❓ Question regarding the benefits of current retail trading hours for small businesses and awareness of opposition to supporting them. The Minister defends the current system, highlighting its benefits for small businesses and criticising the opposition's stance.
AnsweredQoN 727Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
RETAIL TRADING HOURS
727. Mr Y. MUBARAKAI to the Minister for Commerce and
Industrial Relations:
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how the current retail trading hours regime
currently benefits small businesses and helps them compete with large
companies?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house whether he is aware of anyone who is campaigning
against these small businesses and does not believe they should be supported?
727. Mr Y. MUBARAKAI to the Minister for Commerce and
Industrial Relations:
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how the current retail trading hours regime
currently benefits small businesses and helps them compete with large
companies?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house whether he is aware of anyone who is campaigning
against these small businesses and does not believe they should be supported?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2)
I am very pleased to get this question from a person who operated small retail
businesses prior to coming into Parliament. I want to make it clear that the
current trading hours regime has always had an arrangement to benefit small
business. When it was introduced under the Court government in the 1990s, small
businesses were given exemption that allowed them to trade 24/7, and that has
always been the arrangement. That was a deliberate policy of the Liberal Party
at that time to support small business so that small businesses could operate
when large companies could not. When the McGowan–Barnett changes
happened in 2012 to extend retail trading until 9.00 pm weeknights and to allow
an amount of trading on Sundays, that benefit for small business was continued.
That is why the Labor Party continues to
support small businesses by supporting the exemption arrangement that allows
small businesses a preference that means that they get to trade when the
national retailers are not able to compete with them.
That is a benefit to small
retailers. Every single member in this chamber has almost certainly had
somebody from their local IGA talk to them about that issue.
It is interesting, because the
member asked whether I am aware of any other people campaigning. I was
astounded to read radio transcripts of the Liberal Party's spokesperson
for small business talking about these matters. What the member for Vasse said—this
is in respect of the Leader of the Opposition's proposal to remove this
benefit for small business and allow large companies to trade against them at
those special times that we currently reserve for small business. What did the
shadow Minister for Small Business say? She said, ''It's about
extending trading hours for small businesses''. No, it is not. Small
businesses can already trade at any time they choose; those who cannot trade
are Coles and Woolies. What did the member go on to say? She said —
� and also allowing those small
businesses to be able to compete on a more level playing field �
On a more level playing field! Let
us understand, at the moment the playing field is tilted in favour of small
business, and the Leader of the Opposition wants to tilt it in favour of big
business, and the shadow Minister for Small Business supports the Leader of the
Opposition —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup : You're cooked!
The SPEAKER : So are you! I call
you to order for the first time.
Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup : It's
the second.
The SPEAKER : I call the
member for Dawesville for the second time.
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : So the
shadow Minister for Small Business supports the Leader of the Opposition when
he gets into bed with the big players against the interests of small business.
The only people in this chamber who are clearly supporting small business are
Labor Party members. I invite the Nationals to let us know whether they still
support small business, and whether they are still opposed to the Liberal Party's
thought bubble. Absolutely, says the member for Warren–Blackwood.
Dr M.D. Nahan interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
Opposition, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I want to
make it clear: this position is about supporting small business. Of course, it
also benefits workers. It also supports workers in the retail industry who do
not want to be made to work at unsociable hours, and good on them. I find it
extraordinary that the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia
opposes this measure. It wants to tilt the playing field against its own
members in support of national retailers. The chamber's stated position
is that shop assistants are paid too much and it is opposed to compulsory
superannuation. What a joke! As if anybody would pay attention to those three
agendas.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, it is a
wall of noise.
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : Apparently,
the shadow Minister for Small Business agrees with those three positions—opposes
small business. What does she think about how much retail workers should be
paid? These are some real questions. Does the shadow Minister for Small
Business support small business or not?
Point of Order
Mr S.K. L'ESTRANGE :
It is not the role of a minister of the Crown to ask a shadow minister a question
during question time.
The SPEAKER : That is not a point
of order.
I am very pleased to get this question from a person who operated small retail
businesses prior to coming into Parliament. I want to make it clear that the
current trading hours regime has always had an arrangement to benefit small
business. When it was introduced under the Court government in the 1990s, small
businesses were given exemption that allowed them to trade 24/7, and that has
always been the arrangement. That was a deliberate policy of the Liberal Party
at that time to support small business so that small businesses could operate
when large companies could not. When the McGowan–Barnett changes
happened in 2012 to extend retail trading until 9.00 pm weeknights and to allow
an amount of trading on Sundays, that benefit for small business was continued.
That is why the Labor Party continues to
support small businesses by supporting the exemption arrangement that allows
small businesses a preference that means that they get to trade when the
national retailers are not able to compete with them.
That is a benefit to small
retailers. Every single member in this chamber has almost certainly had
somebody from their local IGA talk to them about that issue.
It is interesting, because the
member asked whether I am aware of any other people campaigning. I was
astounded to read radio transcripts of the Liberal Party's spokesperson
for small business talking about these matters. What the member for Vasse said—this
is in respect of the Leader of the Opposition's proposal to remove this
benefit for small business and allow large companies to trade against them at
those special times that we currently reserve for small business. What did the
shadow Minister for Small Business say? She said, ''It's about
extending trading hours for small businesses''. No, it is not. Small
businesses can already trade at any time they choose; those who cannot trade
are Coles and Woolies. What did the member go on to say? She said —
� and also allowing those small
businesses to be able to compete on a more level playing field �
On a more level playing field! Let
us understand, at the moment the playing field is tilted in favour of small
business, and the Leader of the Opposition wants to tilt it in favour of big
business, and the shadow Minister for Small Business supports the Leader of the
Opposition —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup : You're cooked!
The SPEAKER : So are you! I call
you to order for the first time.
Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup : It's
the second.
The SPEAKER : I call the
member for Dawesville for the second time.
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : So the
shadow Minister for Small Business supports the Leader of the Opposition when
he gets into bed with the big players against the interests of small business.
The only people in this chamber who are clearly supporting small business are
Labor Party members. I invite the Nationals to let us know whether they still
support small business, and whether they are still opposed to the Liberal Party's
thought bubble. Absolutely, says the member for Warren–Blackwood.
Dr M.D. Nahan interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
Opposition, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I want to
make it clear: this position is about supporting small business. Of course, it
also benefits workers. It also supports workers in the retail industry who do
not want to be made to work at unsociable hours, and good on them. I find it
extraordinary that the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia
opposes this measure. It wants to tilt the playing field against its own
members in support of national retailers. The chamber's stated position
is that shop assistants are paid too much and it is opposed to compulsory
superannuation. What a joke! As if anybody would pay attention to those three
agendas.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, it is a
wall of noise.
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : Apparently,
the shadow Minister for Small Business agrees with those three positions—opposes
small business. What does she think about how much retail workers should be
paid? These are some real questions. Does the shadow Minister for Small
Business support small business or not?
Point of Order
Mr S.K. L'ESTRANGE :
It is not the role of a minister of the Crown to ask a shadow minister a question
during question time.
The SPEAKER : That is not a point
of order.
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