Tuesday, 16 August 2022

Western Victoria Region

Mrs McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (12:15): (1906) My constituency question is for the Minister for Small Business. Minister, you recently met traders from Sebastopol whose businesses have been decimated by the closure of their frontages on Albert Street resulting from the near year-long roadworks in the area. Coffee vouchers and car-cleaning credits do not pay rents, rates, utility bills and bank loans. These desperate people are suffering severe mental stress, worse even than during the COVID lockdowns—much worse. My question is: what are you doing to get the road fixed faster and businesses back in the black? In the meantime, do you still entirely refuse to compensate them directly for the annihilation of their income?