Page 4544 - Week 15 - Tuesday, 6 December 1994
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
MR LAMONT: The simple proposition is that the board has made a range of recommendations. At the moment, given the decisions that have been made by this Assembly in relation to the training issues associated with possible use of those surplus funds, I am considering the appropriate alternatives. I indicated, during debate when this matter was discussed in the Assembly, that there should be a reduction to one per cent. That, Mr De Domenico, is a proposition that is under active consideration.
Mrs Carnell: Why did you oppose it last time?
Mr Humphries: Come on! You said that it was not any good last time.
Mrs Carnell: On a number of occasions. Go on; sit down.
MR LAMONT: Have we finished?
Mrs Carnell: No. Have you?
MADAM SPEAKER: Order! It is Mr De Domenico's supplementary question.
MR LAMONT: There is every likelihood that the industry parties' recommendations in relation to the dispersal of those funds will be the reduction of that levy to one per cent. That is something on which I concur with Mr De Domenico.
Small Business
MRS GRASSBY: My question is to the Chief Minister. Can the Chief Minister advise the Assembly about the level of confidence that the small business community shows in the local economy?
MS FOLLETT: I thank Mrs Grassby for the question, Madam Speaker. I am very pleased that a recent small business survey, which was sponsored by the Yellow Pages, did show considerable confidence by our small businesses in their future in the ACT. In fact, two-thirds of those small businesses were confident of their own business prospects in the coming year. That is a very pleasing outlook indeed.
Mrs Carnell: That is because they know that we will attain government.
MS FOLLETT: Madam Speaker, is Mrs Carnell going to continue to interject? She nods her head. It is clearly her intention to defy any ruling that you might make. I simply draw it to your attention. After balancing those businesses who expect a decline against those who expect an increase, in the survey there was a net 45 per cent of local small businesses who did expect that their profitability would also increase over the next three months. There were some 12 per cent of those local businesses who expected to increase their capital expenditure in the current quarter. That is very encouraging, as was the number who expected to increase the size of their work force in the current quarter. That was some 13 per cent. We are talking about additional jobs, and that is very good news indeed.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .