❓ Dr. Nahan questions Premier McGowan's stance on retail trading hours due to donations from the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association. McGowan defends his government's position, highlighting support for small business and criticising the opposition's stance.
AnsweredQoN 717Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
RETAIL TRADING HOURS
717. Dr M.D. NAHAN to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question. Can
the Premier explain how the people of Western Australia can trust his
government on retail trading hours, given that the biggest opponent of reform
is the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association, which donated over
$200 000 to his 2017 election campaign and appears to be determining government
policy?
717. Dr M.D. NAHAN to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question. Can
the Premier explain how the people of Western Australia can trust his
government on retail trading hours, given that the biggest opponent of reform
is the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association, which donated over
$200 000 to his 2017 election campaign and appears to be determining government
policy?
AnswerView source ↗
If members were to speak to the shop
assistants union, I think they would find that it is not entirely happy with
the government's position on these issues.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr M. McGOWAN : I note that
the opposition picks and chooses when it quotes from union leaders. The Deputy Leader
of the Liberal Party quoted with glee the head of the Maritime Union of
Australia in attacking the government. Now it is quoting another union leader
whom it says we are slavishly following when, clearly, we are not. The reality
is that the Liberal Party is not standing up for small business. If it went to
the Lotterywest retailers that we are trying to protect with our Lottoland
reforms, the taxi industry that we are trying to support in Western Australia,
which is an issue it was unable to deal with, or to shopkeepers who do not want
24-hour trading, it will find that it is not standing up for small business. I look
at members of the Liberal Party and I want to know whether they support the
plan that the Leader of the Opposition has put forward.
Several members interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : They do! I note
that not everyone said yes. I note that the man in the powder blue suit did not
say yes.
I do not believe that 24-hour
trading is warranted. I know that the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western
Australia and the Leader of the Opposition have said it is, but I do not think
it is warranted. We will release our policy on these issues in the lead-up to
the next election. In Western Australia, we currently have extended trading
hours on Sundays and weeknights because of the policy that I took in 2012,
because the then government could not get itself together on the issue. We will
continue to support small business in Western Australia.
assistants union, I think they would find that it is not entirely happy with
the government's position on these issues.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr M. McGOWAN : I note that
the opposition picks and chooses when it quotes from union leaders. The Deputy Leader
of the Liberal Party quoted with glee the head of the Maritime Union of
Australia in attacking the government. Now it is quoting another union leader
whom it says we are slavishly following when, clearly, we are not. The reality
is that the Liberal Party is not standing up for small business. If it went to
the Lotterywest retailers that we are trying to protect with our Lottoland
reforms, the taxi industry that we are trying to support in Western Australia,
which is an issue it was unable to deal with, or to shopkeepers who do not want
24-hour trading, it will find that it is not standing up for small business. I look
at members of the Liberal Party and I want to know whether they support the
plan that the Leader of the Opposition has put forward.
Several members interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : They do! I note
that not everyone said yes. I note that the man in the powder blue suit did not
say yes.
I do not believe that 24-hour
trading is warranted. I know that the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western
Australia and the Leader of the Opposition have said it is, but I do not think
it is warranted. We will release our policy on these issues in the lead-up to
the next election. In Western Australia, we currently have extended trading
hours on Sundays and weeknights because of the policy that I took in 2012,
because the then government could not get itself together on the issue. We will
continue to support small business in Western Australia.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.