BUSINESS CONFIDENCE INDEX

The Hon. J.S. LEE (15:13): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Leader of the Government a question about business confidence in South Australia.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.S. LEE: The Sensis Index, released on 6 September, shows business confidence in South Australia is at its lowest level since the State Bank collapse of the early 1990s. The author of the report, Mr Singh, said that 'the business confidence indicator is now negative, and this is the weakest result we've seen for South Australia in the 18-year history of the report'. Small business support for the Labor government is at its lowest level during the quarter, with less than one in 10 businesses now believing that the government's policies support the sector.

In addition, NAB's Monthly Business Survey for August also reveals that South Australian business conditions suffered the highest fall in Australia last month. The report further reveals that there are now more small businesses in South Australia that are worried about their business prospects. My questions are:

1. With the Sensis Index report and NAB's business survey showing South Australia's economy is facing a perfect storm of adverse conditions, can the government explain why under their watch business confidence is at an all-time low in South Australia?

2. With less than one in 10 businesses now believing that the government's policies support the sector, what measures will the government introduce to address the challenges facing businesses?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Public Sector Management, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister for Gambling) (15:15): I thank the honourable member for her question. The responsibility for matters relating to business, trade and industry is not mine; it belongs to a number of ministers in the other place. The business component of my portfolio relates to the way consumers interface with business rather than with the businesses themselves. Minister Koutsantonis, for instance, is responsible for small business so I will refer those elements of the questions to him, and I will refer the trade and industry elements within the questions to minister O'Brien.

Most of my responsibilities relate to problems consumers have in their relationships with businesses; I deal with that particular policy area. However, I will say couple of things in a general way, given that I am not responsible for these policy matters. I think it is the height of hypocrisy for honourable members to sit across from me and bemoan the position of small business when, in another place, the Liberal opposition refuse to support an important piece of legislation that is about supporting small business. This government was committed to putting in a new commissioner and office to assist small business, but what happens? The Liberal opposition voted it down; they failed to support it. So it is the absolute height of hypocrisy for them to sit over there and pretend to be interested at all in small business.

The reason the Liberal opposition voted down support for that really important initiative to assist small business and support the growth and integrity of small business is because they only support the big end of town. They do not give a flying leap about small business, which is one of the backbones of our economy. They only support the big end of town so they don't want the interests of small business enhanced, they don't want that part of our sector to burgeon or grow; they want to keep as much advantage as possible with the big end of town. It is the absolute height of hypocrisy.