❓ Mr. Papalia questions the Minister for Tourism about funding cuts to the Perth Convention Bureau, citing potential revenue and job losses. The Minister defends the cuts as necessary due to financial difficulties and suggests increased private sector contribution.
AnsweredQoN 661Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PERTH CONVENTION BUREAU
661. Mr P. PAPALIA to the Minister for
Tourism:
I refer to a report in The West Australian of 31 July regarding
the government's cuts to funding for the Perth Convention Bureau and
the impact of those cuts.
(1) How does
the minister justify the $5.3 million cut, noting that it will result in the
loss of $85 million in revenue and the loss of jobs in the Western Australian
tourism sector?
(2) Before he
decided to make the cut, did the minister meet with the Perth Convention Bureau
to discuss the potential impacts of the cut?
661. Mr P. PAPALIA to the Minister for
Tourism:
I refer to a report in The West Australian of 31 July regarding
the government's cuts to funding for the Perth Convention Bureau and
the impact of those cuts.
(1) How does
the minister justify the $5.3 million cut, noting that it will result in the
loss of $85 million in revenue and the loss of jobs in the Western Australian
tourism sector?
(2) Before he
decided to make the cut, did the minister meet with the Perth Convention Bureau
to discuss the potential impacts of the cut?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2)
The member is correct that over the forward estimates those funds have been
significantly reduced. The funds are the same for the current financial year,
2015–16, and it is proposed in the forward estimates that funding be
reduced by, I think, approximately $500 000 in the following year and progressively
increase over the forward estimates at that time.
It was the view of government in
going through and formulating our budget, where there was considerable
financial difficulty, that all government departments would be required to make
a contribution to addressing the total deficit and, where possible, the total
reduction in funding received by the state government through the low GST and a
significant reduction in the price of iron ore. We had to carry our weight, the
same as every other government department. The view of government was that
there was an opportunity for the private sector to take over the space that was
vacated. The state government was investing in a significant proportion of the
total cost of running that facility. There is certainly money from the private
sector also, but a significant proportion is state government money and the
view of government was that the private sector could make a greater
contribution. In the end, the beneficiaries of that are largely people who work
within the tourism industry—our hotels, restaurants and cafes—and
the view of government was that they could make a greater contribution towards
their own income in the future.
The member is correct that over the forward estimates those funds have been
significantly reduced. The funds are the same for the current financial year,
2015–16, and it is proposed in the forward estimates that funding be
reduced by, I think, approximately $500 000 in the following year and progressively
increase over the forward estimates at that time.
It was the view of government in
going through and formulating our budget, where there was considerable
financial difficulty, that all government departments would be required to make
a contribution to addressing the total deficit and, where possible, the total
reduction in funding received by the state government through the low GST and a
significant reduction in the price of iron ore. We had to carry our weight, the
same as every other government department. The view of government was that
there was an opportunity for the private sector to take over the space that was
vacated. The state government was investing in a significant proportion of the
total cost of running that facility. There is certainly money from the private
sector also, but a significant proportion is state government money and the
view of government was that the private sector could make a greater
contribution. In the end, the beneficiaries of that are largely people who work
within the tourism industry—our hotels, restaurants and cafes—and
the view of government was that they could make a greater contribution towards
their own income in the future.
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