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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-06-04 Daily Xml
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Question Time

SMALL BUSINESS

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (14:23): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Small Business a question about small business red tape reductions.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: I have a copy of the government's publication 'Reducing red tape for business in SA', with a foreword signed by the Treasurer who is the minister responsible for that. On page 10, under the heading 'Industry reviews', it talks about wine grape growing and wine production. Under the heading 'Key outcomes' it states:

South Australia takes the initiative ahead of other states and territories and introduces standardised labelling requirements in line with an agreement with the World Wine Trade Group.

Later in the publication, Appendix 2.7.5, 'Wine labelling', states:

Streamline wine labelling requirements (note: initiative jointly implemented with Department of Justice and savings shared equally i.e. total savings in excess of $14 million.

It further states that the red tape reduction is $7,183,700. Also, I believe that this program has not yet been implemented. My question to the minister is: how is the red tape saving calculated down to the last $100, and why has the government not implemented this initiative?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Minister for Small Business) (14:26): I did have some involvement in the issue of wine labelling when I first became the minister for agriculture, food and fisheries and as a member of the Wine Council. This has been a huge issue that has bedevilled the wine industry for many years. This government has—

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: Why did you implement it then?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: Well, to get the benefit that one needs to have a national system of labelling and for all sorts of reasons. We are the major wine producer in the country, as I am sure the honourable member would be aware, but there were all sorts of reasons why other jurisdictions were not as keen as they should have been to be involved in this.

I understand that those matters had, after many attempts, finally been resolved. As they are really in the province of my colleague the Treasurer, I will seek that information for the honourable member and bring back a response.

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