❓ Mr. Love questions the Treasurer about the absence of funding for the regional airfare zone cap in the budget, suggesting the government is abandoning this cost-of-living support. The Treasurer defends the government's commitment, claiming it as their initiative and criticising the opposition's past record.
AnsweredQoN 272Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Transport—Regional airfare zone cap272.Mr Shane Loveto
the Treasurer:I refer to the
complete absence of funding for the regional airfare zone cap in the forward
estimates of the budget. Is the Treasurer in fact killing off this vital cost-of-living
support for regional Western Australians?
the Treasurer:I refer to the
complete absence of funding for the regional airfare zone cap in the forward
estimates of the budget. Is the Treasurer in fact killing off this vital cost-of-living
support for regional Western Australians?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
26 June 2025
Response time
0 days
Ms Rita Saffioti replied:Let us start with the
regional airfare zone cap. Honestly! It was our initiative.Mr Shane Love:It was our policy too in 2017. It
is on the record—$120 million.Ms Rita Saffioti:I
heard that the Nationals WA are trying to recreate history. The National Party
is very good at recreating history. Let us go through the history of the
regional airfare zone cap. We had eight years of a Liberal–National government.
Remember, it was a dysfunctional government; members could not talk to each
other. It was like theBig Brotherhouse.
They would all go to the diary room and complain about each other and then pretend
that they were living together in the house afterwards. It always happened in the
diary room: "Look, I like this guy, but he uses the kitchen too often. He is
selling our assets too much. I don't know." It was like a continuous
episode ofBig Brother.Point of orderMr Shane Love:I asked the Treasurer a specific
question about those zone caps. I would like an answer on it.The Speaker:I shall not uphold that point of order.
The Treasurer is just getting started on her response. I am sure she will get
to your question shortly.Questions without notice resumedMs Rita Saffioti:Like I said, they are always
complaining about each other. Here they pretend they are okay and then they go
the diary room. We saw them enter the diary room just on Sunday. The Leader of
the National Party went to the diary room with Joe Spagnolo and told him how
much he hated the Liberal Party.As I said, in 2017,
we won government. One of the biggest issues when we went around to every
regional town, particularly Kununurra, Kalgoorlie and the Pilbara, was the cost
of airfares and the fact that the previous government did nothing about it. In
fact, I remember being at the launch of Nexus Airlines about two years ago and
I was giving a speech. Someone stood up and said, "I would just like to
congratulate the minister for the introduction of the capped airfare scheme."
They said it was the best thing ever done in regional WA. Do members know who
that person from the audience was? It was Brendon Grylls!Several members
interjected.The Speaker:Members!Ms Rita Saffioti:I do not remember Brendon Grylls
standing up saying, "You copied our policies."Several members
interjected.The Speaker:Members!Several members
interjected.The Speaker:Ministers!Ms Rita Saffioti:I do not remember Brendon standing
up. He was the Leader of the National Party at the time, so if members think we
copied his idea, he might have mentioned it.He did not stand up
and say, "Oh, you copied our idea" or "You should have done it
like this." He congratulated me on a nation-leading, nation-first scheme.
We are committed to the airfare zone cap. It is our idea. It is one of the
biggest things we have done in regional WA. The Leader of the National Party
can sit there—Mr Shane Loveinterjected.Ms Rita Saffioti:Honestly! It is pathetic and pitiful
that the Leader of the National Party is standing there trying to claim credit
for something that no-one has ever said was his idea. I have been in government
for over eight years. Never once until this week—today—did I
hear that somehow it was their idea. When we introduced it—no. When we
backed it in and backed it in—no; never. And today, it is his idea.
Like I said, if Brendon Grylls did not think it was the Leader of the National
Party's idea, then I have to say that I do not think it was.
Transport—Regional airfare zone cap
regional airfare zone cap. Honestly! It was our initiative.Mr Shane Love:It was our policy too in 2017. It
is on the record—$120 million.Ms Rita Saffioti:I
heard that the Nationals WA are trying to recreate history. The National Party
is very good at recreating history. Let us go through the history of the
regional airfare zone cap. We had eight years of a Liberal–National government.
Remember, it was a dysfunctional government; members could not talk to each
other. It was like theBig Brotherhouse.
They would all go to the diary room and complain about each other and then pretend
that they were living together in the house afterwards. It always happened in the
diary room: "Look, I like this guy, but he uses the kitchen too often. He is
selling our assets too much. I don't know." It was like a continuous
episode ofBig Brother.Point of orderMr Shane Love:I asked the Treasurer a specific
question about those zone caps. I would like an answer on it.The Speaker:I shall not uphold that point of order.
The Treasurer is just getting started on her response. I am sure she will get
to your question shortly.Questions without notice resumedMs Rita Saffioti:Like I said, they are always
complaining about each other. Here they pretend they are okay and then they go
the diary room. We saw them enter the diary room just on Sunday. The Leader of
the National Party went to the diary room with Joe Spagnolo and told him how
much he hated the Liberal Party.As I said, in 2017,
we won government. One of the biggest issues when we went around to every
regional town, particularly Kununurra, Kalgoorlie and the Pilbara, was the cost
of airfares and the fact that the previous government did nothing about it. In
fact, I remember being at the launch of Nexus Airlines about two years ago and
I was giving a speech. Someone stood up and said, "I would just like to
congratulate the minister for the introduction of the capped airfare scheme."
They said it was the best thing ever done in regional WA. Do members know who
that person from the audience was? It was Brendon Grylls!Several members
interjected.The Speaker:Members!Ms Rita Saffioti:I do not remember Brendon Grylls
standing up saying, "You copied our policies."Several members
interjected.The Speaker:Members!Several members
interjected.The Speaker:Ministers!Ms Rita Saffioti:I do not remember Brendon standing
up. He was the Leader of the National Party at the time, so if members think we
copied his idea, he might have mentioned it.He did not stand up
and say, "Oh, you copied our idea" or "You should have done it
like this." He congratulated me on a nation-leading, nation-first scheme.
We are committed to the airfare zone cap. It is our idea. It is one of the
biggest things we have done in regional WA. The Leader of the National Party
can sit there—Mr Shane Loveinterjected.Ms Rita Saffioti:Honestly! It is pathetic and pitiful
that the Leader of the National Party is standing there trying to claim credit
for something that no-one has ever said was his idea. I have been in government
for over eight years. Never once until this week—today—did I
hear that somehow it was their idea. When we introduced it—no. When we
backed it in and backed it in—no; never. And today, it is his idea.
Like I said, if Brendon Grylls did not think it was the Leader of the National
Party's idea, then I have to say that I do not think it was.
Transport—Regional airfare zone cap
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