Page 643 - Week 02 - Thursday, 21 February 1991
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
MR STEVENSON: If we had a government where the people had a say, indeed, they would spend it on hospitals and roads, as is the example of the Swiss. When the Government wanted to spend money on the roads, the Swiss people said, "No, we want it spent on hospitals".
Mr Duby: No, the Swiss males said that. Women do not have a vote, if I remember correctly.
MR STEVENSON: Mr Duby's memory is once again faulty. Women do have a vote in Switzerland.
Dr Kinloch: As of very recently.
MR STEVENSON: Once again, let us keep up with the times. The role of business in a successful society is such that it would certainly handle all the jobs that you would ever want. If people wanted to work three jobs, they would be able to, if business did not have to constantly fight off government trying to grab all their money and making it as difficult as possible to earn it. The Door-to-Door Trading Bill is an example at hand.
I have spoken to thousands of business people as a business consultant, and I have never met anybody who would not like to put more people on. I ask the question again and again, and it is a standard question that I ask, "Would you like to employ more people?", or employ someone, if they are a sole trader or their family is working in the area. Every single time they say, "Yes". So, why do they not create jobs? The jobs are there. Why do they not hire the people, many of whom want to work? It is simply called "government". It is called "politicians preventing them from doing just that".
Mr Duby: This is bizarre.
MR STEVENSON: I agree that it is bizarre, Mr Duby, and it will not be until government gets off their back that they will be able to start employing people. How would anybody in this Assembly, Mr Speaker - Mr Duby included - explain how it is that business people say that they would like to employ workers, but cannot? What is it that does not allow them to do that? It is the various rules and regulations when you take someone on. I have had the same problem in business myself. When you take someone on, it is not just a matter of paying the salary; you have to look at the various other moneys it is going to cost you. That is a great deal more than their initial salary.
When you hire someone you do not necessarily know that they are going to produce money for you. That is not a rotten motive; that is simply a matter of being able to pay the bills, particularly government bills, as government, unlike other people, demands payment. A government cannot pay you for three months. That is perfectly acceptable and done often. But you go overdue on your sales tax, and see what happens. In the case of the telephone, it will cut it off.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .