❓ Mr. Nalder questions the Premier on implementing small business grants. The Premier deflects, questioning the Liberal Party's policy and highlighting existing support measures and the state's strong economic recovery.
AnsweredQoN 676Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS —
ECONOMIC RECOVERY PACKAGE
676. Mr
D.C. NALDER to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question.
Given the Premier's consideration of other measures, will he now
consider that other measure that every other state has undertaken by supporting
small business grants of up to $10 000 for those who are really struggling
because of COVID?
ECONOMIC RECOVERY PACKAGE
676. Mr
D.C. NALDER to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question.
Given the Premier's consideration of other measures, will he now
consider that other measure that every other state has undertaken by supporting
small business grants of up to $10 000 for those who are really struggling
because of COVID?
AnswerView source ↗
I
ask again: is this the Liberal Party's policy? It is now less than six
months to the state election. Is this the Liberal Party's policy? Will it give every business in Western Australia $10 000? That is what
the member for Darling Range advocated; I think
she is the shadow small business spokesperson. She advocated that everyone in Western Australia who has an ABN should get $10 000.
Several members interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : That is exactly what she had to say.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Vasse!
Mr M. McGOWAN : This idea that
everyone with an ABN should get $10 000 is a recipe for disaster.
Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : But what is
your policy?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members on my
left!
Mr M. McGOWAN : What is your
policy?
Ms L. Mettam : Answer the
question!
Mr M. McGOWAN : I have
answered the question.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Vasse, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr M. McGOWAN : As I said
yesterday, we have put in place all sorts of initiatives.
Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I will explain
it to the Leader of the Opposition again, because she cannot remember from yesterday. We put in place payroll tax cuts across
the board. We provided $17 500 to thousands of payroll tax–paying businesses with payrolls of up to $4 million.
Mr D.C. Nalder interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Bateman, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr M. McGOWAN : We provided
around 90 000 businesses with a $2 500 credit on their electricity bill. For
those businesses that are tenants of the state government, we waived rent and
licence fees. Tourism businesses have been eligible for grants of $6 500 or,
under another component of the scheme, up to $100 000. An enormous number of these sorts of programs have been
carefully targeted to support small business across the state, in addition to the measures we put in place as part of the commercial tenancy arrangements
to protect commercial tenants. That is what we have done for business across
the state.
I
want to say one other thing, and this is the major thing we have done: we got
the economy back stronger than any other
state in Australia. Members can talk to shopkeepers, cafe owners, tradies or
electricians. I spoke to a bunch of plumbers and electricians yesterday,
and they are so happy that the economy is going ahead. Our building industry is
easily the strongest in the nation. I was at a building site yesterday.
Builders who were across the road came up the street to say thank you to the
government for getting the building industry back so strongly. These guys were
installing a pergola or a carport across the street and I asked one of them, ''How
strong is it?''
Point of Order
Mr Z.R.F.
KIRKUP : Yesterday, Mr Speaker, you advised against longwinded
answers. Now the Premier is talking about people who install pergolas in
response to a question.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! I will
hear it in silence.
Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP : I ask the
Speaker to ensure that the answer is relevant to the question.
The SPEAKER : It is not a point
of order. He is talking on the subject.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr M. McGOWAN : They came up
the street and were so happy with how the economy and the building industry is
going. If members ask me about small business people—people who members
opposite probably are not familiar with—they are the sorts of people
that this state government is helping by ensuring that our building industry,
our economy, our retail sector and our hospitality sector is back as strong as,
or stronger than, the rest of Australia.
ask again: is this the Liberal Party's policy? It is now less than six
months to the state election. Is this the Liberal Party's policy? Will it give every business in Western Australia $10 000? That is what
the member for Darling Range advocated; I think
she is the shadow small business spokesperson. She advocated that everyone in Western Australia who has an ABN should get $10 000.
Several members interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : That is exactly what she had to say.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Vasse!
Mr M. McGOWAN : This idea that
everyone with an ABN should get $10 000 is a recipe for disaster.
Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : But what is
your policy?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members on my
left!
Mr M. McGOWAN : What is your
policy?
Ms L. Mettam : Answer the
question!
Mr M. McGOWAN : I have
answered the question.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Vasse, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr M. McGOWAN : As I said
yesterday, we have put in place all sorts of initiatives.
Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I will explain
it to the Leader of the Opposition again, because she cannot remember from yesterday. We put in place payroll tax cuts across
the board. We provided $17 500 to thousands of payroll tax–paying businesses with payrolls of up to $4 million.
Mr D.C. Nalder interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Bateman, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr M. McGOWAN : We provided
around 90 000 businesses with a $2 500 credit on their electricity bill. For
those businesses that are tenants of the state government, we waived rent and
licence fees. Tourism businesses have been eligible for grants of $6 500 or,
under another component of the scheme, up to $100 000. An enormous number of these sorts of programs have been
carefully targeted to support small business across the state, in addition to the measures we put in place as part of the commercial tenancy arrangements
to protect commercial tenants. That is what we have done for business across
the state.
I
want to say one other thing, and this is the major thing we have done: we got
the economy back stronger than any other
state in Australia. Members can talk to shopkeepers, cafe owners, tradies or
electricians. I spoke to a bunch of plumbers and electricians yesterday,
and they are so happy that the economy is going ahead. Our building industry is
easily the strongest in the nation. I was at a building site yesterday.
Builders who were across the road came up the street to say thank you to the
government for getting the building industry back so strongly. These guys were
installing a pergola or a carport across the street and I asked one of them, ''How
strong is it?''
Point of Order
Mr Z.R.F.
KIRKUP : Yesterday, Mr Speaker, you advised against longwinded
answers. Now the Premier is talking about people who install pergolas in
response to a question.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! I will
hear it in silence.
Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP : I ask the
Speaker to ensure that the answer is relevant to the question.
The SPEAKER : It is not a point
of order. He is talking on the subject.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr M. McGOWAN : They came up
the street and were so happy with how the economy and the building industry is
going. If members ask me about small business people—people who members
opposite probably are not familiar with—they are the sorts of people
that this state government is helping by ensuring that our building industry,
our economy, our retail sector and our hospitality sector is back as strong as,
or stronger than, the rest of Australia.
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