!

The Hon. A. MICHAELS: Our trip last week to the Limestone Coast with country cabinet was actually a very warm and welcoming trip. I want to thank the member for MacKillop and the member for Mount Gambier for also welcoming us there.

I visited a number of businesses, and I also visited and met with a number of industry associations and business advocates, including the Millicent Business Community Association, the Mount Gambier Chamber of Commerce, the Limestone Coast Regional Development RDA and also the Women in Business and Regional Development association with Toni and Jacinda. They were all very positive in engaging with us and telling us what they want the state government to do for small business, and I was very grateful for that.

Obviously, some of the issues faced by regional small and family businesses are similar across the state, including a lack of training that has happened over the last four years particularly and a lack of housing for skilled workers in the regions particularly is very severe. What they did tell us is there are supports that they would very much welcome the state government—

Mr Pederick interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Hammond!

The Hon. A. MICHAELS: —to be able to provide to them, and that is what I am doing. I am taking on all that feedback and being able to create essentially a strategy for small and family business in South Australia.

I was very grateful for those who attended my business breakfast forum at the very iconic Mount Gambier business of The Barn on the Thursday morning. We had representatives from a number of industries, including construction and hospitality. There were winery, tourism and primary production representatives there; we went around the table and I really took on their ideas of how we could improve the services and the support the state government can provide to them.

Before last week, I can say that I have engaged with a number of associations. Business SA was one of the first ones. We organised a Zoom with chambers of commerce around the regions for me, which I was very grateful for. I have been meeting with groups like HIA, Master Builders, etc. and business owners themselves. I am very pleased to say that we are working with small and family businesses around the state. In the next few weeks and months, I look forward to being able to implement the strategy that takes on all that feedback and offers some support to small and family businesses in this state.