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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2016-11-16 Daily Xml
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Job Accelerator Grant Scheme

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (15:10): My question is to the Treasurer. Can you provide an update to the house on the Job Accelerator Grant Scheme and its impact on business confidence?

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy) (15:10): Yes, they are. I thank the honourable member for her question. I know that she is a strong supporter and passionate advocate for small business in her electorate and in South Australia. We all know that small to medium-size enterprises are the lifeblood of our state. That's why every one of the government's economic policies is tailored to ensure that these businesses thrive and that South Australia becomes one of the best places in the nation to do business.

We make no apologies; we are unashamedly pro business. Despite the unprecedented challenges we are facing, with the closure of the Australian car manufacturing industry courtesy of the Coalition government, the global decline in mineral commodity prices and a gap in naval shipbuilding, there are many positive signs in our economy. We have added 8,900 jobs in the past 12 months to September 2016, and nearly 3,000 new jobs have been registered for the job accelerator grants since our $109 million Job Accelerator Grant program for businesses to employ additional staff was announced.

Businesses in this state are growing and hiring. With grants of up to $10,000 for each job created by eligible businesses with taxable payrolls of $5 million or less, and up to $4,000 for each new job created by small businesses, start-ups and other employers that are not liable for payroll tax, we are making things just that little bit easier for businesses to go out and employ new people. In fact, just this week my office received a call from an accountant informing us of a client who has recently employed 20 new staff in the western suburbs—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —and how positively this grant had been received by businesses he deals with and by businesses generally in South Australia. I just heard the Leader of the Opposition say, 'Wow!' in a sarcastic tone, about a small business hiring 20 new people. This confidence is shared by the majority of businesses in this state, according to the latest NAB Monthly Business Survey, which found that South Australian businesses are the most confident in the country. The latest ANZ Stateometer notes that, as the Premier said earlier, South Australia's economy has been improving since late 2015, and highlights that this is the state's best performance since January 2015.

The report states that positive momentum in the labour market has driven this improvement. That's why they are confident. They are confident because they see an action plan by the state government. They understand that last year's state budget was about cutting taxes so that businesses are free to invest and grow. They have seen this government deliver the most comprehensive tax reform policy in this state's history by abolishing up to $670 million worth of state taxes that South Australian businesses do not need to pay anymore.

Of course, these were tax cuts that were derided by the Leader of the Opposition, and then he called on us to bring them forward. That sort of attitude should not come as any surprise because those opposite, and some members in this parliament—

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Point of order, sir.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —have rejected every single thing we have attempted to do.

The SPEAKER: Point of order.

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: The Treasurer is entering debate.

The SPEAKER: I uphold the point of order.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. There are some members in the community who have always opposed things that the government has done. They opposed the Festival Plaza.

An honourable member: Waste.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: A waste. They opposed the old RAH, the O-Bahn tunnel, of course the Adelaide Oval, of course the footbridge, the tram extension, the Oaklands crossing, the Torrens to Torrens, a CBD school, the Christmas Pageant, of course the police greys and the police band. This year's budget aimed, as a priority, to provide grants to help small businesses grow—$10,000 for every new job created by businesses. Businesses are embracing our policies, and howling at the moon won't change that business confidence is up.

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