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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 481 asked in the Legislative Assembly on 24 June 2020 by Mrs A.K. Hayden

Parliament: 40 Session: 1

CORONAVIRUS — SMALL BUSINESS AND TOURISM — GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

481. Mrs A.K. HAYDEN to the Minister for Tourism:

I have a supplementary question. Instead of the minister constantly putting his hand out to the federal government, why does he not do his job and go to the Treasurer and the Premier to fight for and secure additional funding to help all struggling tourism small businesses that are being impacted by the COVID job crisis; and, the minister did not answer the first part of the question—did he ask?

Mr P. PAPALIA replied:

Thanks, Mr Speaker.

The SPEAKER: Minister, wait until the member has sat down.

Mr P. PAPALIA: I did not think she was ever going to finish.

The SPEAKER: Minister, there are certain protocols of the Parliament.

Mr P. PAPALIA: Part of my job as the tourism minister of Western Australia is to advocate for support from the federal government for Western Australian tourism businesses. I point the member to a statement by the Prime Minister on 12 March this year about an economic stimulus package and a subsequent report on the same day in The Sydney Morning Herald about the comments and announcements made by the Prime Minister and the federal Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Simon Birmingham. The headline of The Sydney Morning Herald article states, ''Tourism industry gets $1 billion boost amid 'unprecedented' crisis''. Not one cent of that money has gone to Western Australian tourism businesses. It is my job to advocate on behalf of Western Australian tourism businesses for a share of the federal government's $1 billion tourism support package, which has not crossed the Nullarbor. We put a $14 million grants scheme on the table. We have made our effort. It is about time the federal minister stood up for Western Australian businesses. In fact, it is about time the Liberal Party of Western Australia asked its federal colleagues for a contribution. The member for Darling Range is the shadow Minister for Tourism in Western Australia; what has she done? Has she asked Simon Birmingham to give Western Australia a contribution? Has she stood up on behalf of Western Australian small businesses? I have not heard her once call on the federal government to do anything in Western Australia on behalf of the WA tourism sector.

Ms R. Saffioti: Apart from asking it to take the borders down.

Mr P. PAPALIA: That is right. The one thing the Liberal Party of Western Australia has cut through with is its calls for the border to come down. The worst possible thing for any business or citizen of Western Australia would be for that border to come down and community transmission to come here earlier than when we would like to confront that challenge. We have the freest economy in the country; that is the best thing for all Western Australians, including every single tourism business.