❓ Mrs. Harvey questions the Premier on the delay in implementing a broad-based stimulus package for WA in response to the Coronavirus outbreak, given similar actions in other states and federally. The Premier defends the government's existing initiatives as stimulus measures resulting from good financial management.
AnsweredQoN 119Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS — STATE ECONOMY
119. Mrs L.M. HARVEY to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question. The Prime Minister is
expected to roll out a $10 billion stimulus package this week and Steven
Marshall in South Australia has already rolled out a $350 million stimulus
package, so why has it taken the Premier and his government weeks to roll out a
broad-based stimulus package for Western Australia?
119. Mrs L.M. HARVEY to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question. The Prime Minister is
expected to roll out a $10 billion stimulus package this week and Steven
Marshall in South Australia has already rolled out a $350 million stimulus
package, so why has it taken the Premier and his government weeks to roll out a
broad-based stimulus package for Western Australia?
AnswerView source ↗
Because of our good financial management, we rolled out a series
of initiatives late last year and early this year that are stimulus measures. I
will explain them again. There is a $220 million additional housing spend
comprising $150 million of additional money for public housing and a $72
million spend in particular on homeless services, with common-ground
facilities. We then expanded the loosening of the Keystart loan scheme to allow
borrowers to more easily access Keystart loans. That is the first point. The
second point is that there is a $200 million school maintenance budget spend for every single school across Western Australia,
based upon need. There is a $90 million spend on hospital maintenance,
again based on need. There are payroll tax cuts in two tranches, one that has
already kicked in and one scheduled to kick in on 1 January next year, as well
as the stamp duty cut designed to support off-the-plan multistorey dwellings
that the industry called for. On top of that are the TAFE fee cuts to 34
courses, which has seen a massive expansion in the number of people enrolling
in TAFE.
They are the things we have done in the last couple of
months. We understand that we need to do more and we will. Yesterday, I started
work with the transport minister on the new rail manufacturing facility. All
these things are creating jobs. Five new rail lines will be underway this year.
We have the biggest road-building project across Australia. We have contacted
the commonwealth about supporting the regional road safety program, which is
designed to save lives and create jobs all over regional Western Australia. All
these things are stimulus measures, are
targeted and make a difference. The opposition has not noticed these things.
They do not seem to realise, despite me repeating them to them day in
and day out, what has been done in the last couple of months. We can do those
things because we carefully husbanded the resources of the state to ensure we
can do these things in times of difficulty. If only that approach had been
taken over the eight and a half years of the Liberal–National
government. They blew the budget, put up
land tax three times, and removed scheduled payroll tax cuts and� stamp duty
cuts when they were in office, as well as blowing debt by $40 billion.
They have no right to criticise.
of initiatives late last year and early this year that are stimulus measures. I
will explain them again. There is a $220 million additional housing spend
comprising $150 million of additional money for public housing and a $72
million spend in particular on homeless services, with common-ground
facilities. We then expanded the loosening of the Keystart loan scheme to allow
borrowers to more easily access Keystart loans. That is the first point. The
second point is that there is a $200 million school maintenance budget spend for every single school across Western Australia,
based upon need. There is a $90 million spend on hospital maintenance,
again based on need. There are payroll tax cuts in two tranches, one that has
already kicked in and one scheduled to kick in on 1 January next year, as well
as the stamp duty cut designed to support off-the-plan multistorey dwellings
that the industry called for. On top of that are the TAFE fee cuts to 34
courses, which has seen a massive expansion in the number of people enrolling
in TAFE.
They are the things we have done in the last couple of
months. We understand that we need to do more and we will. Yesterday, I started
work with the transport minister on the new rail manufacturing facility. All
these things are creating jobs. Five new rail lines will be underway this year.
We have the biggest road-building project across Australia. We have contacted
the commonwealth about supporting the regional road safety program, which is
designed to save lives and create jobs all over regional Western Australia. All
these things are stimulus measures, are
targeted and make a difference. The opposition has not noticed these things.
They do not seem to realise, despite me repeating them to them day in
and day out, what has been done in the last couple of months. We can do those
things because we carefully husbanded the resources of the state to ensure we
can do these things in times of difficulty. If only that approach had been
taken over the eight and a half years of the Liberal–National
government. They blew the budget, put up
land tax three times, and removed scheduled payroll tax cuts and� stamp duty
cuts when they were in office, as well as blowing debt by $40 billion.
They have no right to criticise.
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