❓ Hon Wilson Tucker questions the Premier about planned increases to household fees and charges, given rising rental stress and a state budget surplus. The Premier defends the increases, citing a commitment to limit them to inflation and highlighting increased concessions for vulnerable households.
AnsweredQoN 192Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
COST OF LIVING — FEES AND CHARGES
192. Hon WILSON TUCKER to the Leader of the House
representing the Premier:
I
refer the Premier to the expected increase to household fees and charges of
about $100 per household a year. I draw the Premier's attention to the fact that rental vacancy rates
are at a historical low, while rental stress and homelessness have skyrocketed over the past six months and is
expected to worsen with a sudden influx of applications to end tenancy
agreements. I also note that the state budget is expected to include a surplus
of $5 billion. At a time when Western Australia's most vulnerable are
struggling to make ends meet, how can the Premier justify such an unnecessary
increase to household fees and charges?
192. Hon WILSON TUCKER to the Leader of the House
representing the Premier:
I
refer the Premier to the expected increase to household fees and charges of
about $100 per household a year. I draw the Premier's attention to the fact that rental vacancy rates
are at a historical low, while rental stress and homelessness have skyrocketed over the past six months and is
expected to worsen with a sudden influx of applications to end tenancy
agreements. I also note that the state budget is expected to include a surplus
of $5 billion. At a time when Western Australia's most vulnerable are
struggling to make ends meet, how can the Premier justify such an unnecessary
increase to household fees and charges?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
The McGowan Labor government has
delivered on the commitment it made at the state election to limit increases to
inflation. In 2021–22, the basket of household fees and charges is
estimated to increase by 1.6 per cent, below the projected consumer price index
of 1.75 per cent. For the average household, this results in an increase of
less than 30� a day. This will be the first time a CPI cap policy will be
implemented in more than a decade.
The
McGowan Labor government has increased concessions available to support the
most vulnerable, including the energy assistance payment, an indexed grant of
more than $300 a year paid to around 300 000 households, as well as the
hardship utility grant scheme, which is up to $580 for those south of the
twenty-sixth parallel and up to $960 for those above it. Last financial year,
the McGowan Labor government delivered the biggest decrease to household fees
and charges on record—a fall of 10.4 per cent. This included the
one-off $600 WA household electricity credit.
some notice of the question.
The McGowan Labor government has
delivered on the commitment it made at the state election to limit increases to
inflation. In 2021–22, the basket of household fees and charges is
estimated to increase by 1.6 per cent, below the projected consumer price index
of 1.75 per cent. For the average household, this results in an increase of
less than 30� a day. This will be the first time a CPI cap policy will be
implemented in more than a decade.
The
McGowan Labor government has increased concessions available to support the
most vulnerable, including the energy assistance payment, an indexed grant of
more than $300 a year paid to around 300 000 households, as well as the
hardship utility grant scheme, which is up to $580 for those south of the
twenty-sixth parallel and up to $960 for those above it. Last financial year,
the McGowan Labor government delivered the biggest decrease to household fees
and charges on record—a fall of 10.4 per cent. This included the
one-off $600 WA household electricity credit.
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