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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 482 asked in the Legislative Council on 11 August 2021 by Hon Colin De Grussa

Parliament: 41 Session: 1

CORONAVIRUS — SMALL BUSINESS GRANTS

482. Hon COLIN de GRUSSA to the parliamentary secretary representing the Minister for Small Business:

I refer to the COVID-19 small business lockdown assistance grant and businesses that are currently ineligible to apply for those grants.

(1) How many pieces of correspondence has the minister received relating to small and medium enterprises missing out on COVID-19 support grants?

(2) Is the minister considering broadening the COVID-19 support grants to businesses that are currently ineligible, such as allied health professionals, boutique clothing stores, tavern owners, wine cellar door operations and printing companies?

(3) What action is the minister taking to ensure that SMEs such as those in (2) do not fall through the cracks and end up missing out on COVID support?

(4) Given the likelihood of an extended hard border with the eastern states, has the minister considered long-term solutions to this issue, such as codes of conduct, policies or regulations?

(5) If yes to (4), what are these, and have they been discussed with the industry bodies or ministers such as the Minister for Commerce; and, if yes, can the minister please provide details?

Hon MATTHEW SWINBOURN replied:

I provide the following response on behalf of the Minister for Small Business.

(1) The minister received 45 pieces of correspondence relating to small and medium enterprises whose applications did not meet eligibility for the COVID-19 support grants.

(2) The McGowan government's $3 000 small business lockdown assistance grants program is a dedicated program designed to deliver one-off cash flow assistance to small businesses operating in the sectors most impacted by the restrictions. The program is in addition to the more than $1.3 billion of COVID-19 assistance the McGowan government has provided to Western Australian businesses, which has included electricity bill relief, payroll tax and business licence fee waivers, grants and other industry-specific measures. For the member's benefit, taverns are eligible for the assistance grant.

(3) The state government's strong approach to COVID-19 has enabled WA to return to pre-lockdown life quickly, without the need for venue and crowd limits, mask wearing or other disruptions to small businesses. As we have experienced in WA, necessary, short, circuit-breaking lockdowns allow small businesses to return to normal trade as quickly as possible.

(4)–(5) It is unclear what the member is referring to with these questions. The member is respectfully requested to rephrase them.