❓ Opposition questions the justification for retail trading hour deregulation given recent industrial relations laws, alleging disadvantage to small business and advantages for big business. The Minister refutes the premise, emphasizing a level playing field and community consultation.
AnsweredQoN 571Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the Government’s threats to deregulate retail trading hours. (1) How can the minister justify to the business community deregulating retail trading hours shortly after introducing the inflexible industrial relations laws which penalise overtime and flexible working hours? (2) Will the minister concede to the small business community that he is putting it at a distinct disadvantage because of his inflexible industrial relations laws? (3) Will the minister concede that he has given big business a free kick by guiding it onto federal workplace laws so that it can operate effectively and efficiently and not under his restrictive state laws? Mr J.C. KOBELKE
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(3) Those three questions are largely predicated on false assumptions. The fact is that many businesses, both large and small, want to compete on a level playing field, and there are areas of regulation where particular players may seek to take advantage. Some small business owners have pointed out that competing small businesses pay wages below community standards and undermine other small businesses. There were never more than about 8.7 per cent of employees on Western Australian workplace agreements; well over 97 per cent of employees were being paid proper, community-standard wages. The businesses they worked in were potentially being undermined by a few companies that did not want to pay a decent wage. We want to make sure that businesses compete on a level playing field. Regulated trading hours can be a source of advantage or disadvantage for one business sector over another. That issue has been taken up by the National Competition Council. We made a clear statement that we did not wish to deregulate in any major way in metropolitan Perth. In the light of the very firm point of view being put by Mr Samuels and the National Competition Council that there is the potential for Western Australia to lose a significant amount of money for not one year but year after year, we have consulted with the community. Therefore, we can provide a range of choices. The community is being involved. This Government is very different from the previous Government because it listens to people. We will make a decision - hard though it might be - on the basis of being well informed and having listened to the whole community and the key stakeholders.
(1) How can the minister justify to the business community deregulating retail trading hours shortly after introducing the inflexible industrial relations laws which penalise overtime and flexible working hours? (2) Will the minister concede to the small business community that he is putting it at a distinct disadvantage because of his inflexible industrial relations laws? (3) Will the minister concede that he has given big business a free kick by guiding it onto federal workplace laws so that it can operate effectively and efficiently and not under his restrictive state laws? Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: (1)-(3) Those three questions are largely predicated on false assumptions. The fact is that many businesses, both large and small, want to compete on a level playing field, and there are areas of regulation where particular players may seek to take advantage. Some small business owners have pointed out that competing small businesses pay wages below community standards and undermine other small businesses. There were never more than about 8.7 per cent of employees on Western Australian workplace agreements; well over 97 per cent of employees were being paid proper, community-standard wages. The businesses they worked in were potentially being undermined by a few companies that did not want to pay a decent wage. We want to make sure that businesses compete on a level playing field. Regulated trading hours can be a source of advantage or disadvantage for one business sector over another. That issue has been taken up by the National Competition Council. We made a clear statement that we did not wish to deregulate in any major way in metropolitan Perth. In the light of the very firm point of view being put by Mr Samuels and the National Competition Council that there is the potential for Western Australia to lose a significant amount of money for not one year but year after year, we have consulted with the community. Therefore, we can provide a range of choices. The community is being involved. This Government is very different from the previous Government because it listens to people. We will make a decision - hard though it might be - on the basis of being well informed and having listened to the whole community and the key stakeholders.
(2) Will the minister concede to the small business community that he is putting it at a distinct disadvantage because of his inflexible industrial relations laws? (3) Will the minister concede that he has given big business a free kick by guiding it onto federal workplace laws so that it can operate effectively and efficiently and not under his restrictive state laws? Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: (1)-(3) Those three questions are largely predicated on false assumptions. The fact is that many businesses, both large and small, want to compete on a level playing field, and there are areas of regulation where particular players may seek to take advantage. Some small business owners have pointed out that competing small businesses pay wages below community standards and undermine other small businesses. There were never more than about 8.7 per cent of employees on Western Australian workplace agreements; well over 97 per cent of employees were being paid proper, community-standard wages. The businesses they worked in were potentially being undermined by a few companies that did not want to pay a decent wage. We want to make sure that businesses compete on a level playing field. Regulated trading hours can be a source of advantage or disadvantage for one business sector over another. That issue has been taken up by the National Competition Council. We made a clear statement that we did not wish to deregulate in any major way in metropolitan Perth. In the light of the very firm point of view being put by Mr Samuels and the National Competition Council that there is the potential for Western Australia to lose a significant amount of money for not one year but year after year, we have consulted with the community. Therefore, we can provide a range of choices. The community is being involved. This Government is very different from the previous Government because it listens to people. We will make a decision - hard though it might be - on the basis of being well informed and having listened to the whole community and the key stakeholders.
(3) Will the minister concede that he has given big business a free kick by guiding it onto federal workplace laws so that it can operate effectively and efficiently and not under his restrictive state laws? Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: (1)-(3) Those three questions are largely predicated on false assumptions. The fact is that many businesses, both large and small, want to compete on a level playing field, and there are areas of regulation where particular players may seek to take advantage. Some small business owners have pointed out that competing small businesses pay wages below community standards and undermine other small businesses. There were never more than about 8.7 per cent of employees on Western Australian workplace agreements; well over 97 per cent of employees were being paid proper, community-standard wages. The businesses they worked in were potentially being undermined by a few companies that did not want to pay a decent wage. We want to make sure that businesses compete on a level playing field. Regulated trading hours can be a source of advantage or disadvantage for one business sector over another. That issue has been taken up by the National Competition Council. We made a clear statement that we did not wish to deregulate in any major way in metropolitan Perth. In the light of the very firm point of view being put by Mr Samuels and the National Competition Council that there is the potential for Western Australia to lose a significant amount of money for not one year but year after year, we have consulted with the community. Therefore, we can provide a range of choices. The community is being involved. This Government is very different from the previous Government because it listens to people. We will make a decision - hard though it might be - on the basis of being well informed and having listened to the whole community and the key stakeholders.
Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: (1)-(3) Those three questions are largely predicated on false assumptions. The fact is that many businesses, both large and small, want to compete on a level playing field, and there are areas of regulation where particular players may seek to take advantage. Some small business owners have pointed out that competing small businesses pay wages below community standards and undermine other small businesses. There were never more than about 8.7 per cent of employees on Western Australian workplace agreements; well over 97 per cent of employees were being paid proper, community-standard wages. The businesses they worked in were potentially being undermined by a few companies that did not want to pay a decent wage. We want to make sure that businesses compete on a level playing field. Regulated trading hours can be a source of advantage or disadvantage for one business sector over another. That issue has been taken up by the National Competition Council. We made a clear statement that we did not wish to deregulate in any major way in metropolitan Perth. In the light of the very firm point of view being put by Mr Samuels and the National Competition Council that there is the potential for Western Australia to lose a significant amount of money for not one year but year after year, we have consulted with the community. Therefore, we can provide a range of choices. The community is being involved. This Government is very different from the previous Government because it listens to people. We will make a decision - hard though it might be - on the basis of being well informed and having listened to the whole community and the key stakeholders.
(1)-(3) Those three questions are largely predicated on false assumptions. The fact is that many businesses, both large and small, want to compete on a level playing field, and there are areas of regulation where particular players may seek to take advantage. Some small business owners have pointed out that competing small businesses pay wages below community standards and undermine other small businesses. There were never more than about 8.7 per cent of employees on Western Australian workplace agreements; well over 97 per cent of employees were being paid proper, community-standard wages. The businesses they worked in were potentially being undermined by a few companies that did not want to pay a decent wage. We want to make sure that businesses compete on a level playing field. Regulated trading hours can be a source of advantage or disadvantage for one business sector over another. That issue has been taken up by the National Competition Council. We made a clear statement that we did not wish to deregulate in any major way in metropolitan Perth. In the light of the very firm point of view being put by Mr Samuels and the National Competition Council that there is the potential for Western Australia to lose a significant amount of money for not one year but year after year, we have consulted with the community. Therefore, we can provide a range of choices. The community is being involved. This Government is very different from the previous Government because it listens to people. We will make a decision - hard though it might be - on the basis of being well informed and having listened to the whole community and the key stakeholders.
(1) How can the minister justify to the business community deregulating retail trading hours shortly after introducing the inflexible industrial relations laws which penalise overtime and flexible working hours? (2) Will the minister concede to the small business community that he is putting it at a distinct disadvantage because of his inflexible industrial relations laws? (3) Will the minister concede that he has given big business a free kick by guiding it onto federal workplace laws so that it can operate effectively and efficiently and not under his restrictive state laws? Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: (1)-(3) Those three questions are largely predicated on false assumptions. The fact is that many businesses, both large and small, want to compete on a level playing field, and there are areas of regulation where particular players may seek to take advantage. Some small business owners have pointed out that competing small businesses pay wages below community standards and undermine other small businesses. There were never more than about 8.7 per cent of employees on Western Australian workplace agreements; well over 97 per cent of employees were being paid proper, community-standard wages. The businesses they worked in were potentially being undermined by a few companies that did not want to pay a decent wage. We want to make sure that businesses compete on a level playing field. Regulated trading hours can be a source of advantage or disadvantage for one business sector over another. That issue has been taken up by the National Competition Council. We made a clear statement that we did not wish to deregulate in any major way in metropolitan Perth. In the light of the very firm point of view being put by Mr Samuels and the National Competition Council that there is the potential for Western Australia to lose a significant amount of money for not one year but year after year, we have consulted with the community. Therefore, we can provide a range of choices. The community is being involved. This Government is very different from the previous Government because it listens to people. We will make a decision - hard though it might be - on the basis of being well informed and having listened to the whole community and the key stakeholders.
(2) Will the minister concede to the small business community that he is putting it at a distinct disadvantage because of his inflexible industrial relations laws? (3) Will the minister concede that he has given big business a free kick by guiding it onto federal workplace laws so that it can operate effectively and efficiently and not under his restrictive state laws? Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: (1)-(3) Those three questions are largely predicated on false assumptions. The fact is that many businesses, both large and small, want to compete on a level playing field, and there are areas of regulation where particular players may seek to take advantage. Some small business owners have pointed out that competing small businesses pay wages below community standards and undermine other small businesses. There were never more than about 8.7 per cent of employees on Western Australian workplace agreements; well over 97 per cent of employees were being paid proper, community-standard wages. The businesses they worked in were potentially being undermined by a few companies that did not want to pay a decent wage. We want to make sure that businesses compete on a level playing field. Regulated trading hours can be a source of advantage or disadvantage for one business sector over another. That issue has been taken up by the National Competition Council. We made a clear statement that we did not wish to deregulate in any major way in metropolitan Perth. In the light of the very firm point of view being put by Mr Samuels and the National Competition Council that there is the potential for Western Australia to lose a significant amount of money for not one year but year after year, we have consulted with the community. Therefore, we can provide a range of choices. The community is being involved. This Government is very different from the previous Government because it listens to people. We will make a decision - hard though it might be - on the basis of being well informed and having listened to the whole community and the key stakeholders.
(3) Will the minister concede that he has given big business a free kick by guiding it onto federal workplace laws so that it can operate effectively and efficiently and not under his restrictive state laws? Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: (1)-(3) Those three questions are largely predicated on false assumptions. The fact is that many businesses, both large and small, want to compete on a level playing field, and there are areas of regulation where particular players may seek to take advantage. Some small business owners have pointed out that competing small businesses pay wages below community standards and undermine other small businesses. There were never more than about 8.7 per cent of employees on Western Australian workplace agreements; well over 97 per cent of employees were being paid proper, community-standard wages. The businesses they worked in were potentially being undermined by a few companies that did not want to pay a decent wage. We want to make sure that businesses compete on a level playing field. Regulated trading hours can be a source of advantage or disadvantage for one business sector over another. That issue has been taken up by the National Competition Council. We made a clear statement that we did not wish to deregulate in any major way in metropolitan Perth. In the light of the very firm point of view being put by Mr Samuels and the National Competition Council that there is the potential for Western Australia to lose a significant amount of money for not one year but year after year, we have consulted with the community. Therefore, we can provide a range of choices. The community is being involved. This Government is very different from the previous Government because it listens to people. We will make a decision - hard though it might be - on the basis of being well informed and having listened to the whole community and the key stakeholders.
Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: (1)-(3) Those three questions are largely predicated on false assumptions. The fact is that many businesses, both large and small, want to compete on a level playing field, and there are areas of regulation where particular players may seek to take advantage. Some small business owners have pointed out that competing small businesses pay wages below community standards and undermine other small businesses. There were never more than about 8.7 per cent of employees on Western Australian workplace agreements; well over 97 per cent of employees were being paid proper, community-standard wages. The businesses they worked in were potentially being undermined by a few companies that did not want to pay a decent wage. We want to make sure that businesses compete on a level playing field. Regulated trading hours can be a source of advantage or disadvantage for one business sector over another. That issue has been taken up by the National Competition Council. We made a clear statement that we did not wish to deregulate in any major way in metropolitan Perth. In the light of the very firm point of view being put by Mr Samuels and the National Competition Council that there is the potential for Western Australia to lose a significant amount of money for not one year but year after year, we have consulted with the community. Therefore, we can provide a range of choices. The community is being involved. This Government is very different from the previous Government because it listens to people. We will make a decision - hard though it might be - on the basis of being well informed and having listened to the whole community and the key stakeholders.
(1)-(3) Those three questions are largely predicated on false assumptions. The fact is that many businesses, both large and small, want to compete on a level playing field, and there are areas of regulation where particular players may seek to take advantage. Some small business owners have pointed out that competing small businesses pay wages below community standards and undermine other small businesses. There were never more than about 8.7 per cent of employees on Western Australian workplace agreements; well over 97 per cent of employees were being paid proper, community-standard wages. The businesses they worked in were potentially being undermined by a few companies that did not want to pay a decent wage. We want to make sure that businesses compete on a level playing field. Regulated trading hours can be a source of advantage or disadvantage for one business sector over another. That issue has been taken up by the National Competition Council. We made a clear statement that we did not wish to deregulate in any major way in metropolitan Perth. In the light of the very firm point of view being put by Mr Samuels and the National Competition Council that there is the potential for Western Australia to lose a significant amount of money for not one year but year after year, we have consulted with the community. Therefore, we can provide a range of choices. The community is being involved. This Government is very different from the previous Government because it listens to people. We will make a decision - hard though it might be - on the basis of being well informed and having listened to the whole community and the key stakeholders.
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