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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-03-10 Daily Xml
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SMALL BUSINESS

Mr MARSHALL (Norwood) (15:27): Today I rise to talk about the importance of the small business sector here in South Australia. This is a sector which I personally feel very passionately about. The small business sector in South Australia is a crucial part of our economy and one which is being completely neglected by our current government. While many states in Australia are very reliant on large business, South Australia has a particular focus on the small business sector, with 96 per cent of all private sector businesses in South Australia falling into this category.

Of course, it is no small wonder that fewer of the larger firms in Australia choose to domicile themselves here in South Australia. Why would that be? Because we actually have the harshest taxation regime for businesses in the entire country. It is an absolute disgrace, and this is one of the reasons why we are falling behind in South Australia.

The Premier earlier in the day wanted to talk about ABS statistics—well, I have some statistics for the Premier. What about the statistics that came out today on employment in South Australia? It is an absolute shame. He does not want to talk about that. He should hang his head in shame. He went on the radio this morning, and what did he talk about on the radio? About all the jobs that he has created. He has never created a job in his entire life, except maybe for Rowan Roberts the other day.

Anyway, I digress, Madam Speaker. He has never created a job for business in South Australia; it is the businesses which actually create employment in South Australia. Let us have a look at those statistics. Whilst the rest of Australia's unemployment rate stayed steady for the month of February at 5 per cent, South Australia's unemployment blew out. It blew out to 5.8 per cent. It is 15 per cent higher than the national average, and it is an absolute disgrace—4,100 fewer employees in South Australia for the month of February. In fact, in South Australia at the moment, we have 4,400 fewer employees than when the Premier made his hollow promise to the people of South Australia that he would create—he would magically create—an additional 100,000 jobs here.

What a hollow piece of spin the Premier gave leading up to the last election! Now we can see the evidence of it and, of course, that is why the people of South Australia are rejecting him, as evidenced by the article on the front page of today's Australian. If any of you have not read it, it is a very good read by a great South Australian journalist, Michael Owen.

It is no wonder that we have falling employment and it is no wonder that South Australia's export performance is falling. Why is this? Because in the nine long and poorly performing years of this government, they have not given two hoots about this important sector, the small business sector. I just want to outline a couple of the decisions that this government has made for this sector in recent years.

First of all, the closure of the Business Centre, a fine institution on South Terrace; the closure of the South Australian Centre for Manufacturing; the removal of the Office of Small Business Advocate (if I get more time I would like to talk extensively about that); in the last budget it announced the removal of funding for the business enterprise centres; they actually also announced removal of funding for the Council for International Trade and Commerce. These are vital organisations that support the small business, support the family business sector here in South Australia.

Then we look at the Department of Trade and Economic Development. Can it even be called a department any more? I think it should be called the 'office': 'the Office of Economic Trade and Development'; because there is nobody left. A whole pile of people in that department have already been offered voluntary separation packages. There is not going to be anybody left. There are no programs; it is an absolute disgrace. So what does the new minister actually do with his crumbling department? He decides to put out some more spin announcing that he is going to be looking at the establishment of a small business commissioner for South Australia.

We had a small business advocate in South Australia, when we had a government that cared about economic growth in this state. We had one. There was a small business person who operated and advocated on behalf of small business, on behalf of family business, on behalf of those people who create wealth, create employment and create innovation for South Australia. We had one. They were there fighting for those people, reducing red tape and advocating for them on behalf of their constituents. What do we have now? We have a bureaucrat. It is a vital sector for our South Australian economy and it is one that should be protected by this government.

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