Aboriginal Economic Development

The Hon. T.T. NGO (14:49): My question is to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation. Can the minister tell the chamber how the government is supporting Aboriginal businesses?

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! We have moved on from that. We are now on another question. The honourable minister.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Employment, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (14:49): I thank the honourable member for his important question and interest in Aboriginal affairs generally. It is undeniable that there has been a stark contrast between the opportunities available to Aboriginal Australians and non-Aboriginal Australians in many areas. We know that economic participation is one of the keys in helping to end many aspects of disadvantage that Aboriginal people face. I think we can all agree that we want Aboriginal people and companies to succeed, and as a government we have started changing what we do to help provide further prospects.

Just last week, I had the pleasure of attending a Meet the Buyer event for South Australian Aboriginal businesses. It was a great event, organised by the Office of the Industry Advocate, Ian Nightingale and his team. This event was an opportunity for Aboriginal businesses and business leaders to meet face to face with senior government buyers and project managers, allowing them to present their business capabilities directly to key people.

We are committed to supporting Aboriginal business enterprises and jobs as much as we possibly can. We know that there is a very strong relationship between Aboriginal business ownership and the employment of Aboriginal staff. Statistics show that Aboriginal-owned businesses are 10 times more likely to employ Aboriginal people. We also know that there are significant positive impacts to Aboriginal economic outcomes when Aboriginal businesses are prosperous and that this prosperity can grow through increasing opportunities for Aboriginal businesses to win procurement contracts.

At the Meet the Buyer event, I was proud to announce an exciting new South Australian government initiative, Aboriginal Business Connect, a state-based Aboriginal business register. Having your business listed on Aboriginal Business Connect will increase the procurement opportunities available and raise its business profile to government and to private sector buyers. For this reason, the primary goal of Aboriginal Business Connect is to increase the visibility and accessibility of our Aboriginal businesses.

Aboriginal Business Connect will also connect the Aboriginal business sector to state and national procurement and subcontracting opportunities. Aboriginal Business Connect will be linked to Supply Nation's national business list, Indigenous Business Direct, and provide a one-stop shop for South Australian Aboriginal businesses to be registered not only on the South Australian site but also with Supply Nation. This means that South Australian businesses will not only be searchable by people working in South Australian government agencies but also by the commonwealth government through its Indigenous procurement policy.

In order to register, a business must be at least 50 per cent Aboriginal owned, be trading in goods and services and have an office based in South Australia. These criteria mean that buyers and project managers can search for South Australian Aboriginal businesses and be confident that the benefits from that procurement will be delivered to Aboriginal South Australians.

At the event, I was impressed that 60 businesses were registered on Aboriginal Business Connect on its very first day, and I would like to thank the very hardworking staff within the department responsible for Aboriginal affairs and also the Industry Participation Advocate's office. Aboriginal Business Connect will increase the opportunity for more businesses to win contracts with government, which in turn will provide increased opportunities for Aboriginal people. I thank everyone involved and look forward to seeing this progress very well.