Liberal Democrats WA eye trading hours deregulation, payroll tax scrap in plan for Albany

Deregulating Albany trading hours and scrapping payroll tax for all local businesses will be on the agenda if Liberal Democrats WA candidate Mal Dodson is voted in at the March State election. Liberal Democrats WA Leader and sole MP Aaron Stonehouse joined Mr Dodson at Wilson Brewing Company on Tuesday to unveil the party’s plan for Albany jobs. Mr Dodson said his commitment to volunteering and small business background put him in a strong position in the race for Albany. “My chances are just as good as anyone,” he said. “I plan on being a different candidate for Albany. “I plan on not being a backbencher in a room full of ‘yes men’. The jobs plan that we have takes three main fronts — the first one revisiting and reducing payroll tax, which let’s face it, is really just a penalty for being a successful business. “Secondly, we will be looking at trading hours — if we are going to invite tourists and people to our town we need to be open. We don’t need to be told what day of the week we can spend our money.” Trading hours are governed by WA’s Retail Trading Hours Act, with different types of shops subject to different restrictions. Restrictions in the regions differ from those in the Perth metropolitan area. General retail shops, including supermarket chains, do not have extended hours and cannot operate on Sundays in Albany and other regional areas. Local governments can apply for exemptions to extend trading. Mr Dodson said the third part of the Liberal Democrats WA’s plan for Albany was to turn the City into a special economic zone. Special economic zones are a globally recognised initiative used in cities such as Shanghai, which sees local laws regarding tax regulations and red tape relaxed to drive investment in a region. There are no special economic zones in Australia. Mr Stonehouse said creating a special economic zone in Albany would aim to attract investment in the area by prioritising regulatory approvals for businesses within the region. “That also means the local and State Government have a mandate and a responsibility to look for areas of red tape that they can cut and reduce,” he said. Mr Stonehouse said the party’s push to scrap payroll tax in Albany “wouldn’t discriminate” against business size, including national retail chains. Mr Dodson is set to contest the seat of Albany against five other candidates — Rebecca Stephens (Labor), Scott Leary (Liberal), Delma Baesjou (Nationals WA), Nelson Gilmour (Greens WA), and Michelle Kinsella (Pauline Hanson’s One Nation).