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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 8 Hansard (27 August) . . Page.. 2528 ..

MRS CARNELL (continuing):

I was therefore pleased to announce earlier this month that a firm based in Fyshwick, CEA Technologies, had received support, via our business incentive scheme, to expand its operations right here in Canberra. CEA is a research and development company that was founded here in Canberra in 1983 by David Gaul and Ian Crosser. Each year the company has grown by a staggering 40 per cent increase in turnover. It now has facilities in Melbourne and Adelaide as well as offices in California and Hawaii. In December 1991 CEA won the Australian Small Business of the Year Award; in 1993 it won a Canberra Times Employer of the Year Award; and in 1996 it won the ACT Manufacturers Export Award.

The company has a number of major manufacturing projects and is regarded as a world leader in its field. These projects include the supply of radar systems to the US Navy, a new ships management system for the Sydney Port Authority, and direction-finding equipment for the Australian Navy's patrol boat fleet. CEA Technologies currently employs 90 people but expects to take on another 120 staff over the next four years as well as expanding its current premises. I say again that this company expects to take on an extra 120 new employees here in the ACT. That is 120 jobs which, if those opposite were in government right now, would never happen.

Mr Berry: Neither would the 1,200 slashed from the Public Service.

MRS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, hear those opposite. They simply do not want to know that the economy is doing very nicely out there in the jobs area. They simply cannot accept it, Mr Speaker. This company, which has been helped through our innovative business incentive scheme, is one of the many local companies which have been assisted by the Government. In fact, Mr Speaker, when I was out at CEA launching their new business incentive scheme, on that day they got another contract worth $5m from the US. It shows that locally we have companies with technology that is right out there. They are world leaders. But just because they are world leaders does not mean that they did not need a bit of a hand with a business incentive package. Again, those opposite think it is funny, Mr Speaker. We think it is very exciting.

It is worth pointing out that, since the business incentive scheme was established under this Government, assistance has been provided to a total now of 26 firms. This is expected to result in the creation of more than 1,900 new jobs right here in Canberra over the next three years and new investment by these companies amounting to almost $50m. I might repeat that for the benefit of Mr Corbell, who seems not to understand this stuff at all. He is yet to understand how the business incentive scheme works, let alone what a business is. I repeat: We expect a total of 1,900 new jobs over the next three years and an investment of almost $50m.

Mr Corbell: You hope. It is a bit like the 1,000 Unisys jobs.

MRS CARNELL: Mr Corbell, how much ACT investment is in Unisys?

Mr Corbell: Be careful.

MRS CARNELL: How much investment is in Unisys?

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