❓ Ms. Mettam questions the Premier on the impact of abolishing the cashless debit card on crime rates in WA's remote communities. The Premier refutes claims of increased crime, citing overall decreases and attributing issues to alcohol abuse, calling for community cooperation.
AnsweredQoN 24Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CASHLESS DEBIT CARD
24. Ms L. METTAM to the Premier:
I
refer to the Albanese Labor government's removal of the cashless debit
card, which has seen domestic violence–related assaults,
alcohol-related assaults, break-ins and vehicle thefts significantly increase
across affected areas in the Northern Territory and Western Australia. Does the
Premier support the Albanese Labor government's decision to abolish the cashless debit card, which is now
having a profound impact in WA's remote communities such as Laverton?
24. Ms L. METTAM to the Premier:
I
refer to the Albanese Labor government's removal of the cashless debit
card, which has seen domestic violence–related assaults,
alcohol-related assaults, break-ins and vehicle thefts significantly increase
across affected areas in the Northern Territory and Western Australia. Does the
Premier support the Albanese Labor government's decision to abolish the cashless debit card, which is now
having a profound impact in WA's remote communities such as Laverton?
AnswerView source ↗
There is some significant
misleading going on around crime rates across Western Australia. In 2022, crime
rates were down by 12 per cent compared with the rate in 2016. The number of
burglaries and break-ins has decreased significantly since this government has
been in office—by 15 per cent. I will go through some of them. Car
theft is down by 25 per cent, stealing is down by 25 per cent, property damage
is down by 24 per cent and drug offences are
down by 42 per cent. We have more police on the streets than ever before and we
are recruiting more police than ever before. What we are finding, and I heard
it today in a range of speeches, is total misleading by the Liberals and Nationals. They just make it up. Police
publish these statistics on how many offences are being committed. They are the facts. Going out there and just saying that black is white does not
work, because the facts are published. That is the reality of the situation out
there.
As I said in answer to an earlier
question, the issue in many places is the abuse of alcohol. It is a difficult
issue to address. I fully understand that. What we need is cooperation. We need
cooperation from businesses, communities and councils in relation to these
issues. That is the overwhelming issue.
Ms S.F. McGurk interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Yes, hoteliers.
We need cooperation from hoteliers in relation to the measures that are being taken. We cannot have communities where everyone
agrees and one hotel does not. If we have that, everyone of course goes
to that hotel to get their alcohol when they cannot get it somewhere else. That
is the situation we face. That is why we are trying to get accords in place in
many of these communities and to look at other measures that can be put in
place to address these issues, because it is causing a lot of grief across some
communities in Western Australia.
misleading going on around crime rates across Western Australia. In 2022, crime
rates were down by 12 per cent compared with the rate in 2016. The number of
burglaries and break-ins has decreased significantly since this government has
been in office—by 15 per cent. I will go through some of them. Car
theft is down by 25 per cent, stealing is down by 25 per cent, property damage
is down by 24 per cent and drug offences are
down by 42 per cent. We have more police on the streets than ever before and we
are recruiting more police than ever before. What we are finding, and I heard
it today in a range of speeches, is total misleading by the Liberals and Nationals. They just make it up. Police
publish these statistics on how many offences are being committed. They are the facts. Going out there and just saying that black is white does not
work, because the facts are published. That is the reality of the situation out
there.
As I said in answer to an earlier
question, the issue in many places is the abuse of alcohol. It is a difficult
issue to address. I fully understand that. What we need is cooperation. We need
cooperation from businesses, communities and councils in relation to these
issues. That is the overwhelming issue.
Ms S.F. McGurk interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Yes, hoteliers.
We need cooperation from hoteliers in relation to the measures that are being taken. We cannot have communities where everyone
agrees and one hotel does not. If we have that, everyone of course goes
to that hotel to get their alcohol when they cannot get it somewhere else. That
is the situation we face. That is why we are trying to get accords in place in
many of these communities and to look at other measures that can be put in
place to address these issues, because it is causing a lot of grief across some
communities in Western Australia.
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