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Pallas lashes out at Commonwealth for business support

“But I want to insist on this point and it is really a point of big disappointment to the state government: we will step up and play our role in helping this bit of industry we are very, very upset that the Commonwealth government has broken with its practice of co-funding business support programs in Victoria and refused to contribute to this industry, ”said Mr. Pallas.

“It is incomprehensible why this industry has received special, and should I say, unfair treatment from this government.

“And the federal government has of course taken this position for reasons we can’t really understand. After all, these are to a large extent small business operators who were impacted because of the containment orders.

“We have already announced that both governments, state and federal, so far will continue our existing business support programs for the next six weeks, or until they meet the 80% double-dose target. .

“But the Commonwealth explicitly refused pay for the construction industry.

“And it is beyond reason or understanding why this industry, which of course will struggle due to the challenges it has had to face over the past few weeks, is not receiving the support it would expect. otherwise.

“Construction subsidies would have been doubled if the Commonwealth government had not refused to contribute to the Victorian construction industry, and therefore broke its well-established principle of co-funding business support programs with us on a 50:50 basis across the country.

“So to those companies who are a bit prejudiced by the fact that they find these payments lower than what they consider to be appropriate in the circumstances, can I assure you that the state government is far from satisfied that the Commonwealth does not uphold the principle of cooperation and co-payment through this process.

“And I point out that this is despite the fact that the Commonwealth funded a similar program to support construction companies in New South Wales.