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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-02-15 Daily Xml
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SMALL BUSINESS COMMISSIONER

Mr PICCOLO (Light) (15:00): My question is to the Minister for Small Business. Can the Minister for Small Business inform the house about progress in implementing the office of the Small Business Commissioner?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Manufacturing, Innovation and Trade, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Minister for Small Business) (15:00): Yes, I can, and I want to thank—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I try my best for you.

Mr Hamilton-Smith interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I wish I was there for you, Marty.

An honourable member: Tom Obama.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Is that an insult? I'll take it. The most powerful man in the world. Yes, that really hurts.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I recently had the pleasure—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Members on my left will be quiet. I can't hear the minister.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —of appointing Associate Professor Frank Zumbo as South Australia's first Deputy Small Business Commissioner, an appointment that all South Australians should rightly be proud of. His appointment follows last year's passage of legislation that created the Small Business Commissioner Act—an act which members opposite opposed—to provide small business owners with an alternative—

Mr Gardner interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Morialta!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —I didn't think that was you; I thought that was someone else—dispute resolution service and regulatory framework to develop fair and equitable industry codes of conduct. Associate Professor Zumbo has been a key part of the Small Business Commissioner reform since its inception. Deputy Commissioner Zumbo is a world-renowned competition and consumer academic and has been at the forefront of influencing government policy in this area for over 20 years. In addition, Deputy Commissioner Zumbo has also served on an international study group convened by the Rome-based International Institute for the Unification of Private Law to draft a model franchise disclosure law aimed at strengthening international franchising legislation. He is a world leader in the field.

The new deputy commissioner will play a pivotal role in helping the commissioner and the Weatherill government develop fair and equitable industry codes for small businesses, particularly in the franchising and farming sectors. The tender for this closed—

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: What was that?

Ms Chapman: If the government paid its bills on time it would be a good start.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Oh, well.

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Bragg, you are warned for the second time.

Ms Chapman: Tens of millions of dollars.

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: An open tender process to establish the mediation panel for the commissioner started in November last year. The tender for this closed on 21 December 2011. The tender responses are currently being evaluated and the initial mediation panel will shortly be finalised. The process for the selection of the inaugural small business commissioner is well underway. Associate Professor Zumbo will be acting as the full-time commissioner until the permanent commissioner is appointed. The office of the Small Business Commissioner is expected to be fully operational very, very soon.

Our opponents opposed this reform the entire way and have made it clear that they are now the party of landlords rather than the party of small business. The Liberal Party stands alone in their opposition to the Small Business Commissioner. The MTA supported the government. Business SA supported the government.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Point of order, member for MacKillop.

Mr WILLIAMS: We have already been through this in this question time with this minister: Standing order 98 says that the minister must not debate in his answer to the question.

The Hon. P.F. Conlon interjecting:

Mr WILLIAMS: He is debating. He is clearly debating, Patrick.

The Hon. P.F. Conlon interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! No, I don't uphold that point of order. Minister.

Mr Williams interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for MacKillop, you are warned for the second time. Minister, can you finish your answer.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: The Motor Trade Association, that hotbed of socialist activity, the Small Business Commissioner, Business SA—

Mrs Redmond: The Franchise Council.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: The Franchise Council did not because they represent master franchisors. We are interested in the small businesses, not the big businesses.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: The Council of Small Business of Australia pleaded with the opposition to support this measure.

The Hon. T.R. Kenyon: Did they listen?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: They did not. There are dark forces at play in the Liberal Party; dark forces that have abandoned their small business roots.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr WILLIAMS: Point of order: even the Leader of Government Business agrees that that is debate.

The SPEAKER: Thank you, member for MacKillop. I uphold that. Have you finished your answer, minister? Can I just point out that somebody in the gallery has just taken a photo in here. It is not permissible to take photos in this parliament, and particularly when you play with your mobile phone afterwards and we don't know what you are doing with those photos. So, please, don't do it again.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mrs GERAGHTY: Madam Speaker, may I just ask the question: I presume that anyone who does take a photograph with a camera would be offending the house if they tweeted it out or whatever people do on Facebook or something?

The SPEAKER: Absolutely. That is an understanding we've had before. This issue has come up before. If people are caught taking photos in here, and then tweeting out or whatever, there can be serious repercussions.

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