❓ Ms. Collins questions the Treasurer on cost-of-living relief measures for Western Australians, including seniors. The Treasurer details various initiatives like electricity credits, student assistance, transport subsidies, and Rottnest Island programs, while criticising the opposition's stance and highlighting past government fee increases.
AnsweredQoN 405Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
COST-OF-LIVING RELIEF
405. Ms C.M. COLLINS to the Treasurer:
I refer to the Cook Labor
government's commitment to providing cost-of-living relief to all Western
Australians.
(1) Can the
Treasurer outline to the house how this government is providing cost-of-living
relief to all cohorts of Western Australians, including through a recent
initiative for seniors?
(2) Can the Treasurer advise the house whether she is
aware of anyone who opposes the government's cost- of-living
measures?
405. Ms C.M. COLLINS to the Treasurer:
I refer to the Cook Labor
government's commitment to providing cost-of-living relief to all Western
Australians.
(1) Can the
Treasurer outline to the house how this government is providing cost-of-living
relief to all cohorts of Western Australians, including through a recent
initiative for seniors?
(2) Can the Treasurer advise the house whether she is
aware of anyone who opposes the government's cost- of-living
measures?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for the question. As we know, as a result of a number of
factors, in particular the inflationary environment post-COVID and of course
some interest rate increases, Western Australians are facing challenges during
this time. That is why we have made sure that cost-of-living support is a priority
of this government. In particular, as part of the budget presented in May, we
are delivering record cost-of-living support. Of course, we have the fourth
household electricity credit of $400 for more than
1.1 million households. That has been backed in by the commonwealth with $300.
Over the next year we will see $700 of support for households. We also
have the WA student assistance payment.
The energy rebate was opposed by
opposition members. They do not believe in the energy rebate. They do not
believe in the WA student assistance payment either, and said that we should
not be introducing a rebate that helps all
families and we should have restricted that support. Public transport is
another one for which the opposition
is arguing against the level of subsidies that we are providing to Western Australians .
Its members have said that the subsidy is too much. It needs to explain to the
people exactly what level the increase for public transport users should be. I am
glad we have students here from the member for Dawesville's electorate,
because families in Dawesville are making the biggest savings over a number of
our initiatives, in particular the two-zone fare cap, which is saving people
from Dawesville and Mandurah thousands of dollars. Of course, there is free
transport for school students, and in regional WA we have doubled the transport
allowance for students. That was the first increase for two decades. We have
added more funding to the regional airfare cap and increased the Regional Pensioner
Travel Card. We continue to monitor to see what else we can do.
As the Minister for Tourism in charge
of Rottnest Island, we asked how we could make Rottnest more affordable for
school camps and seniors. For example, we have introduced the free school camp
initiative for Rottnest Island for term 3. We have seen schools in lower
socio-economic areas having access to basically free school camps at Rottnest.
We have seen an oversubscription for that initiative. Of course, we know that
seniors also want to be able to experience our great island. That is why we
have the new $30 winter fare initiative for seniors to be able to travel to
Rottnest on a capped fare to enjoy the island when they can.
Members would not be surprised by our
cost-of-living record compared with the previous government's record of
increase after increase in the cost of living. Household fees and charges rose
by almost $2 100 during the eight years of
the previous government—a record amount. Electricity, water and public
transport saw massive increases
across the field. Of course, that is without even mentioning what it did to
TAFE fees; there were massive increases that basically made it
unaffordable for many people in Western Australia. What we are doing is keeping
track of the cost of living and subsidising a number of forms, like public
transport and energy, and, of course, making TAFE free for Western Australians.
thank the member for the question. As we know, as a result of a number of
factors, in particular the inflationary environment post-COVID and of course
some interest rate increases, Western Australians are facing challenges during
this time. That is why we have made sure that cost-of-living support is a priority
of this government. In particular, as part of the budget presented in May, we
are delivering record cost-of-living support. Of course, we have the fourth
household electricity credit of $400 for more than
1.1 million households. That has been backed in by the commonwealth with $300.
Over the next year we will see $700 of support for households. We also
have the WA student assistance payment.
The energy rebate was opposed by
opposition members. They do not believe in the energy rebate. They do not
believe in the WA student assistance payment either, and said that we should
not be introducing a rebate that helps all
families and we should have restricted that support. Public transport is
another one for which the opposition
is arguing against the level of subsidies that we are providing to Western Australians .
Its members have said that the subsidy is too much. It needs to explain to the
people exactly what level the increase for public transport users should be. I am
glad we have students here from the member for Dawesville's electorate,
because families in Dawesville are making the biggest savings over a number of
our initiatives, in particular the two-zone fare cap, which is saving people
from Dawesville and Mandurah thousands of dollars. Of course, there is free
transport for school students, and in regional WA we have doubled the transport
allowance for students. That was the first increase for two decades. We have
added more funding to the regional airfare cap and increased the Regional Pensioner
Travel Card. We continue to monitor to see what else we can do.
As the Minister for Tourism in charge
of Rottnest Island, we asked how we could make Rottnest more affordable for
school camps and seniors. For example, we have introduced the free school camp
initiative for Rottnest Island for term 3. We have seen schools in lower
socio-economic areas having access to basically free school camps at Rottnest.
We have seen an oversubscription for that initiative. Of course, we know that
seniors also want to be able to experience our great island. That is why we
have the new $30 winter fare initiative for seniors to be able to travel to
Rottnest on a capped fare to enjoy the island when they can.
Members would not be surprised by our
cost-of-living record compared with the previous government's record of
increase after increase in the cost of living. Household fees and charges rose
by almost $2 100 during the eight years of
the previous government—a record amount. Electricity, water and public
transport saw massive increases
across the field. Of course, that is without even mentioning what it did to
TAFE fees; there were massive increases that basically made it
unaffordable for many people in Western Australia. What we are doing is keeping
track of the cost of living and subsidising a number of forms, like public
transport and energy, and, of course, making TAFE free for Western Australians.
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