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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 8 Hansard (27 June) . . Page.. 2404 ..

Mr Whitecross: It is 306, I think.

MR STEFANIAK: Is it 306? Maybe it is 306.5, or something, Mr Whitecross. Nothing has happened yet, Mr Speaker. No-one can say whether that is going to happen or not, but, Mr Speaker, it is pretty plain to see how many local shops have gone down the gurgler, and it is pretty clear how many people who were employed, Canberra citizens - people whose money goes back into the community - have lost their jobs there. The Australian Financial Review published on 25 June contained a number of statistics, and I quote from that article, Mr Speaker:

The small business sector of the ACT, represented by Mr Norman Henry -

whom we all know - - -

Mr Wood: Ha, ha!

MR STEFANIAK: Well, you might laugh - - -

Mr Berry: Abolish Self Government; no, No Self Government.

MR STEFANIAK: Well, here we go; you are making derogatory comments against this fine citizen. The report says:

... Mr Norman Henry, the director of the Canberra Small Business Council, retaliated with figures of his own.

We are fairly familiar with these figures. They do not like these statistics, Mr Kaine, as you say. The article continues:

"In the last four years, at least 700 people have been made redundant because of small business closures," Mr Henry said:

"Forty-four small butcher shops have closed, not to mention countless delicatessens, bread shops, cake shops and takeaways."

An ACT small business petition called Save Our Shops was signed by more than 30,000 people ...

The bill was introduced to the ACT Legislative Assembly last week and it will be debated later this week -

like now -

This issue has fired passions in the small business community around Australia, but only the ACT has tried to find a legislative balance - - -

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