❓ Mr Catania questions the Premier on whether the lack of Commonwealth support for remote housing is a greater issue than Metronet funding. The Premier affirms the importance of remote housing funding and criticises the Commonwealth's actions.
AnsweredQoN 477Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
METRONET —
REMOTE HOUSING FUNDING
477. Mr V.A. CATANIA to the Premier:
I refer to the Premier's
comments yesterday that securing federal funding for remote housing is the
number one issue in regional Western Australia and his subsequent comment that
his government has been more successful than any government in history in
securing commonwealth money. Does the Premier consider the commonwealth's
current lack of support for remote housing to be a greater issue than the
funding of Metronet?
REMOTE HOUSING FUNDING
477. Mr V.A. CATANIA to the Premier:
I refer to the Premier's
comments yesterday that securing federal funding for remote housing is the
number one issue in regional Western Australia and his subsequent comment that
his government has been more successful than any government in history in
securing commonwealth money. Does the Premier consider the commonwealth's
current lack of support for remote housing to be a greater issue than the
funding of Metronet?
AnswerView source ↗
That is a strange question and I do
not really understand it, but, as I said yesterday, the most important issue
confronting regional Western Australia in my view is the fact that the
commonwealth is ceasing funding for housing construction and maintenance in
remote Aboriginal communities, and I stand by that. I think it is an incredibly
important issue. We have continued to take up that issue with the commonwealth
government and we got advice yesterday that Minister Scullion, the Northern
Territory Country Liberal Party fellow, basically referred to the remaining $43
million to complete remaining housing works in Western Australia beyond 30 June
2018—in other words existing program, but works that go beyond 30 June—and
threatened the continuation of that funding. He said that yesterday in
statements he gave to the press. The commonwealth is not only ceasing funding
into the future, but also ceasing funding that is already committed to Western Australia.
Point of Order
Mr V.A.
CATANIA : My question relates to Metronet funding and whether it is
more important.
The SPEAKER : No, that is not
a point of order.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr M. McGOWAN : I am very
concerned that the federal government is doing that. With the commonwealth
government we have pursued regional road funding, we have pursued hospital
funding, we have pursued rail funding, we have pursued remote communities
funding and we have pursued a whole range of other issues such as aged-care funding,
for which Western Australia gets the lowest amount across Australia. The
commonwealth government—Mr Turnbull, Mr Morrison, Mr McCormack and the
like—have decided which ones they want to fund and they have given us
money for our Metronet plan. They also gave us some money for some road
projects across Western Australia, in particular the Bunbury outer ring-road
and Stephenson Avenue. They gave us some money for Joondalup hospital and
Osborne Park Hospital and a range of other projects across Western Australia.
They have made the decision to not fund remote housing.
not really understand it, but, as I said yesterday, the most important issue
confronting regional Western Australia in my view is the fact that the
commonwealth is ceasing funding for housing construction and maintenance in
remote Aboriginal communities, and I stand by that. I think it is an incredibly
important issue. We have continued to take up that issue with the commonwealth
government and we got advice yesterday that Minister Scullion, the Northern
Territory Country Liberal Party fellow, basically referred to the remaining $43
million to complete remaining housing works in Western Australia beyond 30 June
2018—in other words existing program, but works that go beyond 30 June—and
threatened the continuation of that funding. He said that yesterday in
statements he gave to the press. The commonwealth is not only ceasing funding
into the future, but also ceasing funding that is already committed to Western Australia.
Point of Order
Mr V.A.
CATANIA : My question relates to Metronet funding and whether it is
more important.
The SPEAKER : No, that is not
a point of order.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr M. McGOWAN : I am very
concerned that the federal government is doing that. With the commonwealth
government we have pursued regional road funding, we have pursued hospital
funding, we have pursued rail funding, we have pursued remote communities
funding and we have pursued a whole range of other issues such as aged-care funding,
for which Western Australia gets the lowest amount across Australia. The
commonwealth government—Mr Turnbull, Mr Morrison, Mr McCormack and the
like—have decided which ones they want to fund and they have given us
money for our Metronet plan. They also gave us some money for some road
projects across Western Australia, in particular the Bunbury outer ring-road
and Stephenson Avenue. They gave us some money for Joondalup hospital and
Osborne Park Hospital and a range of other projects across Western Australia.
They have made the decision to not fund remote housing.
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