Opposition Leader Ripper questions Premier Barnett about electricity price increases affecting pensioners, offering beanies as a symbolic gesture. Barnett defends his government's support for the community sector and accuses Ripper of being puerile.

AnsweredQoN 348Legislative Assembly
Asked
15 June 2011
Portfolio
Premier

QuestionView source ↗

ELECTRICITY PRICE INCREASES — PENSIONERS
I have a supplementary question. Will the Premier accept these beanies for himself and for his Treasurer, provided by the People Who Care organisation who are trying to raise $100 000 to assist pensioners severely damaged by the Premier’s savage price increases? Will you accept these beanies? Mr C.J. BARNETT

AnswerView source ↗

It is incumbent on any member of Parliament, and particularly a senior member of Parliament, to speak the truth in this chamber. Mr E.S. Ripper : You told them to rug up. That is what you told them last year. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Mr Speaker, I challenge the Leader of the Opposition to produce any evidence that I told people to rug up. I did not say that. It is incumbent on people; if you cannot do it, Leader of the Opposition, get your staff to do some research! Yes, there are people who are struggling. There are always people in the community who struggle for a whole variety of reasons. But remember, the central feature of this year’s state budget was over $600 million for the not-for-profit community sector. For the first time in the history of Western Australia, a state government has given a 25 per cent across-the-board increase in funding to all community-based organisations that care for the homeless, for those with mental health issues, for those who work on suicide prevention and youth programs. When in eight years did Labor even respond? In fact, when the Western Australian Council of Social Service approached members opposite for assistance, they would not even talk to it. So do not come in here now in this self-righteous, pious way to say that this government does not care for people. We do! We recognise that many people in the community face hardship. For the Leader of the Opposition to come in with beanies is just puerile. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today, along with the member for Albany.
Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: It is incumbent on any member of Parliament, and particularly a senior member of Parliament, to speak the truth in this chamber. Mr E.S. Ripper : You told them to rug up. That is what you told them last year. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Mr Speaker, I challenge the Leader of the Opposition to produce any evidence that I told people to rug up. I did not say that. It is incumbent on people; if you cannot do it, Leader of the Opposition, get your staff to do some research! Yes, there are people who are struggling. There are always people in the community who struggle for a whole variety of reasons. But remember, the central feature of this year’s state budget was over $600 million for the not-for-profit community sector. For the first time in the history of Western Australia, a state government has given a 25 per cent across-the-board increase in funding to all community-based organisations that care for the homeless, for those with mental health issues, for those who work on suicide prevention and youth programs. When in eight years did Labor even respond? In fact, when the Western Australian Council of Social Service approached members opposite for assistance, they would not even talk to it. So do not come in here now in this self-righteous, pious way to say that this government does not care for people. We do! We recognise that many people in the community face hardship. For the Leader of the Opposition to come in with beanies is just puerile. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today, along with the member for Albany.
It is incumbent on any member of Parliament, and particularly a senior member of Parliament, to speak the truth in this chamber. Mr E.S. Ripper : You told them to rug up. That is what you told them last year. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Mr Speaker, I challenge the Leader of the Opposition to produce any evidence that I told people to rug up. I did not say that. It is incumbent on people; if you cannot do it, Leader of the Opposition, get your staff to do some research! Yes, there are people who are struggling. There are always people in the community who struggle for a whole variety of reasons. But remember, the central feature of this year’s state budget was over $600 million for the not-for-profit community sector. For the first time in the history of Western Australia, a state government has given a 25 per cent across-the-board increase in funding to all community-based organisations that care for the homeless, for those with mental health issues, for those who work on suicide prevention and youth programs. When in eight years did Labor even respond? In fact, when the Western Australian Council of Social Service approached members opposite for assistance, they would not even talk to it. So do not come in here now in this self-righteous, pious way to say that this government does not care for people. We do! We recognise that many people in the community face hardship. For the Leader of the Opposition to come in with beanies is just puerile. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today, along with the member for Albany.
Mr E.S. Ripper : You told them to rug up. That is what you told them last year. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Mr Speaker, I challenge the Leader of the Opposition to produce any evidence that I told people to rug up. I did not say that. It is incumbent on people; if you cannot do it, Leader of the Opposition, get your staff to do some research! Yes, there are people who are struggling. There are always people in the community who struggle for a whole variety of reasons. But remember, the central feature of this year’s state budget was over $600 million for the not-for-profit community sector. For the first time in the history of Western Australia, a state government has given a 25 per cent across-the-board increase in funding to all community-based organisations that care for the homeless, for those with mental health issues, for those who work on suicide prevention and youth programs. When in eight years did Labor even respond? In fact, when the Western Australian Council of Social Service approached members opposite for assistance, they would not even talk to it. So do not come in here now in this self-righteous, pious way to say that this government does not care for people. We do! We recognise that many people in the community face hardship. For the Leader of the Opposition to come in with beanies is just puerile. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today, along with the member for Albany.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : Mr Speaker, I challenge the Leader of the Opposition to produce any evidence that I told people to rug up. I did not say that. It is incumbent on people; if you cannot do it, Leader of the Opposition, get your staff to do some research! Yes, there are people who are struggling. There are always people in the community who struggle for a whole variety of reasons. But remember, the central feature of this year’s state budget was over $600 million for the not-for-profit community sector. For the first time in the history of Western Australia, a state government has given a 25 per cent across-the-board increase in funding to all community-based organisations that care for the homeless, for those with mental health issues, for those who work on suicide prevention and youth programs. When in eight years did Labor even respond? In fact, when the Western Australian Council of Social Service approached members opposite for assistance, they would not even talk to it. So do not come in here now in this self-righteous, pious way to say that this government does not care for people. We do! We recognise that many people in the community face hardship. For the Leader of the Opposition to come in with beanies is just puerile. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today, along with the member for Albany.
Yes, there are people who are struggling. There are always people in the community who struggle for a whole variety of reasons. But remember, the central feature of this year’s state budget was over $600 million for the not-for-profit community sector. For the first time in the history of Western Australia, a state government has given a 25 per cent across-the-board increase in funding to all community-based organisations that care for the homeless, for those with mental health issues, for those who work on suicide prevention and youth programs. When in eight years did Labor even respond? In fact, when the Western Australian Council of Social Service approached members opposite for assistance, they would not even talk to it. So do not come in here now in this self-righteous, pious way to say that this government does not care for people. We do! We recognise that many people in the community face hardship. For the Leader of the Opposition to come in with beanies is just puerile. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today, along with the member for Albany.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today, along with the member for Albany.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the Opposition, I formally call you to order for the first time today, along with the member for Albany.

Explore WA Government Data

Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.

Explore more