❓ Opposition Leader Barnett questions Premier Gallop about increases in fees and charges despite claims of minimizing household costs. Gallop defends his government's record, citing a reduction in household charges compared to the previous Liberal government and investments in public services.
AnsweredQoN 196Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer the Premier to his announcement today of a so-called freeze on household fees and charges and his statement that - “Since coming to office, my Government has made a concerted effort to keep household costs to a minimum . . . (1) Is this “concerted effort” the reason, in the last three budgets, his Government has increased motor vehicle registration fees three times; the Perth parking fee levy three times; stamp duty on conveyances twice; water, sewerage and drainage charges twice; compulsory third party insurance premiums twice; drivers licence fees twice; water rates twice; public transport fares twice; land tax; payroll tax; stamp duty on insurance policies; stamp duty on motor vehicle licences; court fees; and probate fees? (2) Will the Premier admit that if this is a concerted effort, Western Australians have every reason to be cynical about any so-called tax reduction offered by his Government? Dr G.I. GALLOP
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(2) The Leader of the Opposition questioned my Government’s approach to fees and charges over its full term. He mentioned some of the areas where there have been increases in the fees paid. We need to compare the performance of this Labor Government over the four years it has been in office with that of the Liberal Government. I show members of the Opposition a table indicating that during the previous Government the same basket of government charges that are used each year to analyse household impact increased by $296, or 10 per cent. Under the Labor Government there has been a real reduction in charges applying to household budgets in Western Australia. That is what I call a concerted effort; that is what I call a Labor Government! This Government is committed to making sure that basic charges in areas such as water, electricity, motor vehicle registration, compulsory third party insurance premiums, drivers licence fees and Transperth fares that impact upon families are dealt with in a sensitive way, and that is what we have done. There has been a real reduction in those areas during the term of this Government. When it comes to taxes, it is true that earlier budgets presented to this Parliament have included some increases in taxes. However, this Government has established 927 extra nursing positions, 565 extra teachers and 145 extra police officers. This Government is committed to improving its public sector work. This State has also been getting a very raw deal from the Commonwealth Grants Commission. This year our deal has been better. This Government has provided guidance for very strong economic growth in Western Australia, and of course the Treasurer has done an excellent job managing the finances. There will be room in this year’s budget for giving back a dividend to the community of Western Australia. Remember Richard Court’s social dividend? It never got returned. This Labor Government cares for households, it cares for working people and pensioners, and the announcement I made today is a clear indication of that care.
(2) Will the Premier admit that if this is a concerted effort, Western Australians have every reason to be cynical about any so-called tax reduction offered by his Government? Dr G.I. GALLOP replied: (1)-(2) The Leader of the Opposition questioned my Government’s approach to fees and charges over its full term. He mentioned some of the areas where there have been increases in the fees paid. We need to compare the performance of this Labor Government over the four years it has been in office with that of the Liberal Government. I show members of the Opposition a table indicating that during the previous Government the same basket of government charges that are used each year to analyse household impact increased by $296, or 10 per cent. Under the Labor Government there has been a real reduction in charges applying to household budgets in Western Australia. That is what I call a concerted effort; that is what I call a Labor Government! This Government is committed to making sure that basic charges in areas such as water, electricity, motor vehicle registration, compulsory third party insurance premiums, drivers licence fees and Transperth fares that impact upon families are dealt with in a sensitive way, and that is what we have done. There has been a real reduction in those areas during the term of this Government. When it comes to taxes, it is true that earlier budgets presented to this Parliament have included some increases in taxes. However, this Government has established 927 extra nursing positions, 565 extra teachers and 145 extra police officers. This Government is committed to improving its public sector work. This State has also been getting a very raw deal from the Commonwealth Grants Commission. This year our deal has been better. This Government has provided guidance for very strong economic growth in Western Australia, and of course the Treasurer has done an excellent job managing the finances. There will be room in this year’s budget for giving back a dividend to the community of Western Australia. Remember Richard Court’s social dividend? It never got returned. This Labor Government cares for households, it cares for working people and pensioners, and the announcement I made today is a clear indication of that care.
Dr G.I. GALLOP replied: (1)-(2) The Leader of the Opposition questioned my Government’s approach to fees and charges over its full term. He mentioned some of the areas where there have been increases in the fees paid. We need to compare the performance of this Labor Government over the four years it has been in office with that of the Liberal Government. I show members of the Opposition a table indicating that during the previous Government the same basket of government charges that are used each year to analyse household impact increased by $296, or 10 per cent. Under the Labor Government there has been a real reduction in charges applying to household budgets in Western Australia. That is what I call a concerted effort; that is what I call a Labor Government! This Government is committed to making sure that basic charges in areas such as water, electricity, motor vehicle registration, compulsory third party insurance premiums, drivers licence fees and Transperth fares that impact upon families are dealt with in a sensitive way, and that is what we have done. There has been a real reduction in those areas during the term of this Government. When it comes to taxes, it is true that earlier budgets presented to this Parliament have included some increases in taxes. However, this Government has established 927 extra nursing positions, 565 extra teachers and 145 extra police officers. This Government is committed to improving its public sector work. This State has also been getting a very raw deal from the Commonwealth Grants Commission. This year our deal has been better. This Government has provided guidance for very strong economic growth in Western Australia, and of course the Treasurer has done an excellent job managing the finances. There will be room in this year’s budget for giving back a dividend to the community of Western Australia. Remember Richard Court’s social dividend? It never got returned. This Labor Government cares for households, it cares for working people and pensioners, and the announcement I made today is a clear indication of that care.
(1)-(2) The Leader of the Opposition questioned my Government’s approach to fees and charges over its full term. He mentioned some of the areas where there have been increases in the fees paid. We need to compare the performance of this Labor Government over the four years it has been in office with that of the Liberal Government. I show members of the Opposition a table indicating that during the previous Government the same basket of government charges that are used each year to analyse household impact increased by $296, or 10 per cent. Under the Labor Government there has been a real reduction in charges applying to household budgets in Western Australia. That is what I call a concerted effort; that is what I call a Labor Government! This Government is committed to making sure that basic charges in areas such as water, electricity, motor vehicle registration, compulsory third party insurance premiums, drivers licence fees and Transperth fares that impact upon families are dealt with in a sensitive way, and that is what we have done. There has been a real reduction in those areas during the term of this Government. When it comes to taxes, it is true that earlier budgets presented to this Parliament have included some increases in taxes. However, this Government has established 927 extra nursing positions, 565 extra teachers and 145 extra police officers. This Government is committed to improving its public sector work. This State has also been getting a very raw deal from the Commonwealth Grants Commission. This year our deal has been better. This Government has provided guidance for very strong economic growth in Western Australia, and of course the Treasurer has done an excellent job managing the finances. There will be room in this year’s budget for giving back a dividend to the community of Western Australia. Remember Richard Court’s social dividend? It never got returned. This Labor Government cares for households, it cares for working people and pensioners, and the announcement I made today is a clear indication of that care.
When it comes to taxes, it is true that earlier budgets presented to this Parliament have included some increases in taxes. However, this Government has established 927 extra nursing positions, 565 extra teachers and 145 extra police officers. This Government is committed to improving its public sector work. This State has also been getting a very raw deal from the Commonwealth Grants Commission. This year our deal has been better. This Government has provided guidance for very strong economic growth in Western Australia, and of course the Treasurer has done an excellent job managing the finances. There will be room in this year’s budget for giving back a dividend to the community of Western Australia. Remember Richard Court’s social dividend? It never got returned. This Labor Government cares for households, it cares for working people and pensioners, and the announcement I made today is a clear indication of that care.
(2) Will the Premier admit that if this is a concerted effort, Western Australians have every reason to be cynical about any so-called tax reduction offered by his Government? Dr G.I. GALLOP replied: (1)-(2) The Leader of the Opposition questioned my Government’s approach to fees and charges over its full term. He mentioned some of the areas where there have been increases in the fees paid. We need to compare the performance of this Labor Government over the four years it has been in office with that of the Liberal Government. I show members of the Opposition a table indicating that during the previous Government the same basket of government charges that are used each year to analyse household impact increased by $296, or 10 per cent. Under the Labor Government there has been a real reduction in charges applying to household budgets in Western Australia. That is what I call a concerted effort; that is what I call a Labor Government! This Government is committed to making sure that basic charges in areas such as water, electricity, motor vehicle registration, compulsory third party insurance premiums, drivers licence fees and Transperth fares that impact upon families are dealt with in a sensitive way, and that is what we have done. There has been a real reduction in those areas during the term of this Government. When it comes to taxes, it is true that earlier budgets presented to this Parliament have included some increases in taxes. However, this Government has established 927 extra nursing positions, 565 extra teachers and 145 extra police officers. This Government is committed to improving its public sector work. This State has also been getting a very raw deal from the Commonwealth Grants Commission. This year our deal has been better. This Government has provided guidance for very strong economic growth in Western Australia, and of course the Treasurer has done an excellent job managing the finances. There will be room in this year’s budget for giving back a dividend to the community of Western Australia. Remember Richard Court’s social dividend? It never got returned. This Labor Government cares for households, it cares for working people and pensioners, and the announcement I made today is a clear indication of that care.
Dr G.I. GALLOP replied: (1)-(2) The Leader of the Opposition questioned my Government’s approach to fees and charges over its full term. He mentioned some of the areas where there have been increases in the fees paid. We need to compare the performance of this Labor Government over the four years it has been in office with that of the Liberal Government. I show members of the Opposition a table indicating that during the previous Government the same basket of government charges that are used each year to analyse household impact increased by $296, or 10 per cent. Under the Labor Government there has been a real reduction in charges applying to household budgets in Western Australia. That is what I call a concerted effort; that is what I call a Labor Government! This Government is committed to making sure that basic charges in areas such as water, electricity, motor vehicle registration, compulsory third party insurance premiums, drivers licence fees and Transperth fares that impact upon families are dealt with in a sensitive way, and that is what we have done. There has been a real reduction in those areas during the term of this Government. When it comes to taxes, it is true that earlier budgets presented to this Parliament have included some increases in taxes. However, this Government has established 927 extra nursing positions, 565 extra teachers and 145 extra police officers. This Government is committed to improving its public sector work. This State has also been getting a very raw deal from the Commonwealth Grants Commission. This year our deal has been better. This Government has provided guidance for very strong economic growth in Western Australia, and of course the Treasurer has done an excellent job managing the finances. There will be room in this year’s budget for giving back a dividend to the community of Western Australia. Remember Richard Court’s social dividend? It never got returned. This Labor Government cares for households, it cares for working people and pensioners, and the announcement I made today is a clear indication of that care.
(1)-(2) The Leader of the Opposition questioned my Government’s approach to fees and charges over its full term. He mentioned some of the areas where there have been increases in the fees paid. We need to compare the performance of this Labor Government over the four years it has been in office with that of the Liberal Government. I show members of the Opposition a table indicating that during the previous Government the same basket of government charges that are used each year to analyse household impact increased by $296, or 10 per cent. Under the Labor Government there has been a real reduction in charges applying to household budgets in Western Australia. That is what I call a concerted effort; that is what I call a Labor Government! This Government is committed to making sure that basic charges in areas such as water, electricity, motor vehicle registration, compulsory third party insurance premiums, drivers licence fees and Transperth fares that impact upon families are dealt with in a sensitive way, and that is what we have done. There has been a real reduction in those areas during the term of this Government. When it comes to taxes, it is true that earlier budgets presented to this Parliament have included some increases in taxes. However, this Government has established 927 extra nursing positions, 565 extra teachers and 145 extra police officers. This Government is committed to improving its public sector work. This State has also been getting a very raw deal from the Commonwealth Grants Commission. This year our deal has been better. This Government has provided guidance for very strong economic growth in Western Australia, and of course the Treasurer has done an excellent job managing the finances. There will be room in this year’s budget for giving back a dividend to the community of Western Australia. Remember Richard Court’s social dividend? It never got returned. This Labor Government cares for households, it cares for working people and pensioners, and the announcement I made today is a clear indication of that care.
When it comes to taxes, it is true that earlier budgets presented to this Parliament have included some increases in taxes. However, this Government has established 927 extra nursing positions, 565 extra teachers and 145 extra police officers. This Government is committed to improving its public sector work. This State has also been getting a very raw deal from the Commonwealth Grants Commission. This year our deal has been better. This Government has provided guidance for very strong economic growth in Western Australia, and of course the Treasurer has done an excellent job managing the finances. There will be room in this year’s budget for giving back a dividend to the community of Western Australia. Remember Richard Court’s social dividend? It never got returned. This Labor Government cares for households, it cares for working people and pensioners, and the announcement I made today is a clear indication of that care.
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