Small business's and households in WA receive $400 power bill credit

The state government's spent the day spruiking its budget, headlined by a 400-dollar power bill credit for households and small business.

Transcript

00:00 There were few signs of modesty as Treasurer Rita Safioti continued selling her first budget

00:06 in the role to old friends and future opponents.

00:09 Can I now introduce the most experienced, qualified and the greatest Treasurer in Australia,

00:16 our Deputy Premier Rita Safioti.

00:19 Are you the best Treasurer in Australia?

00:22 Well, I always back in what the Premier said, so yes.

00:27 The leaders pleased with a budget headlined by a $3.2 billion surplus.

00:34 This t-shirt printing business in Dawesville among 90,000 small businesses to get $400

00:39 off their power bill this year.

00:41 Our responsible financial management and a strong economy mean that we can deliver this

00:46 extra support.

00:48 A welcome measure but for some, not enough.

00:52 It's a long way off the payroll tax amount that we'll be up for this year, you know,

00:57 in the region of 3 or 4% of what payroll tax relief could have provided us.

01:02 The Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Australian Hotels Association using this West

01:06 Perth business to show what their members would have liked to see.

01:10 It's just not fair that in a rising cost environment, these sorts of businesses get lumped with

01:15 the heaviest payroll tax burden in the country.

01:17 We are pleased they're investing more in tourism events and tourism funding to attract more

01:22 visitors to the state.

01:23 But what small, medium businesses need now is relief from this really burdensome handcuff

01:29 of tax.

01:30 Our focus very much in this budget was first home buyers, cost of living for households

01:34 and making sure we continue to deliver economic infrastructure.

01:38 But there are warnings being too ambitious could risk prolonging inflation pressures.

01:42 There's so much spending in so many areas and not the workforce to deliver on it.

01:49 So that's going to cause delays to projects and the ability to deliver on many things

01:54 and also add some further fuel to the inflationary environment.

01:58 One of many challenges to balance with an election about 300 days away.

02:02 [BLANK_AUDIO]