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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 8 Hansard (26 June) . . Page.. 2166 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

I should say, Mr Speaker, that the concept of justice for small businesses is a concept that I will have to explain to those opposite at some later stage. I knew that those on the other side of the house would be unimpressed with that action, because it achieves some restriction on the power of those larger business enterprises - the national property empires - that are so much their allies and their friends at this particular point in time. The measure is designed to help small shopkeepers ensure that they can access the existing provisions in the legislation. That will not sit well with our friend of the multinationals and defender of big business, Mr Whitecross, across the chamber; but it is certainly in the interests of the Canberra community. The ALP is famous for having mates. Usually it is the mates in the unions, although recently we have had added to them mates in large property development groups and, of course, big landlords. It has been a quite stunning achievement to have had the traditional friends of the workers cuddling up to corporate empires of Sydney and Melbourne in recent days, Mr Speaker.

The measures the Government has taken have been, I think, an example of support for those tenants, who now have legislation in place to assist them, but who have had difficulty in accessing it, in part because of an argument that has been run, as members would know from the famous comma amendment we passed, I think, late last year. I think it is most important that the Government at least stands ready to defend the access of tenants to those means of redress. In fact, since Mr Connolly left this Assembly, the Labor Party has had no-one with even the faintest comprehension of the problems that are facing our small businesses in this town, about which, I think, those opposite should be quite ashamed. The Government understands the importance to the life of this city of a thriving small business community.

MR KAINE: I have a supplementary question, Mr Speaker. It is gratifying to see that finally the small businessmen have somewhere to go if they are in trouble. I understood you to say, Minister, that the action at Tuggeranong was just one of a number of measures to protect the small business community. Could you explain what you meant by that, what other measures there are, and whether those measures have been endorsed by members of the small business community?

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, I think Mr Kaine would be aware that there have been a number of other measures in the Striking a Balance policy - a policy that people like Mr Berry were so unwilling to acknowledge for the merits that it contained. We saw things like the helpShop program - - -

MR SPEAKER: Order! Mr Humphries is answering the question. Sit down, Mr Berry. If you want to sit on the Government side, feel free; but just sit down.

MR HUMPHRIES: If he did, Mr Speaker, I would be over there in a flash, I can assure you. For example, Mr Speaker, there is the helpShop program. You would think that we had not done anything about the small business position in this town from what is being said. Let me say also that, as a number of spokesmen in recent days have indicated, this Government has taken steps which have been welcomed by the small business community. Mr Kaine asked me about the views of other players in the marketplace.

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