❓ Minister McGowan rejects the Australian Hotels Association's claim for $1 billion in compensation due to proposed changes to the Liquor Licensing Act, calling it ludicrous and a ploy to introduce poker machines.
AnsweredQoN 649Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
LIQUOR LICENSING ACT - CLAIMS BY AUSTRALIAN HOTELS ASSOCIATION
What is the minister’s position on claims by the Australian Hotels Association for $1 billion in compensation over three years for proposed changes to the Liquor Licensing Act? Mr M. McGOWAN
What is the minister’s position on claims by the Australian Hotels Association for $1 billion in compensation over three years for proposed changes to the Liquor Licensing Act? Mr M. McGOWAN
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Perth for the question. Today I unveiled the government’s liquor package, which will improve choice for our citizens, support the Western Australian tourism industry, give a boost to small businesses and restaurants around the state and improve health and law and order environments in licensed establishments. There is a lot in the package for the hotel industry, if it wants to take the opportunities that are available. Mr D.T. Redman interjected. Mr M. McGOWAN : I saw the head of the Australian Hotels Association on television last night claiming that the hotel industry should receive $1 billion in compensation, which, if averaged out over the number of hotels in Western Australia, would mean a cheque from Western Australian taxpayers of $1.5 million to each hotelier. Obviously his claim is absolutely ludicrous. I can only assume that it is a ploy on behalf of the Australian Hotels Association to get poker machines into hotels, which it has repeatedly said throughout this debate is what is required in this matter. Let us go to the claim by the hotels association and what it has based its claims on. It put together a report on the proposals announced by the Freemantle review last year. That report was based upon the assumption that every single hotel would lose all its trade from the liquor store attached to the hotel on a Sunday. The association says that every single dollar a hotel receives through the hotel bottle shop will be lost because of government reforms. That is despite the fact that on six days of the week, hotels compete with liquor stores quite adequately and sensibly. In spite of that, the association says that hotels will lose every single dollar on a Sunday. It assumes that under the government’s proposal, 1 500 restaurants will get liquor permits, while currently only 700 restaurants are licensed in Western Australia. It doubled the figures. It also made an assumption that its hotels will lose 10 customers a day. Its claims about small bars have no factual basis. Its claims are wildly exaggerated, designed to support its vested interest. I urge all members to look at the package. I know the Liberal Party will make a decision on this matter soon. I urge members to look at the platform - small business, choice, freedom of trade and the right of consumers; all these things are in this package. I know that the Liberal Party says it believes in that, and I urge it to support this package.
Mr M. McGOWAN replied: I thank the member for Perth for the question. Today I unveiled the government’s liquor package, which will improve choice for our citizens, support the Western Australian tourism industry, give a boost to small businesses and restaurants around the state and improve health and law and order environments in licensed establishments. There is a lot in the package for the hotel industry, if it wants to take the opportunities that are available. Mr D.T. Redman interjected. Mr M. McGOWAN : I saw the head of the Australian Hotels Association on television last night claiming that the hotel industry should receive $1 billion in compensation, which, if averaged out over the number of hotels in Western Australia, would mean a cheque from Western Australian taxpayers of $1.5 million to each hotelier. Obviously his claim is absolutely ludicrous. I can only assume that it is a ploy on behalf of the Australian Hotels Association to get poker machines into hotels, which it has repeatedly said throughout this debate is what is required in this matter. Let us go to the claim by the hotels association and what it has based its claims on. It put together a report on the proposals announced by the Freemantle review last year. That report was based upon the assumption that every single hotel would lose all its trade from the liquor store attached to the hotel on a Sunday. The association says that every single dollar a hotel receives through the hotel bottle shop will be lost because of government reforms. That is despite the fact that on six days of the week, hotels compete with liquor stores quite adequately and sensibly. In spite of that, the association says that hotels will lose every single dollar on a Sunday. It assumes that under the government’s proposal, 1 500 restaurants will get liquor permits, while currently only 700 restaurants are licensed in Western Australia. It doubled the figures. It also made an assumption that its hotels will lose 10 customers a day. Its claims about small bars have no factual basis. Its claims are wildly exaggerated, designed to support its vested interest. I urge all members to look at the package. I know the Liberal Party will make a decision on this matter soon. I urge members to look at the platform - small business, choice, freedom of trade and the right of consumers; all these things are in this package. I know that the Liberal Party says it believes in that, and I urge it to support this package.
I thank the member for Perth for the question. Today I unveiled the government’s liquor package, which will improve choice for our citizens, support the Western Australian tourism industry, give a boost to small businesses and restaurants around the state and improve health and law and order environments in licensed establishments. There is a lot in the package for the hotel industry, if it wants to take the opportunities that are available. Mr D.T. Redman interjected. Mr M. McGOWAN : I saw the head of the Australian Hotels Association on television last night claiming that the hotel industry should receive $1 billion in compensation, which, if averaged out over the number of hotels in Western Australia, would mean a cheque from Western Australian taxpayers of $1.5 million to each hotelier. Obviously his claim is absolutely ludicrous. I can only assume that it is a ploy on behalf of the Australian Hotels Association to get poker machines into hotels, which it has repeatedly said throughout this debate is what is required in this matter. Let us go to the claim by the hotels association and what it has based its claims on. It put together a report on the proposals announced by the Freemantle review last year. That report was based upon the assumption that every single hotel would lose all its trade from the liquor store attached to the hotel on a Sunday. The association says that every single dollar a hotel receives through the hotel bottle shop will be lost because of government reforms. That is despite the fact that on six days of the week, hotels compete with liquor stores quite adequately and sensibly. In spite of that, the association says that hotels will lose every single dollar on a Sunday. It assumes that under the government’s proposal, 1 500 restaurants will get liquor permits, while currently only 700 restaurants are licensed in Western Australia. It doubled the figures. It also made an assumption that its hotels will lose 10 customers a day. Its claims about small bars have no factual basis. Its claims are wildly exaggerated, designed to support its vested interest. I urge all members to look at the package. I know the Liberal Party will make a decision on this matter soon. I urge members to look at the platform - small business, choice, freedom of trade and the right of consumers; all these things are in this package. I know that the Liberal Party says it believes in that, and I urge it to support this package.
Mr D.T. Redman interjected. Mr M. McGOWAN : I saw the head of the Australian Hotels Association on television last night claiming that the hotel industry should receive $1 billion in compensation, which, if averaged out over the number of hotels in Western Australia, would mean a cheque from Western Australian taxpayers of $1.5 million to each hotelier. Obviously his claim is absolutely ludicrous. I can only assume that it is a ploy on behalf of the Australian Hotels Association to get poker machines into hotels, which it has repeatedly said throughout this debate is what is required in this matter. Let us go to the claim by the hotels association and what it has based its claims on. It put together a report on the proposals announced by the Freemantle review last year. That report was based upon the assumption that every single hotel would lose all its trade from the liquor store attached to the hotel on a Sunday. The association says that every single dollar a hotel receives through the hotel bottle shop will be lost because of government reforms. That is despite the fact that on six days of the week, hotels compete with liquor stores quite adequately and sensibly. In spite of that, the association says that hotels will lose every single dollar on a Sunday. It assumes that under the government’s proposal, 1 500 restaurants will get liquor permits, while currently only 700 restaurants are licensed in Western Australia. It doubled the figures. It also made an assumption that its hotels will lose 10 customers a day. Its claims about small bars have no factual basis. Its claims are wildly exaggerated, designed to support its vested interest. I urge all members to look at the package. I know the Liberal Party will make a decision on this matter soon. I urge members to look at the platform - small business, choice, freedom of trade and the right of consumers; all these things are in this package. I know that the Liberal Party says it believes in that, and I urge it to support this package.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I saw the head of the Australian Hotels Association on television last night claiming that the hotel industry should receive $1 billion in compensation, which, if averaged out over the number of hotels in Western Australia, would mean a cheque from Western Australian taxpayers of $1.5 million to each hotelier. Obviously his claim is absolutely ludicrous. I can only assume that it is a ploy on behalf of the Australian Hotels Association to get poker machines into hotels, which it has repeatedly said throughout this debate is what is required in this matter. Let us go to the claim by the hotels association and what it has based its claims on. It put together a report on the proposals announced by the Freemantle review last year. That report was based upon the assumption that every single hotel would lose all its trade from the liquor store attached to the hotel on a Sunday. The association says that every single dollar a hotel receives through the hotel bottle shop will be lost because of government reforms. That is despite the fact that on six days of the week, hotels compete with liquor stores quite adequately and sensibly. In spite of that, the association says that hotels will lose every single dollar on a Sunday. It assumes that under the government’s proposal, 1 500 restaurants will get liquor permits, while currently only 700 restaurants are licensed in Western Australia. It doubled the figures. It also made an assumption that its hotels will lose 10 customers a day. Its claims about small bars have no factual basis. Its claims are wildly exaggerated, designed to support its vested interest. I urge all members to look at the package. I know the Liberal Party will make a decision on this matter soon. I urge members to look at the platform - small business, choice, freedom of trade and the right of consumers; all these things are in this package. I know that the Liberal Party says it believes in that, and I urge it to support this package.
Let us go to the claim by the hotels association and what it has based its claims on. It put together a report on the proposals announced by the Freemantle review last year. That report was based upon the assumption that every single hotel would lose all its trade from the liquor store attached to the hotel on a Sunday. The association says that every single dollar a hotel receives through the hotel bottle shop will be lost because of government reforms. That is despite the fact that on six days of the week, hotels compete with liquor stores quite adequately and sensibly. In spite of that, the association says that hotels will lose every single dollar on a Sunday. It assumes that under the government’s proposal, 1 500 restaurants will get liquor permits, while currently only 700 restaurants are licensed in Western Australia. It doubled the figures. It also made an assumption that its hotels will lose 10 customers a day. Its claims about small bars have no factual basis. Its claims are wildly exaggerated, designed to support its vested interest. I urge all members to look at the package. I know the Liberal Party will make a decision on this matter soon. I urge members to look at the platform - small business, choice, freedom of trade and the right of consumers; all these things are in this package. I know that the Liberal Party says it believes in that, and I urge it to support this package.
Mr M. McGOWAN replied: I thank the member for Perth for the question. Today I unveiled the government’s liquor package, which will improve choice for our citizens, support the Western Australian tourism industry, give a boost to small businesses and restaurants around the state and improve health and law and order environments in licensed establishments. There is a lot in the package for the hotel industry, if it wants to take the opportunities that are available. Mr D.T. Redman interjected. Mr M. McGOWAN : I saw the head of the Australian Hotels Association on television last night claiming that the hotel industry should receive $1 billion in compensation, which, if averaged out over the number of hotels in Western Australia, would mean a cheque from Western Australian taxpayers of $1.5 million to each hotelier. Obviously his claim is absolutely ludicrous. I can only assume that it is a ploy on behalf of the Australian Hotels Association to get poker machines into hotels, which it has repeatedly said throughout this debate is what is required in this matter. Let us go to the claim by the hotels association and what it has based its claims on. It put together a report on the proposals announced by the Freemantle review last year. That report was based upon the assumption that every single hotel would lose all its trade from the liquor store attached to the hotel on a Sunday. The association says that every single dollar a hotel receives through the hotel bottle shop will be lost because of government reforms. That is despite the fact that on six days of the week, hotels compete with liquor stores quite adequately and sensibly. In spite of that, the association says that hotels will lose every single dollar on a Sunday. It assumes that under the government’s proposal, 1 500 restaurants will get liquor permits, while currently only 700 restaurants are licensed in Western Australia. It doubled the figures. It also made an assumption that its hotels will lose 10 customers a day. Its claims about small bars have no factual basis. Its claims are wildly exaggerated, designed to support its vested interest. I urge all members to look at the package. I know the Liberal Party will make a decision on this matter soon. I urge members to look at the platform - small business, choice, freedom of trade and the right of consumers; all these things are in this package. I know that the Liberal Party says it believes in that, and I urge it to support this package.
I thank the member for Perth for the question. Today I unveiled the government’s liquor package, which will improve choice for our citizens, support the Western Australian tourism industry, give a boost to small businesses and restaurants around the state and improve health and law and order environments in licensed establishments. There is a lot in the package for the hotel industry, if it wants to take the opportunities that are available. Mr D.T. Redman interjected. Mr M. McGOWAN : I saw the head of the Australian Hotels Association on television last night claiming that the hotel industry should receive $1 billion in compensation, which, if averaged out over the number of hotels in Western Australia, would mean a cheque from Western Australian taxpayers of $1.5 million to each hotelier. Obviously his claim is absolutely ludicrous. I can only assume that it is a ploy on behalf of the Australian Hotels Association to get poker machines into hotels, which it has repeatedly said throughout this debate is what is required in this matter. Let us go to the claim by the hotels association and what it has based its claims on. It put together a report on the proposals announced by the Freemantle review last year. That report was based upon the assumption that every single hotel would lose all its trade from the liquor store attached to the hotel on a Sunday. The association says that every single dollar a hotel receives through the hotel bottle shop will be lost because of government reforms. That is despite the fact that on six days of the week, hotels compete with liquor stores quite adequately and sensibly. In spite of that, the association says that hotels will lose every single dollar on a Sunday. It assumes that under the government’s proposal, 1 500 restaurants will get liquor permits, while currently only 700 restaurants are licensed in Western Australia. It doubled the figures. It also made an assumption that its hotels will lose 10 customers a day. Its claims about small bars have no factual basis. Its claims are wildly exaggerated, designed to support its vested interest. I urge all members to look at the package. I know the Liberal Party will make a decision on this matter soon. I urge members to look at the platform - small business, choice, freedom of trade and the right of consumers; all these things are in this package. I know that the Liberal Party says it believes in that, and I urge it to support this package.
Mr D.T. Redman interjected. Mr M. McGOWAN : I saw the head of the Australian Hotels Association on television last night claiming that the hotel industry should receive $1 billion in compensation, which, if averaged out over the number of hotels in Western Australia, would mean a cheque from Western Australian taxpayers of $1.5 million to each hotelier. Obviously his claim is absolutely ludicrous. I can only assume that it is a ploy on behalf of the Australian Hotels Association to get poker machines into hotels, which it has repeatedly said throughout this debate is what is required in this matter. Let us go to the claim by the hotels association and what it has based its claims on. It put together a report on the proposals announced by the Freemantle review last year. That report was based upon the assumption that every single hotel would lose all its trade from the liquor store attached to the hotel on a Sunday. The association says that every single dollar a hotel receives through the hotel bottle shop will be lost because of government reforms. That is despite the fact that on six days of the week, hotels compete with liquor stores quite adequately and sensibly. In spite of that, the association says that hotels will lose every single dollar on a Sunday. It assumes that under the government’s proposal, 1 500 restaurants will get liquor permits, while currently only 700 restaurants are licensed in Western Australia. It doubled the figures. It also made an assumption that its hotels will lose 10 customers a day. Its claims about small bars have no factual basis. Its claims are wildly exaggerated, designed to support its vested interest. I urge all members to look at the package. I know the Liberal Party will make a decision on this matter soon. I urge members to look at the platform - small business, choice, freedom of trade and the right of consumers; all these things are in this package. I know that the Liberal Party says it believes in that, and I urge it to support this package.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I saw the head of the Australian Hotels Association on television last night claiming that the hotel industry should receive $1 billion in compensation, which, if averaged out over the number of hotels in Western Australia, would mean a cheque from Western Australian taxpayers of $1.5 million to each hotelier. Obviously his claim is absolutely ludicrous. I can only assume that it is a ploy on behalf of the Australian Hotels Association to get poker machines into hotels, which it has repeatedly said throughout this debate is what is required in this matter. Let us go to the claim by the hotels association and what it has based its claims on. It put together a report on the proposals announced by the Freemantle review last year. That report was based upon the assumption that every single hotel would lose all its trade from the liquor store attached to the hotel on a Sunday. The association says that every single dollar a hotel receives through the hotel bottle shop will be lost because of government reforms. That is despite the fact that on six days of the week, hotels compete with liquor stores quite adequately and sensibly. In spite of that, the association says that hotels will lose every single dollar on a Sunday. It assumes that under the government’s proposal, 1 500 restaurants will get liquor permits, while currently only 700 restaurants are licensed in Western Australia. It doubled the figures. It also made an assumption that its hotels will lose 10 customers a day. Its claims about small bars have no factual basis. Its claims are wildly exaggerated, designed to support its vested interest. I urge all members to look at the package. I know the Liberal Party will make a decision on this matter soon. I urge members to look at the platform - small business, choice, freedom of trade and the right of consumers; all these things are in this package. I know that the Liberal Party says it believes in that, and I urge it to support this package.
Let us go to the claim by the hotels association and what it has based its claims on. It put together a report on the proposals announced by the Freemantle review last year. That report was based upon the assumption that every single hotel would lose all its trade from the liquor store attached to the hotel on a Sunday. The association says that every single dollar a hotel receives through the hotel bottle shop will be lost because of government reforms. That is despite the fact that on six days of the week, hotels compete with liquor stores quite adequately and sensibly. In spite of that, the association says that hotels will lose every single dollar on a Sunday. It assumes that under the government’s proposal, 1 500 restaurants will get liquor permits, while currently only 700 restaurants are licensed in Western Australia. It doubled the figures. It also made an assumption that its hotels will lose 10 customers a day. Its claims about small bars have no factual basis. Its claims are wildly exaggerated, designed to support its vested interest. I urge all members to look at the package. I know the Liberal Party will make a decision on this matter soon. I urge members to look at the platform - small business, choice, freedom of trade and the right of consumers; all these things are in this package. I know that the Liberal Party says it believes in that, and I urge it to support this package.
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.