Algal Bloom

Mr TELFER (Flinders) (14:44): My question is to the Premier. How many businesses that have applied for the algal bloom assistance support grants have fallen outside the 30 per cent downturn criteria, and has the Premier used his discretionary powers to ensure any of those businesses receive the algal bloom assistance support grants?

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (14:44): There have been exemptions granted; I am happy to take on notice the numbers you are talking about. Of course, when we put in place guidelines, we want those guidelines to be largely adhered to so that people are clear about what warrants government support or not, otherwise we could find ourselves in circumstances of people seeking money close to retirement, for instance, or people without necessarily experiencing a downturn in sales. We could find people saying, 'I experienced a downturn in sales of a very small nature that don't genuinely warrant support.' What we want to do is provide support to people who need it as a result of the effects of the algal bloom—plain and simple.

We acknowledge as a government that, no matter where you draw lines, people will fall one side or the other. Our modus operandi is to craft those lines as best as we can, be open to changing them where we need to—and we have done that in regard to the fishing sector—but then also apply just a degree of human decency and compassion and have some flexibility, where we can, without being over the top about it. Otherwise, an exemption ends up becoming a new rule, and that's just a delicate balancing act that anyone on the Treasury bench has to apply a degree of judgement to, like anything in government.

I am happy to take on notice the numbers, just so I am accurate, for the benefit of the shadow treasurer, but there have been people who have been given grants outside the criteria. I will double-check this, but I am pretty sure that's true to say in respect to both the small business downturn grants and also the grants that apply to the commercial fishing sector.