❓ Mr Catania questions the Treasurer on immediate relief for regional businesses struggling with increased charges due to the Coronavirus impact. The Treasurer deflects, citing past Liberal Party land tax increases and committing to budget-time decisions on power bills.
AnsweredQoN 142Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS —
STATE ECONOMY
142. Mr V.A. CATANIA to the Treasurer:
I have a supplementary question. Why
will the Treasurer not cut water and electricity costs now instead of waiting
until regional businesses, which are already struggling under the weight of
this government's increased charges, go to the wall?
STATE ECONOMY
142. Mr V.A. CATANIA to the Treasurer:
I have a supplementary question. Why
will the Treasurer not cut water and electricity costs now instead of waiting
until regional businesses, which are already struggling under the weight of
this government's increased charges, go to the wall?
AnswerView source ↗
I
watched a range of businesses go to the wall when the member for North West Central
and the Liberal Party increased the land tax three times in 18 months.
That imposed enormous costs on small businesses all over Western Australia.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr B.S. WYATT : I have been
trying to think back about whether the National Party at the time called for
the cutting of power bills. I do not seem to recall that.
Mr V.A. Catania interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for North
West Central, you asked a question. Listen and you might learn something. I call
you to order for the first time.
Mr B.S. WYATT : I do not seem
to recall that. We will not be imposing three increases in land tax on the
small business sector of Western Australia. I will commit to that for the member.
That was the policy of the conservatives in government —
Mr V.A. Catania : I am talking
about the virus and the impact it is going to have on small business.
Mr B.S. WYATT : The member for
North West Central has not talked about that.
The SPEAKER : I call you to
order for the second time, member for North West Central.
Mr B.S. WYATT : The member for
North West Central has not talked about that, but with every decision that we
make, as a government committed to jobs and restoring economic growth after members
opposite drove it away from this state —
Mr V.A. Catania : I'm
talking about the impact the virus is going to have on small business.
The SPEAKER : I will tell you the impact: I call you to
order for the third time. You are on your way. Do not push me!
Mr
B.S. WYATT : The member did not
ask me about that; he asked about power bills. I am trying to tell the member that we will make a decision about power
bills at budget time, as we always do. I give the member this commitment :
we will not do what his government did; that is, increase power bills by 26 per
cent in the heart of the global financial crisis.
watched a range of businesses go to the wall when the member for North West Central
and the Liberal Party increased the land tax three times in 18 months.
That imposed enormous costs on small businesses all over Western Australia.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr B.S. WYATT : I have been
trying to think back about whether the National Party at the time called for
the cutting of power bills. I do not seem to recall that.
Mr V.A. Catania interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for North
West Central, you asked a question. Listen and you might learn something. I call
you to order for the first time.
Mr B.S. WYATT : I do not seem
to recall that. We will not be imposing three increases in land tax on the
small business sector of Western Australia. I will commit to that for the member.
That was the policy of the conservatives in government —
Mr V.A. Catania : I am talking
about the virus and the impact it is going to have on small business.
Mr B.S. WYATT : The member for
North West Central has not talked about that.
The SPEAKER : I call you to
order for the second time, member for North West Central.
Mr B.S. WYATT : The member for
North West Central has not talked about that, but with every decision that we
make, as a government committed to jobs and restoring economic growth after members
opposite drove it away from this state —
Mr V.A. Catania : I'm
talking about the impact the virus is going to have on small business.
The SPEAKER : I will tell you the impact: I call you to
order for the third time. You are on your way. Do not push me!
Mr
B.S. WYATT : The member did not
ask me about that; he asked about power bills. I am trying to tell the member that we will make a decision about power
bills at budget time, as we always do. I give the member this commitment :
we will not do what his government did; that is, increase power bills by 26 per
cent in the heart of the global financial crisis.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.