The real Abdul backs Hockey's kebab comments
Updated
Yesterday, the Federal Treasurer Joe Hockey channelled the plight of small business owners to justify the Government's decision not to provide financial assistance to SPC Ardmona.
"Abdul the kebab maker in Parramatta mall, to quote [former Liberal MP] Ross Cameron, is not asking for a new oven," he argued.
"These businesses are there to compete in the open market place. We want to encourage enterprise, not entitlement."
It may not be Parramatta mall, but the ABC's business editor Peter Ryan went to visit Abdul the kebab maker in inner-Sydney's Surry Hills.
PETER RYAN: Right now Abdul Ghazel is getting ready for the usual Friday lunch crowd and there's plenty of action here in the kitchen.
So what does Mr Ghazel think about Joe Hockey's kebab comments and would he consider seeking government help if his business ever got into strife?
ABDUL GHAZEL: Well, I don't think so. I don't think so they'll give me anything. You know they just say go and get it yourself!
PETER RYAN: But you pay your taxes, would you expect …
ABDUL GHAZEL: Yeah, of course I pay my taxes and everything, you know, but they're not going to help me with the fridge or with the freezer or with the kebab machines or with the griller. You know you have to pay your own, you have to buy your own.
PETER RYAN: How do you think you stand? You're a small business and you have a lot of loyal clients, but where do you think you rank in the Government's eyes compared to Qantas or SPC Ardmona?
ABDUL GHAZEL: Very, very small. They can't see anyway. They can't see me.
PETER RYAN: And were you delighted to hear Mr Hockey refer to Abdul the kebab maker?
ABDUL GHAZEL: Very, very delighted.
Penalty rates put pressure on profit
PETER RYAN: You run a late night business, you're open on weekends. Mr Hockey is looking at the whole area of entitlements and that would include penalty rates and overtime. How do those factors affect a business like yours?
ABDUL GHAZEL: It put a lot of pressure. Sometimes, you know, you're not busy so you have to pay from the pocket and you can't tell the workers, "Go, I don't have any work".
PETER RYAN: Is that sustainable?
ABDUL GHAZEL: Not really but, you know, you just, sometimes you have to pay from your own pocket.
PETER RYAN: But you want to do the right thing, but you think that the time might come when that whole era of penalties, overtime might have to reviewed?
ABDUL GHAZEL: Maybe, I don't know, maybe.
PETER RYAN: Mr Hockey's been known to enjoy a Friday feed. Do you think he should come along here today and sample some of your wares?
ABDUL GHAZEL: I think so, he should but I want him to ring me before he comes.
Topics: business-economics-and-finance, small-business, federal-government, industrial-relations, australia, surry-hills-2010, nsw
First posted
