Redman critical of Government’s shopping research raid on taxpayer funds

Author: Terry Redman
Published on: 18-July-2008

Member for Stirling and Candidate for Blackwood-Stirling Terry Redman has
described the State Government’s decision to spend almost $60,000 of taxpayer’s
money on pre-election research into shopping hours as a pointless waste, and says
the money would have been better spent on a regional project.

“The Government refuses to accept the voting public’s referendum decision on
extended trading hours and is now adding insult to injury by using taxpayer’s money
to pursue the issue,” Mr Redman said.

The Premier has reportedly acknowledged that a private company has been
contracted to conduct a research project associated with retail trading, but he has
not revealed whether the taxpayer-funded research will be made public.

“I can give the Premier a very long list of regional services and infrastructure projects
that could have benefited from a $60,000 shot in the arm, and been much worthier
recipients of that funding,” Mr Redman said.

In a referendum at the last State Election, Western Australians voted against further
deregulation of trading hours. Every electorate supported the retention of current
trading hours, with the single exception of Central Kimberley-Pilbara.
Mr Redman said, “In the Parliament in April this year, I called on the State
Government to honour the referendum result after the Premier signalled his intention
to pursue deregulation.“

The Nationals support majority public opinion and the interests of families and small
business on this issue, and remain opposed to further deregulation for a raft of
reasons relating to lifestyle, family time, working hours and concerns about market
dominance by the two major supermarket chains.

"In many regional areas small business is already able to trade for extended hours
and we fully support that. The current trading hours allow a measure of protection to those small businesses and our concern is that further deregulation would allow the big chains carte blanche
to make further gains in market share, at the expense of competition and
independent trade."

“In the lead-up to an election we will see a lot of money being thrown around by the
Government and, from a regional viewpoint, much of it will be ill-directed. This
$60,000 for research on an issue already decided by public referendum is a classic
example of that,” Mr Redman said.