Mark Baker (Braddon, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise this morning to state my dismay at the imminent closure of the Circular Head Business Enterprise Centre due to the Tasmanian state Labor government’s budget reduction, leading to a somewhat inferior part-time service in the region. This really gives us a snippet, a window, of what it would be like. Only God could help us if the opposition ever got into power nationally.

The Circular Head Business Enterprise Centre has been in operation since 1991, when it was established as part of a pilot network of six Tasmanian schemes to foster employment creation by assisting people to develop new enterprises, supporting existing businesses to raise their level of business management skills and encouraging local economic development through broader projects identified by the community.

The Circular Head Business Enterprise Centre has provided invaluable assistance to the people of Circular Head for over 15 years. For example, in the preceding three years, 2003 to 2006, the centre was contacted by some 1,829 clients, supported 54 business formations, 16 business purchases and was responsible for 147 direct jobs and 588 indirect jobs. The centre’s extensive services include free business advisory, referral to specialist services, new start-up business advice, workshops, seminars, skills training to businesses, coordinating women in self-employment support programs, and networking and mentoring activities. All these services are vital to regional businesses, which often do not have the access to services and resources that those in city locations have.

With prudent management of its funds, the centre has been able to play a greater role in the community by providing assistance to community groups and non-profit organisations, particularly in sourcing grant funds and preparing applications for funding. The centre has significantly contributed to attracting hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Circular Head region over the past 15 years through its proactive participation in both the business and community sectors. It would be remiss of me not to mention some of the great things that happen in this region. For example, up to 40 per cent of the state’s milk production occurs there and the forestry, seafood and agricultural industries are flourishing. The continued watering down of all business support programs is a perfect example of the value that a Labor government places on business and business sustainability.

The state Labor government in Tasmania does not differ from other state Labor governments, whose support for business continues to decrease. For the businesses of Australia, this should be a strong warning of what will happen to the business community if a federal Labor government, dominated by union officials, were to be elected. The warning should also extend to the Australian workforce, because without a sustainable business environment jobs are at risk and the very economic prosperity we currently enjoy is also under threat.