❓ Mr Grylls asks if the government will establish a small business tribunal if retail trading hours are deregulated. Mr Brown responds by discussing national and state-level considerations of anti-competitive behaviour and criticises the opposition's stance on retail trading hours.
AnsweredQoN 768Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to an options paper provided to participants in a meeting regarding the deregulation of retail trading hours, as reported in last week’s The West Australian . If the Government breaks its election promise and deregulates retail trading hours, will it establish a small business tribunal so that small retailers have an avenue to pursue claims of anti-competitive behaviour? Mr C.M. BROWN
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question. The matter of anti-competitive behaviour has been the subject of considerable reports, as the member would know, including the recent Dawson report at the national level, of which the member may be aware. It is interesting that the significant reforms proposed by the Dawson report that would assist small business have primarily been rejected by the federal Treasurer, particularly the recommendation to amend section 46 of the Trade Practices Act. The Farrington Fayre case that was taken under section 51AA of the Trade Practices Act has also shown up the weaknesses of that Act. I understand that further test cases will be conducted under section 51AC, which is a subsequent section of the Trade Practices Act that was introduced. There is a belief that anti-competitive behaviour may be able to be picked up by that section. However, that section is still untested in terms of anti-competitive behaviour. At the national level at least there is consideration of this matter. At the state level we have released our report on the review of the Commercial Tenancy (Retail Shops) Agreements Act. Recommendation No 1 of that review is that we draw down the provisions of the Trade Practices Act into the Commercial Tenancy (Retail Shops) Agreements Act and, further, that we make changes to incorporate some specific provisions for retail shops that are currently contained in the Victorian legislation. Both of those matters have been addressed by the Dawson report nationally, because of the weaknesses in the Trade Practices Act, but we have already addressed that issue at a state level with the review of the Commercial Tenancy (Retail Shops) Agreements Act. Mr M.W. Trenorden: A review will not address the problem. Mr C.M. BROWN: A review was conducted. The review report was produced earlier this year and was put out for further public comment. I am in the process of finalising some of the recommendations of that review. The intention, if everything works out according to plan, is to introduce a Green Bill later this year for further comment and then to progress the matters from there. We are interested in this issue, but I am glad this has been raised in the context of retail trading hours. I am in a bit of a quandary about what the coalition’s position is on retail trading hours. Mr C.J. Barnett: You are the problem! The SPEAKER: Members! Mr C.M. BROWN: I know this is a bit difficult, but in the Albany Advertiser on 6 March 2003 the Leader of the Opposition is quoted as saying - “If I told you there wasn’t going to be deregulation I’d be telling you a lie.” The Deputy Leader of the Opposition, who is out there telling everybody how dreadful deregulation is, had this to say in this Parliament on 28 April 1998 - The extension of trading hours arises from time to time and coincidentally has affected the shopping centre at Australind to which I referred earlier. I am a strong proponent of extended trading hours. That is interesting. Then we have Hon Peter Foss, that luminary in the upper House, stating in Hansard on 18 December 2002 - Personally, I think we should get rid of all the regulations and let things work themselves out. We do not need the Government telling people what trading hours they should have. It will work out. Of course it will mean a change in how things happen. Different people might run things, but that happens in business all the time. The Liberal Party does not have a policy on trading hours. It professes to have a policy, but it does not have one. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition was going to take a policy to the party room but he failed to come up with one. I ask the Leader of the Opposition what is his policy on retail trading hours. He does not know. Mr C.J. Barnett: I am not in government. How do you pick up your pay slip and justify it? You’re the minister, incredible as it might sound. Mr C.M. BROWN: What is the Opposition’s policy? He does not know. Opposition members are all over the place; they have as much consistency on this issue as they have on the Swan Valley Nyungah Community.
Mr C.M. BROWN replied: I thank the member for the question. The matter of anti-competitive behaviour has been the subject of considerable reports, as the member would know, including the recent Dawson report at the national level, of which the member may be aware. It is interesting that the significant reforms proposed by the Dawson report that would assist small business have primarily been rejected by the federal Treasurer, particularly the recommendation to amend section 46 of the Trade Practices Act. The Farrington Fayre case that was taken under section 51AA of the Trade Practices Act has also shown up the weaknesses of that Act. I understand that further test cases will be conducted under section 51AC, which is a subsequent section of the Trade Practices Act that was introduced. There is a belief that anti-competitive behaviour may be able to be picked up by that section. However, that section is still untested in terms of anti-competitive behaviour. At the national level at least there is consideration of this matter. At the state level we have released our report on the review of the Commercial Tenancy (Retail Shops) Agreements Act. Recommendation No 1 of that review is that we draw down the provisions of the Trade Practices Act into the Commercial Tenancy (Retail Shops) Agreements Act and, further, that we make changes to incorporate some specific provisions for retail shops that are currently contained in the Victorian legislation. Both of those matters have been addressed by the Dawson report nationally, because of the weaknesses in the Trade Practices Act, but we have already addressed that issue at a state level with the review of the Commercial Tenancy (Retail Shops) Agreements Act. Mr M.W. Trenorden: A review will not address the problem. Mr C.M. BROWN: A review was conducted. The review report was produced earlier this year and was put out for further public comment. I am in the process of finalising some of the recommendations of that review. The intention, if everything works out according to plan, is to introduce a Green Bill later this year for further comment and then to progress the matters from there. We are interested in this issue, but I am glad this has been raised in the context of retail trading hours. I am in a bit of a quandary about what the coalition’s position is on retail trading hours. Mr C.J. Barnett: You are the problem! The SPEAKER: Members! Mr C.M. BROWN: I know this is a bit difficult, but in the Albany Advertiser on 6 March 2003 the Leader of the Opposition is quoted as saying - “If I told you there wasn’t going to be deregulation I’d be telling you a lie.” The Deputy Leader of the Opposition, who is out there telling everybody how dreadful deregulation is, had this to say in this Parliament on 28 April 1998 - The extension of trading hours arises from time to time and coincidentally has affected the shopping centre at Australind to which I referred earlier. I am a strong proponent of extended trading hours. That is interesting. Then we have Hon Peter Foss, that luminary in the upper House, stating in Hansard on 18 December 2002 - Personally, I think we should get rid of all the regulations and let things work themselves out. We do not need the Government telling people what trading hours they should have. It will work out. Of course it will mean a change in how things happen. Different people might run things, but that happens in business all the time. The Liberal Party does not have a policy on trading hours. It professes to have a policy, but it does not have one. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition was going to take a policy to the party room but he failed to come up with one. I ask the Leader of the Opposition what is his policy on retail trading hours. He does not know. Mr C.J. Barnett: I am not in government. How do you pick up your pay slip and justify it? You’re the minister, incredible as it might sound. Mr C.M. BROWN: What is the Opposition’s policy? He does not know. Opposition members are all over the place; they have as much consistency on this issue as they have on the Swan Valley Nyungah Community.
I thank the member for the question. The matter of anti-competitive behaviour has been the subject of considerable reports, as the member would know, including the recent Dawson report at the national level, of which the member may be aware. It is interesting that the significant reforms proposed by the Dawson report that would assist small business have primarily been rejected by the federal Treasurer, particularly the recommendation to amend section 46 of the Trade Practices Act. The Farrington Fayre case that was taken under section 51AA of the Trade Practices Act has also shown up the weaknesses of that Act. I understand that further test cases will be conducted under section 51AC, which is a subsequent section of the Trade Practices Act that was introduced. There is a belief that anti-competitive behaviour may be able to be picked up by that section. However, that section is still untested in terms of anti-competitive behaviour. At the national level at least there is consideration of this matter. At the state level we have released our report on the review of the Commercial Tenancy (Retail Shops) Agreements Act. Recommendation No 1 of that review is that we draw down the provisions of the Trade Practices Act into the Commercial Tenancy (Retail Shops) Agreements Act and, further, that we make changes to incorporate some specific provisions for retail shops that are currently contained in the Victorian legislation. Both of those matters have been addressed by the Dawson report nationally, because of the weaknesses in the Trade Practices Act, but we have already addressed that issue at a state level with the review of the Commercial Tenancy (Retail Shops) Agreements Act. Mr M.W. Trenorden: A review will not address the problem. Mr C.M. BROWN: A review was conducted. The review report was produced earlier this year and was put out for further public comment. I am in the process of finalising some of the recommendations of that review. The intention, if everything works out according to plan, is to introduce a Green Bill later this year for further comment and then to progress the matters from there. We are interested in this issue, but I am glad this has been raised in the context of retail trading hours. I am in a bit of a quandary about what the coalition’s position is on retail trading hours. Mr C.J. Barnett: You are the problem! The SPEAKER: Members! Mr C.M. BROWN: I know this is a bit difficult, but in the Albany Advertiser on 6 March 2003 the Leader of the Opposition is quoted as saying - “If I told you there wasn’t going to be deregulation I’d be telling you a lie.” The Deputy Leader of the Opposition, who is out there telling everybody how dreadful deregulation is, had this to say in this Parliament on 28 April 1998 - The extension of trading hours arises from time to time and coincidentally has affected the shopping centre at Australind to which I referred earlier. I am a strong proponent of extended trading hours. That is interesting. Then we have Hon Peter Foss, that luminary in the upper House, stating in Hansard on 18 December 2002 - Personally, I think we should get rid of all the regulations and let things work themselves out. We do not need the Government telling people what trading hours they should have. It will work out. Of course it will mean a change in how things happen. Different people might run things, but that happens in business all the time. The Liberal Party does not have a policy on trading hours. It professes to have a policy, but it does not have one. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition was going to take a policy to the party room but he failed to come up with one. I ask the Leader of the Opposition what is his policy on retail trading hours. He does not know. Mr C.J. Barnett: I am not in government. How do you pick up your pay slip and justify it? You’re the minister, incredible as it might sound. Mr C.M. BROWN: What is the Opposition’s policy? He does not know. Opposition members are all over the place; they have as much consistency on this issue as they have on the Swan Valley Nyungah Community.
Mr M.W. Trenorden: A review will not address the problem. Mr C.M. BROWN: A review was conducted. The review report was produced earlier this year and was put out for further public comment. I am in the process of finalising some of the recommendations of that review. The intention, if everything works out according to plan, is to introduce a Green Bill later this year for further comment and then to progress the matters from there. We are interested in this issue, but I am glad this has been raised in the context of retail trading hours. I am in a bit of a quandary about what the coalition’s position is on retail trading hours. Mr C.J. Barnett: You are the problem! The SPEAKER: Members! Mr C.M. BROWN: I know this is a bit difficult, but in the Albany Advertiser on 6 March 2003 the Leader of the Opposition is quoted as saying - “If I told you there wasn’t going to be deregulation I’d be telling you a lie.” The Deputy Leader of the Opposition, who is out there telling everybody how dreadful deregulation is, had this to say in this Parliament on 28 April 1998 - The extension of trading hours arises from time to time and coincidentally has affected the shopping centre at Australind to which I referred earlier. I am a strong proponent of extended trading hours. That is interesting. Then we have Hon Peter Foss, that luminary in the upper House, stating in Hansard on 18 December 2002 - Personally, I think we should get rid of all the regulations and let things work themselves out. We do not need the Government telling people what trading hours they should have. It will work out. Of course it will mean a change in how things happen. Different people might run things, but that happens in business all the time. The Liberal Party does not have a policy on trading hours. It professes to have a policy, but it does not have one. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition was going to take a policy to the party room but he failed to come up with one. I ask the Leader of the Opposition what is his policy on retail trading hours. He does not know. Mr C.J. Barnett: I am not in government. How do you pick up your pay slip and justify it? You’re the minister, incredible as it might sound. Mr C.M. BROWN: What is the Opposition’s policy? He does not know. Opposition members are all over the place; they have as much consistency on this issue as they have on the Swan Valley Nyungah Community.
Mr C.M. BROWN: A review was conducted. The review report was produced earlier this year and was put out for further public comment. I am in the process of finalising some of the recommendations of that review. The intention, if everything works out according to plan, is to introduce a Green Bill later this year for further comment and then to progress the matters from there. We are interested in this issue, but I am glad this has been raised in the context of retail trading hours. I am in a bit of a quandary about what the coalition’s position is on retail trading hours. Mr C.J. Barnett: You are the problem! The SPEAKER: Members! Mr C.M. BROWN: I know this is a bit difficult, but in the Albany Advertiser on 6 March 2003 the Leader of the Opposition is quoted as saying - “If I told you there wasn’t going to be deregulation I’d be telling you a lie.” The Deputy Leader of the Opposition, who is out there telling everybody how dreadful deregulation is, had this to say in this Parliament on 28 April 1998 - The extension of trading hours arises from time to time and coincidentally has affected the shopping centre at Australind to which I referred earlier. I am a strong proponent of extended trading hours. That is interesting. Then we have Hon Peter Foss, that luminary in the upper House, stating in Hansard on 18 December 2002 - Personally, I think we should get rid of all the regulations and let things work themselves out. We do not need the Government telling people what trading hours they should have. It will work out. Of course it will mean a change in how things happen. Different people might run things, but that happens in business all the time. The Liberal Party does not have a policy on trading hours. It professes to have a policy, but it does not have one. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition was going to take a policy to the party room but he failed to come up with one. I ask the Leader of the Opposition what is his policy on retail trading hours. He does not know. Mr C.J. Barnett: I am not in government. How do you pick up your pay slip and justify it? You’re the minister, incredible as it might sound. Mr C.M. BROWN: What is the Opposition’s policy? He does not know. Opposition members are all over the place; they have as much consistency on this issue as they have on the Swan Valley Nyungah Community.
Mr C.J. Barnett: You are the problem! The SPEAKER: Members! Mr C.M. BROWN: I know this is a bit difficult, but in the Albany Advertiser on 6 March 2003 the Leader of the Opposition is quoted as saying - “If I told you there wasn’t going to be deregulation I’d be telling you a lie.” The Deputy Leader of the Opposition, who is out there telling everybody how dreadful deregulation is, had this to say in this Parliament on 28 April 1998 - The extension of trading hours arises from time to time and coincidentally has affected the shopping centre at Australind to which I referred earlier. I am a strong proponent of extended trading hours. That is interesting. Then we have Hon Peter Foss, that luminary in the upper House, stating in Hansard on 18 December 2002 - Personally, I think we should get rid of all the regulations and let things work themselves out. We do not need the Government telling people what trading hours they should have. It will work out. Of course it will mean a change in how things happen. Different people might run things, but that happens in business all the time. The Liberal Party does not have a policy on trading hours. It professes to have a policy, but it does not have one. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition was going to take a policy to the party room but he failed to come up with one. I ask the Leader of the Opposition what is his policy on retail trading hours. He does not know. Mr C.J. Barnett: I am not in government. How do you pick up your pay slip and justify it? You’re the minister, incredible as it might sound. Mr C.M. BROWN: What is the Opposition’s policy? He does not know. Opposition members are all over the place; they have as much consistency on this issue as they have on the Swan Valley Nyungah Community.
The SPEAKER: Members! Mr C.M. BROWN: I know this is a bit difficult, but in the Albany Advertiser on 6 March 2003 the Leader of the Opposition is quoted as saying - “If I told you there wasn’t going to be deregulation I’d be telling you a lie.” The Deputy Leader of the Opposition, who is out there telling everybody how dreadful deregulation is, had this to say in this Parliament on 28 April 1998 - The extension of trading hours arises from time to time and coincidentally has affected the shopping centre at Australind to which I referred earlier. I am a strong proponent of extended trading hours. That is interesting. Then we have Hon Peter Foss, that luminary in the upper House, stating in Hansard on 18 December 2002 - Personally, I think we should get rid of all the regulations and let things work themselves out. We do not need the Government telling people what trading hours they should have. It will work out. Of course it will mean a change in how things happen. Different people might run things, but that happens in business all the time. The Liberal Party does not have a policy on trading hours. It professes to have a policy, but it does not have one. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition was going to take a policy to the party room but he failed to come up with one. I ask the Leader of the Opposition what is his policy on retail trading hours. He does not know. Mr C.J. Barnett: I am not in government. How do you pick up your pay slip and justify it? You’re the minister, incredible as it might sound. Mr C.M. BROWN: What is the Opposition’s policy? He does not know. Opposition members are all over the place; they have as much consistency on this issue as they have on the Swan Valley Nyungah Community.
Mr C.M. BROWN: I know this is a bit difficult, but in the Albany Advertiser on 6 March 2003 the Leader of the Opposition is quoted as saying - “If I told you there wasn’t going to be deregulation I’d be telling you a lie.” The Deputy Leader of the Opposition, who is out there telling everybody how dreadful deregulation is, had this to say in this Parliament on 28 April 1998 - The extension of trading hours arises from time to time and coincidentally has affected the shopping centre at Australind to which I referred earlier. I am a strong proponent of extended trading hours. That is interesting. Then we have Hon Peter Foss, that luminary in the upper House, stating in Hansard on 18 December 2002 - Personally, I think we should get rid of all the regulations and let things work themselves out. We do not need the Government telling people what trading hours they should have. It will work out. Of course it will mean a change in how things happen. Different people might run things, but that happens in business all the time. The Liberal Party does not have a policy on trading hours. It professes to have a policy, but it does not have one. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition was going to take a policy to the party room but he failed to come up with one. I ask the Leader of the Opposition what is his policy on retail trading hours. He does not know. Mr C.J. Barnett: I am not in government. How do you pick up your pay slip and justify it? You’re the minister, incredible as it might sound. Mr C.M. BROWN: What is the Opposition’s policy? He does not know. Opposition members are all over the place; they have as much consistency on this issue as they have on the Swan Valley Nyungah Community.
Mr C.J. Barnett: I am not in government. How do you pick up your pay slip and justify it? You’re the minister, incredible as it might sound. Mr C.M. BROWN: What is the Opposition’s policy? He does not know. Opposition members are all over the place; they have as much consistency on this issue as they have on the Swan Valley Nyungah Community.
Mr C.M. BROWN: What is the Opposition’s policy? He does not know. Opposition members are all over the place; they have as much consistency on this issue as they have on the Swan Valley Nyungah Community.
Mr C.M. BROWN replied: I thank the member for the question. The matter of anti-competitive behaviour has been the subject of considerable reports, as the member would know, including the recent Dawson report at the national level, of which the member may be aware. It is interesting that the significant reforms proposed by the Dawson report that would assist small business have primarily been rejected by the federal Treasurer, particularly the recommendation to amend section 46 of the Trade Practices Act. The Farrington Fayre case that was taken under section 51AA of the Trade Practices Act has also shown up the weaknesses of that Act. I understand that further test cases will be conducted under section 51AC, which is a subsequent section of the Trade Practices Act that was introduced. There is a belief that anti-competitive behaviour may be able to be picked up by that section. However, that section is still untested in terms of anti-competitive behaviour. At the national level at least there is consideration of this matter. At the state level we have released our report on the review of the Commercial Tenancy (Retail Shops) Agreements Act. Recommendation No 1 of that review is that we draw down the provisions of the Trade Practices Act into the Commercial Tenancy (Retail Shops) Agreements Act and, further, that we make changes to incorporate some specific provisions for retail shops that are currently contained in the Victorian legislation. Both of those matters have been addressed by the Dawson report nationally, because of the weaknesses in the Trade Practices Act, but we have already addressed that issue at a state level with the review of the Commercial Tenancy (Retail Shops) Agreements Act. Mr M.W. Trenorden: A review will not address the problem. Mr C.M. BROWN: A review was conducted. The review report was produced earlier this year and was put out for further public comment. I am in the process of finalising some of the recommendations of that review. The intention, if everything works out according to plan, is to introduce a Green Bill later this year for further comment and then to progress the matters from there. We are interested in this issue, but I am glad this has been raised in the context of retail trading hours. I am in a bit of a quandary about what the coalition’s position is on retail trading hours. Mr C.J. Barnett: You are the problem! The SPEAKER: Members! Mr C.M. BROWN: I know this is a bit difficult, but in the Albany Advertiser on 6 March 2003 the Leader of the Opposition is quoted as saying - “If I told you there wasn’t going to be deregulation I’d be telling you a lie.” The Deputy Leader of the Opposition, who is out there telling everybody how dreadful deregulation is, had this to say in this Parliament on 28 April 1998 - The extension of trading hours arises from time to time and coincidentally has affected the shopping centre at Australind to which I referred earlier. I am a strong proponent of extended trading hours. That is interesting. Then we have Hon Peter Foss, that luminary in the upper House, stating in Hansard on 18 December 2002 - Personally, I think we should get rid of all the regulations and let things work themselves out. We do not need the Government telling people what trading hours they should have. It will work out. Of course it will mean a change in how things happen. Different people might run things, but that happens in business all the time. The Liberal Party does not have a policy on trading hours. It professes to have a policy, but it does not have one. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition was going to take a policy to the party room but he failed to come up with one. I ask the Leader of the Opposition what is his policy on retail trading hours. He does not know. Mr C.J. Barnett: I am not in government. How do you pick up your pay slip and justify it? You’re the minister, incredible as it might sound. Mr C.M. BROWN: What is the Opposition’s policy? He does not know. Opposition members are all over the place; they have as much consistency on this issue as they have on the Swan Valley Nyungah Community.
I thank the member for the question. The matter of anti-competitive behaviour has been the subject of considerable reports, as the member would know, including the recent Dawson report at the national level, of which the member may be aware. It is interesting that the significant reforms proposed by the Dawson report that would assist small business have primarily been rejected by the federal Treasurer, particularly the recommendation to amend section 46 of the Trade Practices Act. The Farrington Fayre case that was taken under section 51AA of the Trade Practices Act has also shown up the weaknesses of that Act. I understand that further test cases will be conducted under section 51AC, which is a subsequent section of the Trade Practices Act that was introduced. There is a belief that anti-competitive behaviour may be able to be picked up by that section. However, that section is still untested in terms of anti-competitive behaviour. At the national level at least there is consideration of this matter. At the state level we have released our report on the review of the Commercial Tenancy (Retail Shops) Agreements Act. Recommendation No 1 of that review is that we draw down the provisions of the Trade Practices Act into the Commercial Tenancy (Retail Shops) Agreements Act and, further, that we make changes to incorporate some specific provisions for retail shops that are currently contained in the Victorian legislation. Both of those matters have been addressed by the Dawson report nationally, because of the weaknesses in the Trade Practices Act, but we have already addressed that issue at a state level with the review of the Commercial Tenancy (Retail Shops) Agreements Act. Mr M.W. Trenorden: A review will not address the problem. Mr C.M. BROWN: A review was conducted. The review report was produced earlier this year and was put out for further public comment. I am in the process of finalising some of the recommendations of that review. The intention, if everything works out according to plan, is to introduce a Green Bill later this year for further comment and then to progress the matters from there. We are interested in this issue, but I am glad this has been raised in the context of retail trading hours. I am in a bit of a quandary about what the coalition’s position is on retail trading hours. Mr C.J. Barnett: You are the problem! The SPEAKER: Members! Mr C.M. BROWN: I know this is a bit difficult, but in the Albany Advertiser on 6 March 2003 the Leader of the Opposition is quoted as saying - “If I told you there wasn’t going to be deregulation I’d be telling you a lie.” The Deputy Leader of the Opposition, who is out there telling everybody how dreadful deregulation is, had this to say in this Parliament on 28 April 1998 - The extension of trading hours arises from time to time and coincidentally has affected the shopping centre at Australind to which I referred earlier. I am a strong proponent of extended trading hours. That is interesting. Then we have Hon Peter Foss, that luminary in the upper House, stating in Hansard on 18 December 2002 - Personally, I think we should get rid of all the regulations and let things work themselves out. We do not need the Government telling people what trading hours they should have. It will work out. Of course it will mean a change in how things happen. Different people might run things, but that happens in business all the time. The Liberal Party does not have a policy on trading hours. It professes to have a policy, but it does not have one. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition was going to take a policy to the party room but he failed to come up with one. I ask the Leader of the Opposition what is his policy on retail trading hours. He does not know. Mr C.J. Barnett: I am not in government. How do you pick up your pay slip and justify it? You’re the minister, incredible as it might sound. Mr C.M. BROWN: What is the Opposition’s policy? He does not know. Opposition members are all over the place; they have as much consistency on this issue as they have on the Swan Valley Nyungah Community.
Mr M.W. Trenorden: A review will not address the problem. Mr C.M. BROWN: A review was conducted. The review report was produced earlier this year and was put out for further public comment. I am in the process of finalising some of the recommendations of that review. The intention, if everything works out according to plan, is to introduce a Green Bill later this year for further comment and then to progress the matters from there. We are interested in this issue, but I am glad this has been raised in the context of retail trading hours. I am in a bit of a quandary about what the coalition’s position is on retail trading hours. Mr C.J. Barnett: You are the problem! The SPEAKER: Members! Mr C.M. BROWN: I know this is a bit difficult, but in the Albany Advertiser on 6 March 2003 the Leader of the Opposition is quoted as saying - “If I told you there wasn’t going to be deregulation I’d be telling you a lie.” The Deputy Leader of the Opposition, who is out there telling everybody how dreadful deregulation is, had this to say in this Parliament on 28 April 1998 - The extension of trading hours arises from time to time and coincidentally has affected the shopping centre at Australind to which I referred earlier. I am a strong proponent of extended trading hours. That is interesting. Then we have Hon Peter Foss, that luminary in the upper House, stating in Hansard on 18 December 2002 - Personally, I think we should get rid of all the regulations and let things work themselves out. We do not need the Government telling people what trading hours they should have. It will work out. Of course it will mean a change in how things happen. Different people might run things, but that happens in business all the time. The Liberal Party does not have a policy on trading hours. It professes to have a policy, but it does not have one. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition was going to take a policy to the party room but he failed to come up with one. I ask the Leader of the Opposition what is his policy on retail trading hours. He does not know. Mr C.J. Barnett: I am not in government. How do you pick up your pay slip and justify it? You’re the minister, incredible as it might sound. Mr C.M. BROWN: What is the Opposition’s policy? He does not know. Opposition members are all over the place; they have as much consistency on this issue as they have on the Swan Valley Nyungah Community.
Mr C.M. BROWN: A review was conducted. The review report was produced earlier this year and was put out for further public comment. I am in the process of finalising some of the recommendations of that review. The intention, if everything works out according to plan, is to introduce a Green Bill later this year for further comment and then to progress the matters from there. We are interested in this issue, but I am glad this has been raised in the context of retail trading hours. I am in a bit of a quandary about what the coalition’s position is on retail trading hours. Mr C.J. Barnett: You are the problem! The SPEAKER: Members! Mr C.M. BROWN: I know this is a bit difficult, but in the Albany Advertiser on 6 March 2003 the Leader of the Opposition is quoted as saying - “If I told you there wasn’t going to be deregulation I’d be telling you a lie.” The Deputy Leader of the Opposition, who is out there telling everybody how dreadful deregulation is, had this to say in this Parliament on 28 April 1998 - The extension of trading hours arises from time to time and coincidentally has affected the shopping centre at Australind to which I referred earlier. I am a strong proponent of extended trading hours. That is interesting. Then we have Hon Peter Foss, that luminary in the upper House, stating in Hansard on 18 December 2002 - Personally, I think we should get rid of all the regulations and let things work themselves out. We do not need the Government telling people what trading hours they should have. It will work out. Of course it will mean a change in how things happen. Different people might run things, but that happens in business all the time. The Liberal Party does not have a policy on trading hours. It professes to have a policy, but it does not have one. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition was going to take a policy to the party room but he failed to come up with one. I ask the Leader of the Opposition what is his policy on retail trading hours. He does not know. Mr C.J. Barnett: I am not in government. How do you pick up your pay slip and justify it? You’re the minister, incredible as it might sound. Mr C.M. BROWN: What is the Opposition’s policy? He does not know. Opposition members are all over the place; they have as much consistency on this issue as they have on the Swan Valley Nyungah Community.
Mr C.J. Barnett: You are the problem! The SPEAKER: Members! Mr C.M. BROWN: I know this is a bit difficult, but in the Albany Advertiser on 6 March 2003 the Leader of the Opposition is quoted as saying - “If I told you there wasn’t going to be deregulation I’d be telling you a lie.” The Deputy Leader of the Opposition, who is out there telling everybody how dreadful deregulation is, had this to say in this Parliament on 28 April 1998 - The extension of trading hours arises from time to time and coincidentally has affected the shopping centre at Australind to which I referred earlier. I am a strong proponent of extended trading hours. That is interesting. Then we have Hon Peter Foss, that luminary in the upper House, stating in Hansard on 18 December 2002 - Personally, I think we should get rid of all the regulations and let things work themselves out. We do not need the Government telling people what trading hours they should have. It will work out. Of course it will mean a change in how things happen. Different people might run things, but that happens in business all the time. The Liberal Party does not have a policy on trading hours. It professes to have a policy, but it does not have one. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition was going to take a policy to the party room but he failed to come up with one. I ask the Leader of the Opposition what is his policy on retail trading hours. He does not know. Mr C.J. Barnett: I am not in government. How do you pick up your pay slip and justify it? You’re the minister, incredible as it might sound. Mr C.M. BROWN: What is the Opposition’s policy? He does not know. Opposition members are all over the place; they have as much consistency on this issue as they have on the Swan Valley Nyungah Community.
The SPEAKER: Members! Mr C.M. BROWN: I know this is a bit difficult, but in the Albany Advertiser on 6 March 2003 the Leader of the Opposition is quoted as saying - “If I told you there wasn’t going to be deregulation I’d be telling you a lie.” The Deputy Leader of the Opposition, who is out there telling everybody how dreadful deregulation is, had this to say in this Parliament on 28 April 1998 - The extension of trading hours arises from time to time and coincidentally has affected the shopping centre at Australind to which I referred earlier. I am a strong proponent of extended trading hours. That is interesting. Then we have Hon Peter Foss, that luminary in the upper House, stating in Hansard on 18 December 2002 - Personally, I think we should get rid of all the regulations and let things work themselves out. We do not need the Government telling people what trading hours they should have. It will work out. Of course it will mean a change in how things happen. Different people might run things, but that happens in business all the time. The Liberal Party does not have a policy on trading hours. It professes to have a policy, but it does not have one. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition was going to take a policy to the party room but he failed to come up with one. I ask the Leader of the Opposition what is his policy on retail trading hours. He does not know. Mr C.J. Barnett: I am not in government. How do you pick up your pay slip and justify it? You’re the minister, incredible as it might sound. Mr C.M. BROWN: What is the Opposition’s policy? He does not know. Opposition members are all over the place; they have as much consistency on this issue as they have on the Swan Valley Nyungah Community.
Mr C.M. BROWN: I know this is a bit difficult, but in the Albany Advertiser on 6 March 2003 the Leader of the Opposition is quoted as saying - “If I told you there wasn’t going to be deregulation I’d be telling you a lie.” The Deputy Leader of the Opposition, who is out there telling everybody how dreadful deregulation is, had this to say in this Parliament on 28 April 1998 - The extension of trading hours arises from time to time and coincidentally has affected the shopping centre at Australind to which I referred earlier. I am a strong proponent of extended trading hours. That is interesting. Then we have Hon Peter Foss, that luminary in the upper House, stating in Hansard on 18 December 2002 - Personally, I think we should get rid of all the regulations and let things work themselves out. We do not need the Government telling people what trading hours they should have. It will work out. Of course it will mean a change in how things happen. Different people might run things, but that happens in business all the time. The Liberal Party does not have a policy on trading hours. It professes to have a policy, but it does not have one. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition was going to take a policy to the party room but he failed to come up with one. I ask the Leader of the Opposition what is his policy on retail trading hours. He does not know. Mr C.J. Barnett: I am not in government. How do you pick up your pay slip and justify it? You’re the minister, incredible as it might sound. Mr C.M. BROWN: What is the Opposition’s policy? He does not know. Opposition members are all over the place; they have as much consistency on this issue as they have on the Swan Valley Nyungah Community.
Mr C.J. Barnett: I am not in government. How do you pick up your pay slip and justify it? You’re the minister, incredible as it might sound. Mr C.M. BROWN: What is the Opposition’s policy? He does not know. Opposition members are all over the place; they have as much consistency on this issue as they have on the Swan Valley Nyungah Community.
Mr C.M. BROWN: What is the Opposition’s policy? He does not know. Opposition members are all over the place; they have as much consistency on this issue as they have on the Swan Valley Nyungah Community.
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