❓ Question regarding a perceived conflict between the Housing Minister and Treasurer over the foreign buyers' tax, and the Minister's response defending the government's position and fiscal responsibility.
AnsweredQoN 808Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
DUTIES AMENDMENT
(ADDITIONAL DUTY FOR FOREIGN PERSONS) BILL 2018 —URBAN DEVELOPMENT
INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA
808. Mr D.T. REDMAN to the Minister for Housing:
I refer to the embarrassing gaffe in The West Australian on Friday in which the Treasurer had an opinion
piece published, championing the government's new foreign buyers'
tax, only to have the minister, a few pages deeper, saying that he would ask
the Treasurer to delay the introduction of the new tax.
(1) Is the minister at odds with the
Treasurer over the new tax?
(2) Why is the
minister quoted in the article as saying he will ask the Treasurer whether he
has done any modelling on the effects of the tax? Did the Treasurer not take
this to cabinet, or is the minister just plain incompetent?
(ADDITIONAL DUTY FOR FOREIGN PERSONS) BILL 2018 —URBAN DEVELOPMENT
INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA
808. Mr D.T. REDMAN to the Minister for Housing:
I refer to the embarrassing gaffe in The West Australian on Friday in which the Treasurer had an opinion
piece published, championing the government's new foreign buyers'
tax, only to have the minister, a few pages deeper, saying that he would ask
the Treasurer to delay the introduction of the new tax.
(1) Is the minister at odds with the
Treasurer over the new tax?
(2) Why is the
minister quoted in the article as saying he will ask the Treasurer whether he
has done any modelling on the effects of the tax? Did the Treasurer not take
this to cabinet, or is the minister just plain incompetent?
AnswerView source ↗
I do not want to answer the last one
at all! It is a self-reflection on my own capability!
(1)–(2) It has been some time since those statements were
made at the Urban Development Institute of Australia (WA) lunch last
week, and if the member had taken the effort to actually look at the transcript
and what was said on the day, he might consider that the research that he
confined himself to should go beyond just the twenty-third page of The West
Australian . The member said that it was just a few pages on—I think
it was well deep into the paper, but I will take the member's point on
notice. I also remind the member that for eight and a half years all we heard
from the business community was that you had cloth ears. You could not attempt
to open yourselves to the conversation with business that was required. That is
why the former government lost the election; that is why it is sitting on that
side of the chamber.
I have been actively engaged with the
entire property sector, as would be expected of the Minister for Housing, given
that we do most of our work with the private sector to cross-subsidise the
social and affordable housing outcomes we have. But I am also one of 17 people
who sit around a table and have to put this state back on a viable financial
footing—$40 billion-plus worth of debt.
Several members interjected.
Mr P.C. TINLEY : We were
borrowing to pay wages—eight per cent expenses growth. When members
opposite actually admit that—their fiscal turpitude and this whole mess
that they created—then they can come into this place and start throwing
barbs.
With
direct reference to the member's question, I was very clear with the
entire development community that was at that lunch that day that we are open for business as a government and
that we are listening to its concerns. I explained the reason we need a foreign
buyers' levy. I explained the state of the nature of the books. I explained
the expected revenue modelling—that we are talking about $129 million worth
of revenue—and the fact that, as housing minister, I support it for the
simple purpose that if we take foreign investors out, we leave more
opportunities for owner–occupiers; actual Western Australians getting
access to housing on all points of the continuum.
I do not resile from the fact that while listening to
business, I undertook to pass a message to government, which is my
responsibility. I make no apologies for that; I did that. The Treasurer took it
on notice but, by the same token, we will not blink at our responsibilities to
put this state back under some sort of fiscal control.
Mr D.T. Redman : That sounded
like a pretty big blink to me!
Mr P.C. TINLEY : The only way
we can do that—the only way we can achieve the sorts of outcomes that
the McGowan government wants and the Western Australian public deserves from us—is
to create enough surplus in our fiscal planning to allow us to supply the
services that the public expects. You are out of order. Do your research. You
have nothing here!
at all! It is a self-reflection on my own capability!
(1)–(2) It has been some time since those statements were
made at the Urban Development Institute of Australia (WA) lunch last
week, and if the member had taken the effort to actually look at the transcript
and what was said on the day, he might consider that the research that he
confined himself to should go beyond just the twenty-third page of The West
Australian . The member said that it was just a few pages on—I think
it was well deep into the paper, but I will take the member's point on
notice. I also remind the member that for eight and a half years all we heard
from the business community was that you had cloth ears. You could not attempt
to open yourselves to the conversation with business that was required. That is
why the former government lost the election; that is why it is sitting on that
side of the chamber.
I have been actively engaged with the
entire property sector, as would be expected of the Minister for Housing, given
that we do most of our work with the private sector to cross-subsidise the
social and affordable housing outcomes we have. But I am also one of 17 people
who sit around a table and have to put this state back on a viable financial
footing—$40 billion-plus worth of debt.
Several members interjected.
Mr P.C. TINLEY : We were
borrowing to pay wages—eight per cent expenses growth. When members
opposite actually admit that—their fiscal turpitude and this whole mess
that they created—then they can come into this place and start throwing
barbs.
With
direct reference to the member's question, I was very clear with the
entire development community that was at that lunch that day that we are open for business as a government and
that we are listening to its concerns. I explained the reason we need a foreign
buyers' levy. I explained the state of the nature of the books. I explained
the expected revenue modelling—that we are talking about $129 million worth
of revenue—and the fact that, as housing minister, I support it for the
simple purpose that if we take foreign investors out, we leave more
opportunities for owner–occupiers; actual Western Australians getting
access to housing on all points of the continuum.
I do not resile from the fact that while listening to
business, I undertook to pass a message to government, which is my
responsibility. I make no apologies for that; I did that. The Treasurer took it
on notice but, by the same token, we will not blink at our responsibilities to
put this state back under some sort of fiscal control.
Mr D.T. Redman : That sounded
like a pretty big blink to me!
Mr P.C. TINLEY : The only way
we can do that—the only way we can achieve the sorts of outcomes that
the McGowan government wants and the Western Australian public deserves from us—is
to create enough surplus in our fiscal planning to allow us to supply the
services that the public expects. You are out of order. Do your research. You
have nothing here!
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