Millicent Business Community

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (15:37): I rise today to speak about a wonderful initiative in Millicent. Sukhchain Dhaliwal is well known to local people through the New Heaven Indian restaurant in George Street, which he runs with his wife, Kamaljit. The restaurant has won multiple awards and also features strongly in the Millicent Business Community Association annual outstanding business awards. I was at the 2019 awards when New Heaven restaurant won the hospitality tourism section, and I can also vouch for the excellence of the meals at the restaurant.

Sukhi (as he is known) is now also part owner and manager of the Millicent IGA. He often talks of his gratitude to the people of the local area for their support and love since he moved to Millicent, and he now wants to give back to the community. So he is providing free meals for people in need. On Mondays each week people can go into the IGA building and pick up pre-prepared meals without charge. Ingredients are donated by IGA and New Heaven, and Sukhi and his team prepare the meals. The fridge is in a public area, so people who need a free meal do not need to approach anyone or feel self-conscious.

I am told that about 30 meals were provided in the first week. That has now risen to a regular amount of around 60 meals every week. Sukhi says that, as the free service has become more known, it has really highlighted how many people there are in need in the region. He knows there may be a few people who take a meal who do not really need a free dinner, but he says that is much better than not providing a dinner for those who do need it. I want to congratulate Sukhi and his team for this generous initiative.

This initiative also highlights the importance of small business in regional towns such as Millicent. Sukhi saw a need, saw the opportunity to help and made it happen, yet the Millicent IGA is one of the businesses being put at risk by the Marshall Liberal government's insistence on total deregulation of shop trading hours. Sixty per cent of their turnover comes from Sunday trading because Woolworths cannot open on that day, and it is well known locally that one of the two independent supermarkets will be forced to close if Sunday trading changes.

What this government needs to realise is that there are ramifications for local communities when small businesses are forced out. Small businesses invest in their local neighbourhoods. Small businesses have their profits go to other local small businesses; they do not go to the big multinationals. They support other small businesses and back their local communities, as Sukhi is doing. This parliament should be backing him in return. That is the heart of strong communities.