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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-09-15 Daily Xml
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SMALL BUSINESS COMMISSIONER

Ms FOX (Bright) (14:19): My question is to the Minister for Small Business. Can the minister inform the house about industry support for the government's small business commissioner?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Small Business, Minister for Correctional Services) (14:19): Madam Speaker, I can.

The Hon. M.J. Atkinson interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Croydon!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: The government is finding support in strange places for its legislation. I put out a press release yesterday, and in my reply yesterday I said that the Liberal Party was lost. I think the verdict is coming in. The Motor Trade Association of South Australia—not necessarily a hotbed of socialism and socialist activity—put out a press release dated 15 September 2011, and I thought I would inform the house on the views of one Mr John Chapman. People might remember John Chapman as being the former chief of staff to a former premier, one John Wayne Olsen. The headline is:

Liberals lose their way on small business

The state's peak retail automotive group, the Motor Trade Association, has called on the State Opposition to reverse a decision not to support vital Government legislation for small business.

MTA Executive Director John Chapman said he was disappointed that the party which prides itself on supporting business, had abandoned them in the debate on the Small Business Commissioner Bill.

'We are at a loss as to why the Opposition has decided not to support a piece of legislation which is designed very much to help their own natural constituency,' Mr Chapman said.

The MTA represents many members who have had franchise arrangements such as new vehicle dealers, service stations and automotive repairers.

Mr Chapman said he suspected that the Opposition had been seduced by the arguments of the franchising sector which represented big business operators.

'Small business franchisees are regularly treated unfairly and unconscionably by franchisors who threaten to take their livelihoods away,' Mr Chapman said.

'When you have investments running to hundreds of thousands of dollars and sometimes millions at the whim of a franchisor not negotiating in good faith and simply removing the franchise without explanation—this needs to be looked at,' Mr Chapman said.

'What we have been campaigning for for many years is a legislative mechanism that forces big business to negotiate in good and fair faith with our small business members.'

'The Government's Bill provides that important opportunity with the appointment of a small business commissioner with the power to enforce compliance to Codes of Conduct,' Mr Chapman said.

He goes on to say:

'This is about rebalancing the power between small and big business and I call on the Liberal Opposition to support small business and review their decision before the bill is debated in the Upper House of State Parliament.

The opposition stands alone in their opposition to this bill. Alone. They have one ally—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Point of order.

Ms CHAPMAN: Point of order: clearly the minister is debating it. Poorly, I agree, but he's debating it and he should be sat down.

The SPEAKER: Thank you. Minister, have you finished answering your question? I ask you to return to the question.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I will just say this: the MTA, headed up by John Chapman, have not been long supporters of this government but they know a good bill when they see one. The opposition has been seduced by dark forces.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Just a moment, member for Finniss. Could members on my left please keep their voices down. It is very hard to even hear a point of order when one of your own members is bringing one up.

Mr PENGILLY: Point of order: the minister is clearly continuing to debate the matter.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: The debate is over ma'am. They have lost.

The SPEAKER: Minister, have you finished your response to the question?

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