❓ Mr. Wyatt questions the Premier on directing surplus revenue to ease cost-of-living pressures, given rising utility prices. The Premier deflects, accusing the Labor Party of dishonesty and focusing on the impact of the carbon tax.
AnsweredQoN 135Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
STATE BUDGET —
SURPLUS REVENUE
135. Mr B.S. WYATT to the Premier:
I refer to the Premier's now broken election promise
that windfall state budget surplus revenues will also be directed to tax cuts.
I also refer to a different survey from that referred to by the Minister for
Transport; that is, the Curtin Business School–Chamber of Commerce and
Industry of Western Australia survey of consumer confidence, which found that
utility prices were adding to household budgets, with 75 per cent of
respondents reporting an increase in spending compared with a year ago, and
that 63 per cent of respondents said that utility costs would have a major
impact on them over the rest of the year. Given that the Premier's
budget has a further 22 per cent, or $252 million, increase in dividends from
the state's public corporations, will he commit to directing those
moneys to easing the cost-of-living pressure on Western Australian families?
SURPLUS REVENUE
135. Mr B.S. WYATT to the Premier:
I refer to the Premier's now broken election promise
that windfall state budget surplus revenues will also be directed to tax cuts.
I also refer to a different survey from that referred to by the Minister for
Transport; that is, the Curtin Business School–Chamber of Commerce and
Industry of Western Australia survey of consumer confidence, which found that
utility prices were adding to household budgets, with 75 per cent of
respondents reporting an increase in spending compared with a year ago, and
that 63 per cent of respondents said that utility costs would have a major
impact on them over the rest of the year. Given that the Premier's
budget has a further 22 per cent, or $252 million, increase in dividends from
the state's public corporations, will he commit to directing those
moneys to easing the cost-of-living pressure on Western Australian families?
AnswerView source ↗
A lot of factors impact on the cost
of living, particularly for young families if they are in rental accommodation,
including food prices and certainly utility prices and electricity prices.
Members of the public will not easily be fooled. They want to see the situation
resolved properly. They want to see the electricity utilities and, indeed, the
Water Corporation and the transport authorities operating efficiently and in a
financially sound position. This government will not be dishonest to the
public, as the Labor Party was.
Several members interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
It was not honest. At no stage was it honest about electricity prices, and it
knows that.
Mr M.P. Whitely interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Bassendean!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
The member for Victoria Park referred to the forward estimates. He knows my
views on forward estimates. They are not the budget; they are an estimate by
Treasury of what might happen. In the last budget, electricity prices increased
by five per cent—slightly above the rate of inflation. We hope that
something similar will happen in this year's budget. The community of
Western Australia has, I guess, taken the hard decision that two years of big
increases have broken the back of the problem. This year electricity consumers
will be interested in the impact of Labor's carbon tax.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Forrestfield, I formally call you to order for the
second time today.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : The one —
Mr
M.P. Whitely : Show us your compensation package!
The
SPEAKER : Member for Victoria Park, I expect you would like some answers to
these questions, and I think you might also like the chance of a supplementary
question. Member for Bassendean, I formally call you to order for the first
time today.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : By far the biggest impact on utility prices this year will be
Labor's carbon tax, so it is a fair question to ask the shadow
Treasurer or, indeed the Leader of the Opposition: Does Labor support Julia
Gillard's carbon tax—yes or no? Does the Leader of the
Opposition support it? Before Christmas he said he did. We want to know the
answer.
Mr
M. McGowan : You're on the record as supporting it!
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : Does the Leader of the Opposition support it?
Mr
M. McGowan : You're on the record supporting it!
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : I want to know: does the Labor Party of Western Australia
support Julia Gillard's Labor carbon tax, yes or no? Does the Leader of
the Opposition support it? Can he answer a simple question: does he support it?
Yes or no? Everyone is watching; all of Western Australia is watching. Does the
Leader of the Opposition support the carbon tax? I do not; does he? He cannot
answer the question.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : I see you have not forgotten, member for Pilbara. I formally call
you to order for the first time today. Premier, I do not know that your asking
questions of the opposition is going to help the process. I am going to give
the call to the member for Victoria Park to ask a supplementary question.
of living, particularly for young families if they are in rental accommodation,
including food prices and certainly utility prices and electricity prices.
Members of the public will not easily be fooled. They want to see the situation
resolved properly. They want to see the electricity utilities and, indeed, the
Water Corporation and the transport authorities operating efficiently and in a
financially sound position. This government will not be dishonest to the
public, as the Labor Party was.
Several members interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
It was not honest. At no stage was it honest about electricity prices, and it
knows that.
Mr M.P. Whitely interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Bassendean!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
The member for Victoria Park referred to the forward estimates. He knows my
views on forward estimates. They are not the budget; they are an estimate by
Treasury of what might happen. In the last budget, electricity prices increased
by five per cent—slightly above the rate of inflation. We hope that
something similar will happen in this year's budget. The community of
Western Australia has, I guess, taken the hard decision that two years of big
increases have broken the back of the problem. This year electricity consumers
will be interested in the impact of Labor's carbon tax.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Forrestfield, I formally call you to order for the
second time today.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : The one —
Mr
M.P. Whitely : Show us your compensation package!
The
SPEAKER : Member for Victoria Park, I expect you would like some answers to
these questions, and I think you might also like the chance of a supplementary
question. Member for Bassendean, I formally call you to order for the first
time today.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : By far the biggest impact on utility prices this year will be
Labor's carbon tax, so it is a fair question to ask the shadow
Treasurer or, indeed the Leader of the Opposition: Does Labor support Julia
Gillard's carbon tax—yes or no? Does the Leader of the
Opposition support it? Before Christmas he said he did. We want to know the
answer.
Mr
M. McGowan : You're on the record as supporting it!
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : Does the Leader of the Opposition support it?
Mr
M. McGowan : You're on the record supporting it!
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : I want to know: does the Labor Party of Western Australia
support Julia Gillard's Labor carbon tax, yes or no? Does the Leader of
the Opposition support it? Can he answer a simple question: does he support it?
Yes or no? Everyone is watching; all of Western Australia is watching. Does the
Leader of the Opposition support the carbon tax? I do not; does he? He cannot
answer the question.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : I see you have not forgotten, member for Pilbara. I formally call
you to order for the first time today. Premier, I do not know that your asking
questions of the opposition is going to help the process. I am going to give
the call to the member for Victoria Park to ask a supplementary question.
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