❓ Mr. Price asks the Premier about the WA student assistance payment's impact on families and its contribution to cost-of-living relief. The Premier details the payment, its cost, application process, and contrasts it with the Opposition's stance, highlighting other cost-of-living measures.
AnsweredQoN 159Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
STUDENT ASSISTANCE PAYMENT
159. MR S.J. PRICE to the Premier:
I refer to the launch of the Cook
Labor government's WA student assistance payment.
(1) Can the
Premier advise the house how this payment will support families, parents and
carers across WA manage cost-of-living
pressures, including the 7 200 households in my community with school-age
children?
(2) Can the
Premier advise the house how this payment builds on this government's
record of supporting Western Australians with cost-of-living pressures?
159. MR S.J. PRICE to the Premier:
I refer to the launch of the Cook
Labor government's WA student assistance payment.
(1) Can the
Premier advise the house how this payment will support families, parents and
carers across WA manage cost-of-living
pressures, including the 7 200 households in my community with school-age
children?
(2) Can the
Premier advise the house how this payment builds on this government's
record of supporting Western Australians with cost-of-living pressures?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for the question. I appreciate the advocacy for families in
the member's electorate. Particularly
when it comes to school students, we know that Western Australian families are
doing it tough . We want to make sure
that we utilise the opportunity we have of keeping the state's finances
strong so that we can assist those
people who are doing it tough at the moment. We know that families with young
children are always under the pump when it comes to day-to-day costs and
that interest rates are compounding those costs associated with families right
across Australia. As a parent, I know there are extra costs during school
years, whether it is for stationery, excursions or that desperately needed pair
of new school shoes. It can really put a dent in the household budget. That is
why we have made the decision to bring in our next cost-of-living relief
measure. This time it is aimed at helping families with schoolchildren. It is
called the WA student assistance payment. On
Sunday, I joined the education minister, Tony Buti, and the member for
Bicton to announce this fantastic initiative. We joined the Davey family in
their home in Palmyra to hear the impact that school and sport expenses can
have. Geoff and Katherine Davey have three kids at school. Geordie, aged 12, is at high school. Meanwhile, Averlee, aged
11, and Parker, aged eight, are both in primary school. The costs add
up, and they say every bit counts. We agree.
Under our WA student assistance
payment program, they are eligible for $550. This is how it works. During term 2, parents will receive direct payments
of $250 for every secondary school student and $150 for every primary
school student and kindergarten student. We expect that the initiative will
help around 300 000 WA families. This will
cost the forthcoming budget $103.5 million and will be an important assistance to those families. As I said, it is only made possible because of
our protection of the state's finances.
Families will be able to apply through the ServiceWA app, with the money being
deposited directly to their bank account shortly after applying.
We know that the Leader of the
Opposition is opposed to the WA student assistance payment. We know that the
member for Vasse, the Leader of the Liberal Party, is opposed to it as well.
I am very pleased to say that prior
to our announcement, we had fewer than 3 000 visits to the ServiceWA app. Since our announcement, we have had over 40 000
visits to that app each day—and it is not even open yet, as
people cannot apply for it until 15 April. We know that Western Australian
families are welcoming that, even if the member for Vasse and the Leader of the
Opposition are not.
This comes on top of our other
measures, which include the electricity credit; to date, every household has
received at least $1 400 in support towards their bills. On public transport,
we have delivered the free summer of public transport, free student travels and
free travel for everyone on Sundays. We have doubled the allocation of vouchers
for KidSport to $300 per annum, and grandcarers, foster carers, family carers
and special guardians have all received one-off payments. We have our rent
relief program that supports private renters to keep a roof over their head. We
could keep going, but members get the picture. It can be seen that keeping the
state's finances strong, keeping our economy strong and assisting
families doing it tough are our highest priorities. We will continue to make
the investments because we know that these families appreciate the work we are
doing to keep the cost of living down.
Visitors — Denmark
Senior High SchoolDistinguished Visitors — Cook Islands Parliament
THE
SPEAKER (Mrs M.H. Roberts) 2.10 pm :
On behalf of the member for Warren–Blackwood, I welcome to Parliament
today the years 8 to 12 leaders from Denmark Senior High School. I was waiting
for some special guests to arrive in the Speaker's gallery. I advise
that two staff from the Parliament of the Cook Islands are with us this week on
a visit arranged as part of the twinning arrangement between the Western Australian
Parliament and the Cook Islands Parliament. We are joined today in the Speaker's
gallery by Ms Grace Ioane, senior finance officer, and Mr Unuia Unuia,
technical operations officer. Please make Grace and Unuia welcome.
[Applause.]
thank the member for the question. I appreciate the advocacy for families in
the member's electorate. Particularly
when it comes to school students, we know that Western Australian families are
doing it tough . We want to make sure
that we utilise the opportunity we have of keeping the state's finances
strong so that we can assist those
people who are doing it tough at the moment. We know that families with young
children are always under the pump when it comes to day-to-day costs and
that interest rates are compounding those costs associated with families right
across Australia. As a parent, I know there are extra costs during school
years, whether it is for stationery, excursions or that desperately needed pair
of new school shoes. It can really put a dent in the household budget. That is
why we have made the decision to bring in our next cost-of-living relief
measure. This time it is aimed at helping families with schoolchildren. It is
called the WA student assistance payment. On
Sunday, I joined the education minister, Tony Buti, and the member for
Bicton to announce this fantastic initiative. We joined the Davey family in
their home in Palmyra to hear the impact that school and sport expenses can
have. Geoff and Katherine Davey have three kids at school. Geordie, aged 12, is at high school. Meanwhile, Averlee, aged
11, and Parker, aged eight, are both in primary school. The costs add
up, and they say every bit counts. We agree.
Under our WA student assistance
payment program, they are eligible for $550. This is how it works. During term 2, parents will receive direct payments
of $250 for every secondary school student and $150 for every primary
school student and kindergarten student. We expect that the initiative will
help around 300 000 WA families. This will
cost the forthcoming budget $103.5 million and will be an important assistance to those families. As I said, it is only made possible because of
our protection of the state's finances.
Families will be able to apply through the ServiceWA app, with the money being
deposited directly to their bank account shortly after applying.
We know that the Leader of the
Opposition is opposed to the WA student assistance payment. We know that the
member for Vasse, the Leader of the Liberal Party, is opposed to it as well.
I am very pleased to say that prior
to our announcement, we had fewer than 3 000 visits to the ServiceWA app. Since our announcement, we have had over 40 000
visits to that app each day—and it is not even open yet, as
people cannot apply for it until 15 April. We know that Western Australian
families are welcoming that, even if the member for Vasse and the Leader of the
Opposition are not.
This comes on top of our other
measures, which include the electricity credit; to date, every household has
received at least $1 400 in support towards their bills. On public transport,
we have delivered the free summer of public transport, free student travels and
free travel for everyone on Sundays. We have doubled the allocation of vouchers
for KidSport to $300 per annum, and grandcarers, foster carers, family carers
and special guardians have all received one-off payments. We have our rent
relief program that supports private renters to keep a roof over their head. We
could keep going, but members get the picture. It can be seen that keeping the
state's finances strong, keeping our economy strong and assisting
families doing it tough are our highest priorities. We will continue to make
the investments because we know that these families appreciate the work we are
doing to keep the cost of living down.
Visitors — Denmark
Senior High SchoolDistinguished Visitors — Cook Islands Parliament
THE
SPEAKER (Mrs M.H. Roberts) 2.10 pm :
On behalf of the member for Warren–Blackwood, I welcome to Parliament
today the years 8 to 12 leaders from Denmark Senior High School. I was waiting
for some special guests to arrive in the Speaker's gallery. I advise
that two staff from the Parliament of the Cook Islands are with us this week on
a visit arranged as part of the twinning arrangement between the Western Australian
Parliament and the Cook Islands Parliament. We are joined today in the Speaker's
gallery by Ms Grace Ioane, senior finance officer, and Mr Unuia Unuia,
technical operations officer. Please make Grace and Unuia welcome.
[Applause.]
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