GFG Alliance

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA (Hartley—Leader of the Opposition) (14:34): My question is to the Minister for Small Business. How many South Australian businesses are creditors of GFG Alliance?

The Hon. A. MICHAELS (Enfield—Minister for Small and Family Business, Minister for Consumer and Business Affairs, Minister for Arts) (14:34): I don't have that information, in terms of numbers of creditors, but I do know that the Small Business Commissioner has been actively involved in supporting small businesses that have come to her in terms of invoices that are paid late or that have not been paid.

She has been very active through Whyalla; in fact, she has been out there a number of times and has encouraged small businesses to come to her with those sorts of issues. Her intervention has directly contributed to small business operators receiving outstanding payments by GFG to a collective sum of about $650,000 and more is underway. I think there are six active cases at the moment that she is looking at. So for any small business that has been impacted, we strongly encourage a connection with the commissioner. I am out there on Tuesday next week, as well.

We have some small business supports out there with RDA Eyre Peninsula, which is a program delivery partner for our fundamentals program. There is mental health support that is part of our Small Business Strategy, and there are various other supports that are there to support Whyalla businesses. In particular, our Office for Small and Family Business' support, as well as the Small Business Commissioner's proactive stance in assisting small businesses reclaim any debt that is owing to them from GFG, is, I think, very important for the region.