Albert Street, Sebastopol
Mrs McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (12:35): My question is to the Minister for Small Business. Minister, last month you met traders from Albert Street, Sebastopol, whose businesses have been decimated by the closure of their frontages resulting from the near year-long roadworks in the area. As you know, traders, including a car wash, bakery, cafe, bottle shop and many more, are losing thousands of dollars of revenue each week, in many cases more than 50 per cent of their normal takings. After this meeting, are you still refusing to compensate these businesspeople, whose livelihoods have been ruined through no fault of their own but by your government’s inability to competently manage road infrastructure works?
Ms PULFORD (Western Victoria—Minister for Employment, Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy, Minister for Small Business, Minister for Resources) (12:36): I thank Mrs McArthur for her question. The matter that she raises probably goes much more to my responsibilities as a member for Western Victoria than as Minister for Small Business, but in both capacities I have met now on three occasions with the traders that are impacted by the prolonged and extensive roadworks in Sebastopol. The Department of Transport regional director has been there for two of those three meetings and was represented by one of his colleagues at another, and Juliana Addison, the member for Wendouree, has been there as well. The way that they have been impacted is, in my view, significant, and there are processes and programs that the Department of Transport and the Major Road Projects Authority—obviously not in my portfolio—have at their disposal to support businesses through the challenges associated with the government’s big infrastructure agenda. Those things have been the subject of those discussions. I have also made sure that each of these businesses is aware of all of the options and support that exist in the small business portfolio as well in terms of some of the supports that were stood up through the last couple of years to assist people in small business experiencing really quite significant hardship.
The position on compensation from the Department of Transport has been clear from the outset, and I know that the Liberal Party have indicated that they would change that. I am not sure exactly how they intend to change that, but Mrs McArthur has indicated to these business owners that there would be a different approach from the coalition. Our position on this has been consistent and clear. I think that many of the businesses have worked incredibly hard to try and do things differently and to access their customers in different ways, but for some of them that has been very challenging. The roadworks are continuing. The barriers that were having the greatest impact have now moved from the side of the road to the centre of the road, so those on the southbound side are now much less impacted than they were, and we look forward to the speediest conclusion of works that is humanly possible.
Mrs McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (12:39): So, Minister, how does a coffee voucher or a car cleaning credit help a business pay bills which run into tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, and can these coffee vouchers cover rents, rates and utility bills or even a bank loan? These people are suffering severe mental stress, worse than ever during the COVID lockdowns, so what are you actually doing to get the road fixed faster and the businesses back on track, because so far your efforts have been totally unsatisfactory?
Ms PULFORD (Western Victoria—Minister for Employment, Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy, Minister for Small Business, Minister for Resources) (12:39): I am mindful of our standing orders and the fact that I am not—and have not been for some time—the minister for roads, so I will take Mrs McArthur’s question on notice in accordance with our standing orders for Minister Carroll to respond to. Mrs McArthur is not half as silly as she is pretending to be in asking me this question. She knows who the responsible minister is and has done the whole time.
Mrs McArthur interjected.
Ms PULFORD: I am one of five members for—
Mr Davis: On a point of order, President, this is clearly a supplementary question that is about precisely the same topic. It relates to the impact on the businesses, and you are the Minister for Small Business.
The PRESIDENT: The minister has already indicated she will take that on notice, and I have to make it clear to the minister that will be one day. But I will let you finish, Minister.
Ms PULFORD: Thank you, President. The truth is I probably should have taken the first question on notice as well. But I am conscious that there are some people who are telling these businesses, in spite of the profound challenges that they are already facing, untrue things, and I would encourage those people doing that to desist. On the specific question about when the roadworks will be finished—
Mrs McArthur: On a point of order, President, I take total exception to that comment, and I ask the minister to withdraw it.
Ms PULFORD: On the point of order, President, is it not true that Mrs McArthur has said that the coalition would provide compensation? I am pretty sure it is, so I really do not feel much like withdrawing that.
The PRESIDENT: I am not going to ask the minister to withdraw. I do not think she meant it the way you thought.