Page 989 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 26 July 1989
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month period. I just wish members to bear in mind, when they vote on this amendment, the fact that there are a lot of people out there who are hurting very badly and who want some support in relation to this difficult area.
MRS NOLAN (4.06): I would just like to make a couple of comments if I could. While I rise today to support the amendment before us, and I see that we are looking at a reporting date being the first day of sitting in 1990, if the committee thinks that it can get its reference under way before that time, I am sure it could well be able to report before that sitting day.
But, while we support this particular reference to a select committee, I would like to make a couple of points, and I think it is probably fairly relevant at this point in time that they should be made. We must not lose sight of the fact that contractual arrangements are mutually agreed upon by both landlord and tenant. I am sure in today's society some arrangements may not be fair. However, I am also sure that there are many arrangements between landlord and tenant which are very fair and which provide no difficulty. I am the first one to recognise that currently in the economic climate that we have here in the ACT we are hearing very much about lots of difficulties. For that reason, the Liberal Party is supporting the setting up of this committee so that we can hear, if you like, both sides of the argument.
The environment today for small business is vastly different from how it was several years ago. On the one hand, with the deregulation of the banking system there is a greater range of financial services available to small business, but extraordinarily high interest rates have caused immense problems to entrepreneurs. The easy access of big business to finance has led to an imbalance between large and small business, particularly as a result of the growth of virtual monopolies caused by big business mergers and takeovers.
I am concerned that in contrast to some overseas experiences some Australian, and indeed local, firms regard small business as a nuisance rather than a useful partner in many aspects of their operations. Small and medium business, as I am sure we are all aware, represent the greatest base of potential exporters. Governments of all persuasions should be about removing unnecessary, initiated impediments to growth and, through education, improving the quality of small business. The Liberal Party recognises the need for codes of ethics directed towards evening the playing field, if you like, between landlord and tenant.
We are vitally concerned about preventing unfair practices by unions and big business by creating fair ground rules for all business. The committee will be able to hear first-hand whether fair or unfair ground rules are in place in contractual arrangements between landlord and tenant. However - and I think it is fairly important to stress
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