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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 10 Hansard (24 September) . . Page.. 3213 ..

MRS CARNELL: I thank the member for the question. Mr Speaker, Coms21 Ltd represents yet another example of how this Government's policies are working to create new jobs and new opportunities for Canberra's local businesses. Coms21 was established here in Canberra back in 1992 to commercialise smart card or stored information technology. Since that time it has grown to the point where it currently employs 42 people here in Canberra and has offices in Sydney and Beijing.

Last year Coms21 came to the ACT Government and sought assistance to relocate to larger premises in Canberra due to the fact that its business was expanding so rapidly. The Government was able to assist the company under our innovative business incentive scheme because the panel which assessed the Coms21 application saw the potential of this company as becoming a major employer in the ACT. Coms21 now plans to more than triple its work force over the next three years from 42 to 150 people. That is more than 100 new jobs, Mr Speaker, and we did not hear those opposite make one comment about it. They are the first to make comments if one of our business incentive companies does not achieve its job projections as quickly as it thought it would, but do you see them hopping up in this place and waxing lyrical about what a great scheme it is when companies like Coms21 and others have done even better than anybody could have expected?

Why is Coms21 growing so quickly in the field of technology? The company has established two subsidiary operations - one in Sydney, which is involved in the supply of interactive television games, and one in Beijing, where it is marketing its smart card technology. This Government, through its interest in helping ACT firms to get a foothold in China, has been working closely with Coms21. Following our visit to Beijing in January this year, where I met with the Coms21 officers who were working there, the firm also agreed to participate in the recent CanTrade delegation to China in June.

So, what outcomes have been achieved for Coms21? What contracts have actually been signed with China? The result has been that Coms21 not only has won a $7m contract for the supply of drivers licence cards and card readers, but has recently secured an even larger deal. It has now entered into an agreement with the Peoples Insurance Company of China, and - wait for this - the Peoples Insurance Company of China has 242 million policy holders and assets worth some $5 billion. There is a big company for you. The initial deal is to trial smart cards in one province. This is worth some $12m in business to Coms21. Mr Speaker, if all goes well, I am advised that the final agreement will be worth in excess of $1 billion - $1 billion for a local Canberra company. That is not a bad effort for a home-grown firm that began operations only some five years ago.

I am sure that most members of the Assembly - you can never talk about those opposite - would join me in congratulating Coms21 for its successes and for its commitment to making Canberra its headquarters. If it was up to those opposite, off they would have gone because there would have been no help. I heard Mr Berry last week telling Canberrans that this Government had done nothing to help local businesses grow or expand their operations. Last time I checked, Mr Speaker, of the 26 business incentive scheme agreements that so far have been approved, 18 were with local companies.

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