❓ Dr. Honey questions the Minister for Water about the impact of cost-of-living increases and water price hikes on struggling Western Australians. The Minister defends the government's policies, claiming they are more beneficial than the previous government's.
AnsweredQoN 976Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
WATER —
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES
976. Dr D.J. HONEY to the Minister for Water:
I have a supplementary question.
Does the minister accept that his government's $700 per year
cost-of-living increases are really hurting struggling —
Ms S.E. Winton interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Wanneroo, I call you to order for the first time.
Dr D.J. HONEY : Does the
minister accept that his government's $700 per year cost-of-living
increases are really hurting struggling Western Australians, and that the extra
$500 cost-of-living increases on the way will put people like Cathy under even
further stress?
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES
976. Dr D.J. HONEY to the Minister for Water:
I have a supplementary question.
Does the minister accept that his government's $700 per year
cost-of-living increases are really hurting struggling —
Ms S.E. Winton interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Wanneroo, I call you to order for the first time.
Dr D.J. HONEY : Does the
minister accept that his government's $700 per year cost-of-living
increases are really hurting struggling Western Australians, and that the extra
$500 cost-of-living increases on the way will put people like Cathy under even
further stress?
AnswerView source ↗
The self-confessed member for
struggle street is really not paying attention.
The SPEAKER : Minister, you
will refer to the member by their electorate.
Mr
D.J. KELLY : Sorry. The member for
Cottesloe is really not paying attention. As the member well understands ,
the price increases that we have put in place for water for the last two
budgets have been less than the price increases that would have occurred had
the former government remained in government.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr D.J. KELLY : The Leader of
the Opposition, who was Treasurer at the time, went to the election with two,
six per cent across-the-board increases in water charges.
Mr V.A. Catania interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for North
West Central, I call you to order for the second time.
Mr D.J. KELLY : They are in
denial. The increases that we have put in place have been less.
Dr M.D. Nahan interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
Opposition!
Mr D.J. KELLY : I cannot hear
myself think. The increases that we have put in place have been less.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, please!
We are nearly there.
Mr D.J. KELLY : The increases
we have put in place have been less. They have been structured so that people
like Cathy did not get a six per cent increase in her service charge; she only
got a three per cent increase in her service charge. We have structured them
differently. And we have put in place a host of arrangements in the Water Corporation
to make it easier for people who are having difficulty paying their bills. I just
remind the member for Cottesloe that when the Leader of the National Party was
the Minister for Water, 10 families a day were having their water restricted
and reduced to a trickle because they could not pay their bills—10
families a day—and the National Party and the Liberal Party did nothing
about it. In 18 months, we have reduced the number of people who are having
their water restricted by 60 per cent, just by talking to them. The price
increases have been smaller. They have been structured in a way to assist
people who are frugal with their water use. We are talking to people who are
having trouble paying their bills so that there is less trauma on their family.
That is demonstrated again by the fact that the number of people who are paying
interest on their water bills has significantly reduced. So on every measure —
The SPEAKER : Minister, wind
it up, please.
Mr D.J. KELLY : On every
measure, we are making it easier for people to pay their water bills.
struggle street is really not paying attention.
The SPEAKER : Minister, you
will refer to the member by their electorate.
Mr
D.J. KELLY : Sorry. The member for
Cottesloe is really not paying attention. As the member well understands ,
the price increases that we have put in place for water for the last two
budgets have been less than the price increases that would have occurred had
the former government remained in government.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr D.J. KELLY : The Leader of
the Opposition, who was Treasurer at the time, went to the election with two,
six per cent across-the-board increases in water charges.
Mr V.A. Catania interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for North
West Central, I call you to order for the second time.
Mr D.J. KELLY : They are in
denial. The increases that we have put in place have been less.
Dr M.D. Nahan interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
Opposition!
Mr D.J. KELLY : I cannot hear
myself think. The increases that we have put in place have been less.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, please!
We are nearly there.
Mr D.J. KELLY : The increases
we have put in place have been less. They have been structured so that people
like Cathy did not get a six per cent increase in her service charge; she only
got a three per cent increase in her service charge. We have structured them
differently. And we have put in place a host of arrangements in the Water Corporation
to make it easier for people who are having difficulty paying their bills. I just
remind the member for Cottesloe that when the Leader of the National Party was
the Minister for Water, 10 families a day were having their water restricted
and reduced to a trickle because they could not pay their bills—10
families a day—and the National Party and the Liberal Party did nothing
about it. In 18 months, we have reduced the number of people who are having
their water restricted by 60 per cent, just by talking to them. The price
increases have been smaller. They have been structured in a way to assist
people who are frugal with their water use. We are talking to people who are
having trouble paying their bills so that there is less trauma on their family.
That is demonstrated again by the fact that the number of people who are paying
interest on their water bills has significantly reduced. So on every measure —
The SPEAKER : Minister, wind
it up, please.
Mr D.J. KELLY : On every
measure, we are making it easier for people to pay their water bills.
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