Cibo Franchise

Mr PATTERSON (Morphett) (14:28): My question is to the Minister for Small Business. Is the minister taking any action to save Cibo and, if so, what action? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr PATTERSON: Mr Tony Beatrice, owner of a Cibo Espresso franchise is in my electorate—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Members on my right, could you please be quiet, I can't hear the question. Can you start again member for Morphett?

Mr PATTERSON: Absolutely. Is the minister taking any action to save Cibo and, if so, what action? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr PATTERSON: Mr Tony Beatrice, owner of a Cibo Espresso franchise in my electorate, only recently signed another seven-year franchise agreement and undertook $150,000 of refurbishments.

The Hon. P.B. Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Premier will come to order and stop the interjections.

Mr PATTERSON: He learned last week Cibo had been sold and may be rebranded.

The Hon. A. MICHAELS (Enfield—Minister for Small and Family Business, Minister for Consumer and Business Affairs, Minister for Arts) (14:28): What I have not done—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Members on my right will come to order. I can't hear the minister.

The Hon. A. MICHAELS: What I haven't done is sign up to a data-harvesting scam, but what I have done—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. MICHAELS: What I have done about an hour or so ago is met with Tony and a number of other Cibo franchisees, with our Small Business Commissioner, to offer them our support and our assistance. So, yes, we have, thanks to the member for Adelaide, the member for Light and the member for Dunstan who brought their local Cibo owners to us only an hour or so ago. What we have done is offered that support, provided that advice and made those connections with the Small Business Commissioner.

I do find it extraordinary that the Liberal Party, as the Liberal Party, are suggesting that we might interfere in a free market. I think that is quite extraordinary. Of course we want the Cibo brand to survive. I personally love the Cibo brand. We have offered our support. I have met with them and I have asked them to come back to me after they have their initial meeting—they haven't even had their initial meeting with the proposed owner; that will be next week—but I have had those conversations and opened that line of communication.