Tim Hammond (Perth, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Moderation is the key to why this legislation is so heartily supported. I've been asked if I'm prepared to moderate my running. One should always be running: we're running for our seats, we're running for government, we're running for good policy and we're running for consumers. That's what we do if we're doing our job well. I'm delighted to keep running, as they say in the classics. But that's why this legislation is so important: the fact that it supports local manufacturers, industry and business.

Let's have a look at some of the minutiae of this bill and why we all sit here in heated agreement that it's a good idea. Here we see something the Labor Party has as a core value—that is, a trigger designed to get a level playing field in which corporates don't have the chance they currently have to claim this rebate anywhere along the wine manufacturing process. We don't want to see a situation where the market is distorted in favour of a large corporate, which makes it harder for those boutique vineyards to do what they do so well. That's why Labor is prepared to support this rebate: it restores in many ways the integrity and original intent of the WET rebate. As we know, the WET rebate was introduced in 2004. The idea was to support independent and small regional winemakers. It's very important that they are backed in.

Why is this reform needed? As we've heard from previous speakers, we see here an emphasis placed upon wine produced by winemakers who have the pride to put their label on the wine. There will be less incentive to introduce bulk or unbranded wines into the market. If it does its job well, it ought to reintroduce the brand power that comes with particular brands of wine. Again, this is why it plays to the strength of energising the economy insofar as the burgeoning and continually improving wine industry of the great state of Western Australia goes: it is because the brand power it already enjoys, not only in our great state of Western Australia and across Australia but across the world, will be enhanced and go on to bigger and better things.

Another important thing here, of course, is the savings. One must keep an eye on the savings. I can't help but think that, if only the government had adopted the same approach to its whole-of-government financial reforms as it does in this piece of legislation, we might not be in the pickle that we're currently in and we might not be in the challenging situation foisted upon those such as the member for Rankin, who now has so much heavy lifting to do, as a result of this government's financial ineptitude in all forms, shapes and sizes. I only wish the government had adopted the kinds of savings measures across the board as it has in this bill. The poor member for Rankin might not have to do as much heavy lifting as he has to do. The economic fate of this country might not be so dire as to create such a heavy burden on great people like the member for Rankin if the government had adopted the approach that it took in this bill, which is in savings. Fifteen million dollars a year will be the savings able to be claimed as a result of the restrictions around the benefit of the rebate for unbranded, or cleanskin, wine.

In conclusion, it is terrific to be up here in agreement on a bill which will further the prospects of success for small businesses.

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