Get Involved - Parliament

State Economy

Published on: February 2022

Record: HANSARD-1323879322-121997

State Economy

Ms FELICITY WILSON (North Shore) (14:52:35):

My question is addressed to the Treasurer and Minister for Energy. Will the Treasurer update the House on how the New South Wales Government is supporting the New South Wales economy and whether there are any alternative policies?

Mr MATT KEAN (HornsbyTreasurer, and Minister for Energy) (14:52:48):

— Mr Speaker, it is great to see you back in the chair.

The SPEAKER:

The member for Cabramatta will be quiet and replace his mask.

Mr MATT KEAN:

I thank the member for North Shore for her question. She is the best member for the North Shore and the best member on the North Shore. I can say that as one of them. I congratulate the member for North Shore on being such a passionate advocate for her community and a passionate advocate for workers, businesses and families across New South Wales. It is great to be back here in Parliament. It is great to see that the Leader of the Opposition is picking up where he left off in relation to the mighty Jodi McKay. First he knifed her, then he hung up on her, then he sent his proxy, Jamie Clements, to give her a send-off on the way out the door.

Mr Ron Hoenig:

Point of order: I take points of order under Standing Orders 129, 73 and 74.

The SPEAKER:

The Clerk will stop the clock. As to Standing Order 129, the Treasurer was in the first minute of his answer and I was giving him a bit of leeway. As to Standing Orders 73 and 74, I am happy to hear further but it must relate to a current member.

Mr Ron Hoenig:

He is making personal reflections about the Opposition leader's conduct. In respect of Standing Order 74, you should intervene to prevent a quarrel, which the Treasurer is deliberately trying to create by talking across the Chamber. He has been asked a very important, relevant question and he can answer it without trying to seek a quarrel. I ask you to intervene in accordance with Standing Order 74.

The SPEAKER:

I am satisfied that in standard practice of the House it has not reached a stage where it is breaching Standing Order 74. It is robust. In terms of Standing Order 129, it was relevant in the first minutes. I was giving him a bit of leeway. In terms of Standing Order 73, I do give a little bit more leeway in terms of the Opposition leader and the Government leader and criticism of them. Having said that, I counsel the Treasurer not to overstep that mark.

Mr MATT KEAN:

Another great ruling by you, Mr Speaker. I can see you have been reading up on previous Speaker's rulings over the summer break. That is right, over the weekend Mr Clements tweeted his congratulations to Jason Yat-Sen Li and commented on how impressive a result it was without a seat-wide endorsement from the outgoing member.

Mr Ron Hoenig:

Point of order: My point of order relates to practice of the House. This is not the first time a senior Minister has reflected with attempted humour on rulings of the Chair. If we on this side would do it—and we would not do it—we would be out of the House on our rear. When you give a ruling, Mr Speaker, sitting in a chair and an office that is hundreds of years old, you are supposed to be there with the support of the government of the day. Reflecting on your rulings by poor attempts at humour is not appropriate for a senior Minister of the Crown. I ask you to ensure the Treasurer conducts himself as you would expect a senior Minister of the Crown in respect of the Chair in this House.

The SPEAKER:

I appreciate the support of the Leader of the Opposition in business of the House, but I did smile at the comments made by the Treasurer and I know that they were made in jest and good nature. The Treasurer will continue.

Mr MATT KEAN:

I am trying to make the point that even in victory the Leader of the Opposition and his stormtroopers cannot show any grace to the trailblazing female former Leader of the Opposition. The Leader of the Opposition cannot show any grace whatsoever.

Ms Prue Car:

Point of order: The Treasurer is now flouting your previous rulings. Maybe he should spend more time answering the question and doing his job than, say, stabbing the Premier and the Prime Minister in the back.

The SPEAKER:

The member for Londonderry will take her seat. The Treasurer will continue.

Mr MATT KEAN:

I am hardly going to take a lecture about stabbing leaders in the back from the Deputy Leader of the Opposition. She was wielding the knife on the former Leader of the Opposition. The fish are not meant to jump onto the hook in this place, but the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has just done that, because no‑one plotted and schemed nearly as much as the Leader of the Opposition than the Deputy Leader of the Opposition. She undermined and she leaked against her. No-one destroyed the former Leader of the Opposition, the great integrity fighter Jodi McKay, more than the Deputy Leader of the Opposition.

But I digress. Whilst those on the opposite side were attacking that trailblazing, great female servant of this Parliament and the Labor Party, the lady that stood up to head office and all the shonks in there, like the former General Secretary of the Labor Party and the best friend of the Leader of the Opposition, Jamie Clements, who organised for cheques that were paid at the Chinese Friends of Labor dinner to go straight into the account of the Leader of the Opposition, what were they doing to her? They were undermining her and working against her.

Mr Ron Hoenig:

Point of order: Now the Treasurer is completely irrelevant. You have given him sufficient latitude. He has made offensive remarks by referring to us as "stormtroopers", which I personally find to be extremely offensive. Intervene under Standing Order 74 and stop this—

The SPEAKER:

I am not going to intervene under Standing Order 74 because it is robust debate. In terms of Standing Order 73, the Treasurer did overstep the mark in his comments about the Leader of the Opposition and the financial payment into his account.

Mr MATT KEAN:Star Wars

I withdraw "stormtroopers". I am a fan.

The SPEAKER:

I am not talking about stormtroopers.

Mr MATT KEAN:The Book of Boba FettThe Mandalorian

I am now on to and .

The SPEAKER:

I am talking about the money going into the account of the Leader of the Opposition. Would you withdraw that comment please?

Mr MATT KEAN:

What am I being asked to withdraw?

The SPEAKER:

The money going straight into the account of the Leader of the Opposition.

Mr MATT KEAN:

I am happy to withdraw the remarks. The point I am making is that while those on the opposite side of the Chamber were attacking the great trailblazer and defender of integrity, Jodi McKay, we have been attacking the issues facing the business of the people of New South Wales. This has been a very difficult summer. After two years of going through hell and back, we have made sure that we have stood by the people of New South Wales, just like we have done the whole way through this pandemic. That is why I was happy to announce a $1 billion support package for small businesses in New South Wales who have done it so tough through this pandemic. It is a support package that will ensure that for businesses with turnovers of less than $50 million— 

The SPEAKER:

I call the member for Canterbury to order for the second time.

Mr MATT KEAN:

—that we will pay 20 per cent of their payroll if they are able to demonstrate a downturn of 40 per cent of their turnover in January and for the first two weeks of February. That is right.

The SPEAKER:

I call the member for Londonderry to order for the first time.

Mr MATT KEAN:

Those businesses that have done it so tough, we have stepped up and supported them. In addition to that, we are also supporting our small businesses by providing up to 50 per cent of the cost of rapid antigen tests because we want to help them to manage their businesses, keep their doors open, keep serving customers and keep supporting workers whilst COVID is spreading in the community.

The SPEAKER:

I call the member for Rockdale to order for the first time.

Mr MATT KEAN:Extension of time

That is right, we have expanded the small business fees and charges rebate by $1,000 to help our small businesses get through to the other side so they come out stronger and can help our economy bounce back better. []

This is about helping businesses to stay open, to keep serving customers, to keep employing workers, to keep people safe and to keep our economy going. Just like we have stood by businesses, families and workers when the COVID outbreak started, so too do we continue to stand by those people right now. Applications will open shortly for these programs. Despite the claims by the Opposition, this package was welcomed by affected stakeholders. Business NSW stated:

The Government has done a great job in designing a package that will help a wide variety of business owners who've suffered a downturn ...

The Council of Small Business Organisations Australia, that great champion for small businesses across the country, stated, "This is great news for small business owners and their employees right across New South Wales." Again, the champions for small business backing in a government that stands by small business. That great champion for restaurants, caterers, hospitality and cafes, Restaurant & Catering Australia Chief Executive Wes Lambert said:

It seems like the NSW Government is listening to the hospitality industry, which will allow us to come out on the other side of this lockdown and go from strength to strength.

Time expired

The only one not happy about that is the member for Canterbury. She is very unhappy that we are supporting small businesses, cafes and hospitality workers. These are the kinds of policies that a good government develops. I was shocked over summer to learn that it was not just members of the Government developing policy. In fact, yesterday the Leader of the Opposition announced his first policy. In fact, it is 256 days after he announced that he had a 100-day plan that he launched it—yesterday—on Valentine's Day. [.]

Ms JANELLE SAFFIN (Lismore) (15:03:38):

My question is directed to the Premier. Under his proposed change to workers compensation, nurses and midwives would have the almost impossible task of having to prove they contracted COVID-19 at work to access compensation. This simple protection has meant that nurses and midwives feel supported and are supported at work. Will the Premier consider ditching this terrible legislation?

Mr DOMINIC PERROTTET (EppingPremier) (15:04:05):

— Those opposite have come in here today and asked question after question completely based on a false premise.

Ms Anna Watson:

No, it's not. It is only in the last sittings that you legislated that.

Mr DOMINIC PERROTTET:

That is completely untrue. The change that we are making is completely in line—

The SPEAKER:

Order! Members should listen to the response. I call the member for Cessnock to order for the first time.

Mr DOMINIC PERROTTET:

—with every other jurisdiction. Those opposite must stop coming into this Chamber and playing politics with workers.

The SPEAKER:

I call the member for Shellharbour to order for the first time. I remind the member for Shellharbour that interjecting is disorderly at all times. I call the member for Shellharbour to order for the second time.

Mr DOMINIC PERROTTET:

I have complete confidence in the health Minister. He will continue to work through the issues that the union has raised with the New South Wales Government in a constructive way. Just as those opposite continue to instil fear, we will continue to instil confidence. The Treasurer has announced the work that he has done on the business support package. While the Treasurer has been out instilling confidence, those opposite have been instilling fear in businesses across the State. The last time I checked, this Government is the only one supplying a small business support package during the Omicron variant. We have the financial capacity to do so, unlike the Labor States, which are broke. Those opposite talk about Victoria, and we work very closely with Victoria. The reality is that they have had lockdown after lockdown after lockdown, and not been able to provide the financial support that the New South Wales Government has.

The same has occurred with the Victorian health system. There is a reason why New South Wales did not have to go into lockdown. We do not have to be the Labor State of Western Australia, which has locked itself away from the rest of the country, and the rest of the world. Whilst the media may not want to report it, the fact is that Western Australia does not have confidence in its health system. Our focus here in New South Wales will always be to keep people safe, to keep people in work and to keep businesses open so that they can provide for their families. That is the approach that we have taken in New South Wales, that is the approach of the Liberals and The Nationals, and it is not the Labor lockdown approach that New South Wales will ever take or ever support.