❓ Opposition asks about tourism grants during the pandemic, referencing similar actions in other states. Premier deflects, highlighting past actions of the opposition and existing support measures for businesses.
AnsweredQoN 642Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
TOURISM —
ACCOMMODATION — OVERSEAS BOOKING PLATFORMS
642. Mrs L.M. HARVEY to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question.
When will the Premier provide grants of up to $10 000, such as has been done in other states, and show some compassion for our
struggling tourism businesses, which are under extreme financial distress, including distress caused by the government promoting multinational
company Wotif?
ACCOMMODATION — OVERSEAS BOOKING PLATFORMS
642. Mrs L.M. HARVEY to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question.
When will the Premier provide grants of up to $10 000, such as has been done in other states, and show some compassion for our
struggling tourism businesses, which are under extreme financial distress, including distress caused by the government promoting multinational
company Wotif?
AnswerView source ↗
The Leader of the Opposition was
previously the tourism minister. It might surprise members to know that she did
deals with overseas booking agencies when she was the tourism minister.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Vasse!
Mr M. McGOWAN : The last
government did it because they are the ones that do it. I do not know whether
the Leader of the Opposition has ever booked a holiday online. People go online
to Expedia or Wotif—there are a few other
platforms—because, as far as I am aware, there are no Western Australian
platforms. Getting a Western Australian company that does not exist to
do this work is a little bit difficult. The fundamental basis of the member's
argument is wrong and, what is more, it is
hypocritical because that is what she did when she was tourism minister.
Obviously , we want people to holiday at home, and one of the ways to do
that is to promote the ordinary way to book, which is online.
Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
Opposition, do you not want to hear the answer?
Mr M. McGOWAN : The world has
changed in the last 20 years. This is the way people book holidays these days,
especially if they are going to holiday in a Perth hotel. If people are not
familiar with online travel platforms or using
the telephone, they would use their local travel agent to book a holiday at a Perth
hotel. I cannot imagine that many people would do that. Can the Leader
of the Opposition? Can other opposition members? No-one answered so I assume
they agree with me. Does the youthful member for Dawesville go into his travel
agency to book a night at a hotel in Perth? It is not normally what most people
would do. What we are trying to do, and quite successfully, is get people to
holiday at the major hotels. Thousands of people work in the major hotels. We
are trying to use the normal ways in which people book their holidays, exactly
as the last government did when the member for Scarborough was in office and
was the minister who did it.
Mrs L.M. Harvey : Not during
a pandemic.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Not during a pandemic; and during a pandemic,
the Liberal Party is behaving appallingly once again.
We are obviously very sympathetic
towards our travel agents. We have had a number of meetings with our travel
agents about what can be done.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Vasse, I do not want to hear you again.
Mr
M. McGOWAN : I am unfamiliar with
other states having done what the Leader of the Opposition is suggesting. I
note that the Leader of the Opposition and the ever-absent member for Darling
Range have claimed that every small business should get $10 000. Does that mean
that everyone with an ABN should get $10 000 from taxpayers?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members on my
left!
Mr M. McGOWAN : That is what
they have said. Honestly, we need discipline in —
An opposition member interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : That is what
she said. We need discipline in government —
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Vasse, I have warned you three times. I call you to order for the first time. I
do not know whether a festival is on down your way tonight, but you are on your
way to it.
Mr M. McGOWAN : There has to
be discipline in government. We are the first government in Australia that has come up with a recovery plan. It is a $5.5 billion
recovery plan, which I note other governments are looking at, and I expect many of them will copy some of our
initiatives. We have put in place a range of measures to support business ,
such as payroll tax cuts, support with electricity bills and relief from
licence and lease fees. We have provided payroll tax holidays and rebates. We
have done a whole range of things for businesses across Western Australia. I have
here the press release from the shadow Minister for Small Business in which she
does call for $10 000 for all businesses across the state.
Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
Opposition, you have had two goes.
previously the tourism minister. It might surprise members to know that she did
deals with overseas booking agencies when she was the tourism minister.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Vasse!
Mr M. McGOWAN : The last
government did it because they are the ones that do it. I do not know whether
the Leader of the Opposition has ever booked a holiday online. People go online
to Expedia or Wotif—there are a few other
platforms—because, as far as I am aware, there are no Western Australian
platforms. Getting a Western Australian company that does not exist to
do this work is a little bit difficult. The fundamental basis of the member's
argument is wrong and, what is more, it is
hypocritical because that is what she did when she was tourism minister.
Obviously , we want people to holiday at home, and one of the ways to do
that is to promote the ordinary way to book, which is online.
Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
Opposition, do you not want to hear the answer?
Mr M. McGOWAN : The world has
changed in the last 20 years. This is the way people book holidays these days,
especially if they are going to holiday in a Perth hotel. If people are not
familiar with online travel platforms or using
the telephone, they would use their local travel agent to book a holiday at a Perth
hotel. I cannot imagine that many people would do that. Can the Leader
of the Opposition? Can other opposition members? No-one answered so I assume
they agree with me. Does the youthful member for Dawesville go into his travel
agency to book a night at a hotel in Perth? It is not normally what most people
would do. What we are trying to do, and quite successfully, is get people to
holiday at the major hotels. Thousands of people work in the major hotels. We
are trying to use the normal ways in which people book their holidays, exactly
as the last government did when the member for Scarborough was in office and
was the minister who did it.
Mrs L.M. Harvey : Not during
a pandemic.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Not during a pandemic; and during a pandemic,
the Liberal Party is behaving appallingly once again.
We are obviously very sympathetic
towards our travel agents. We have had a number of meetings with our travel
agents about what can be done.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Vasse, I do not want to hear you again.
Mr
M. McGOWAN : I am unfamiliar with
other states having done what the Leader of the Opposition is suggesting. I
note that the Leader of the Opposition and the ever-absent member for Darling
Range have claimed that every small business should get $10 000. Does that mean
that everyone with an ABN should get $10 000 from taxpayers?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members on my
left!
Mr M. McGOWAN : That is what
they have said. Honestly, we need discipline in —
An opposition member interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : That is what
she said. We need discipline in government —
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Vasse, I have warned you three times. I call you to order for the first time. I
do not know whether a festival is on down your way tonight, but you are on your
way to it.
Mr M. McGOWAN : There has to
be discipline in government. We are the first government in Australia that has come up with a recovery plan. It is a $5.5 billion
recovery plan, which I note other governments are looking at, and I expect many of them will copy some of our
initiatives. We have put in place a range of measures to support business ,
such as payroll tax cuts, support with electricity bills and relief from
licence and lease fees. We have provided payroll tax holidays and rebates. We
have done a whole range of things for businesses across Western Australia. I have
here the press release from the shadow Minister for Small Business in which she
does call for $10 000 for all businesses across the state.
Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
Opposition, you have had two goes.
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