❓ Ms. Mettam questions the Minister for Small Business about the impact of a proposed federal Labor wage policy on WA small businesses, citing concerns from a local business owner. The Minister defends the policy, arguing that fair wages benefit the economy and small businesses by increasing consumer spending.
AnsweredQoN 237Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
LIVING WAGE PROPOSAL —
FEDERAL LABOR POLICY
237. Ms L. METTAM to the Minister for Small Business:
On behalf of the member for
Dawesville, I would like to welcome the staff and year 6 students from Dudley
Park Primary School in the Speaker's gallery today.
I refer to the comments from Rob, a caller
to 6PR last week, who is a small business man in Hillarys. He employs four
people aged 14 to 65 and already finds it difficult to cover wages. Rob
indicated he will be forced to cut the working hours of his staff if Bill
Shorten's wages policy is implemented. What is the minister doing to
stop Bill Shorten's wages policy, which will have a detrimental impact
on small businesses in WA, like Rob's?
FEDERAL LABOR POLICY
237. Ms L. METTAM to the Minister for Small Business:
On behalf of the member for
Dawesville, I would like to welcome the staff and year 6 students from Dudley
Park Primary School in the Speaker's gallery today.
I refer to the comments from Rob, a caller
to 6PR last week, who is a small business man in Hillarys. He employs four
people aged 14 to 65 and already finds it difficult to cover wages. Rob
indicated he will be forced to cut the working hours of his staff if Bill
Shorten's wages policy is implemented. What is the minister doing to
stop Bill Shorten's wages policy, which will have a detrimental impact
on small businesses in WA, like Rob's?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the 6PR telephonist for
bringing to my attention the call from Rob—Rob last week; some random
Rob. It is an interesting observation that members opposite and the federal
Liberal Party appear to oppose people having a reasonable wage. The people who
work in hospitality, in cafes, restaurants and bars right across the state, who
are essential to sustaining and maintaining all manner of small business
contributions to the state, are also customers. They also spend their wages on
things that might be an additional contribution to the hospitality sector, and
to the very business that Rob claims will be under threat as a result of people
being paid a reasonable wage. Those people are his customers. If people get a reasonable
wage and have disposable income, they may make the choice of contributing to
our hospitality sector—cafes, restaurants and hotels—and
sustaining those businesses beyond them relying entirely upon visitors to the
state. It is a contradictory position to take; it is mean-spirited and out of
touch, because it fails to recognise just how tough a lot of people are doing
it—people who are hard workers and contributors to the state, and who
sustain small businesses right across the state. It is a fair thing for people
to have a fair wage, and I just cannot believe that the member is raising this
matter in this Parliament, in a pathetic attempt to be supportive of the
federal government.
bringing to my attention the call from Rob—Rob last week; some random
Rob. It is an interesting observation that members opposite and the federal
Liberal Party appear to oppose people having a reasonable wage. The people who
work in hospitality, in cafes, restaurants and bars right across the state, who
are essential to sustaining and maintaining all manner of small business
contributions to the state, are also customers. They also spend their wages on
things that might be an additional contribution to the hospitality sector, and
to the very business that Rob claims will be under threat as a result of people
being paid a reasonable wage. Those people are his customers. If people get a reasonable
wage and have disposable income, they may make the choice of contributing to
our hospitality sector—cafes, restaurants and hotels—and
sustaining those businesses beyond them relying entirely upon visitors to the
state. It is a contradictory position to take; it is mean-spirited and out of
touch, because it fails to recognise just how tough a lot of people are doing
it—people who are hard workers and contributors to the state, and who
sustain small businesses right across the state. It is a fair thing for people
to have a fair wage, and I just cannot believe that the member is raising this
matter in this Parliament, in a pathetic attempt to be supportive of the
federal government.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.