❓ Ms. Rowe asks about the government's support for vulnerable children and families facing cost-of-living pressures, and how it compares to the previous Liberal-National government. The Minister details specific initiatives like one-off payments, increased grandcarer payments, and Home Stretch WA, highlighting a $2.7 billion investment in cost-of-living relief.
AnsweredQoN 99Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
COST OF LIVING —
FAMILIES AND CARERS SUPPORT
99. Ms C.M. ROWE to the Minister for Community Services:
I refer to the Cook Labor
government's commitment to support Western Australian families with
cost-of-living challenges.
(1) Can the minister advise the house how this
government has provided targeted measures to support vulnerable children
and their carers?
(2) Can the minister advise the house how this
government's record of supporting vulnerable people compares with that of the Liberals–Nationals?
FAMILIES AND CARERS SUPPORT
99. Ms C.M. ROWE to the Minister for Community Services:
I refer to the Cook Labor
government's commitment to support Western Australian families with
cost-of-living challenges.
(1) Can the minister advise the house how this
government has provided targeted measures to support vulnerable children
and their carers?
(2) Can the minister advise the house how this
government's record of supporting vulnerable people compares with that of the Liberals–Nationals?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for Belmont for her question. I put on record again in
this place her incredible advocacy for grandcarers in particular. I meet with
them regularly, and they often mention the member for Belmont as a longstanding
champion for their cause.
The Cook government recognises and
values those who step up to look after vulnerable children and young people
when they need it most. This includes people who open their homes to care for
our vulnerable children—people like grandcarers who provide the primary
care for their grandchildren; and foster carers, family carers and special
guardianship carers who care for children and young people in out-of-home care.
Back in December, the Premier and I,
together with the member for Belmont, announced a much-needed one-off
cost-of-living payment that saw eligible carers receive a one-off payment of
$500 for the first child in their care and $250 for any additional child as a cost-relief
measure. In total, that is a $3.6 million investment
going to those families caring for our vulnerable children. That payment was
delivered in late January. As any of us who are parents would know, January
is one of the toughest times of the year when it comes to taking kids back to
school. It was only on Monday that I met with Dianne and Alan from Grandparents
Raising Grandchildren WA who said the feedback on the impact and importance of
that payment at this time of year has been extraordinary. I am happy to report
back to the house that that cost-of-living relief payment has delivered relief
for 8 000 children across the state. Our government is proud to continue to
support families caring for vulnerable children.
It builds on our other cost-of-living
measures that impact in a positive way to support vulnerable families. We have
delivered on our election commitment to boost the grandcarers payment because,
under the previous government, it was only $400,
whereas now grandcarers get $1 000 per year per child. This is a significant
uplift from what was available under the previous government. Our flagship Home
Stretch WA, a $37 million investment, supports young people aged 18 to
21 years leaving out-of-home care. This is significant assistance providing
those vulnerable people with much-needed support. We boosted the hardship
utilities grant of course. In broader terms, we often hear in this house about
the significant suite of cost-of-living
measures that the Cook Labor government has delivered, including some $1
400 worth of electricity credits; the cap on public transport fees to two
zones; free public transport for schoolchildren;
free public transport for all people on Sundays; and, one that sometimes gets
forgotten, but I know my previous predecessor used to highlight in this
place, delivering on a 2017 election commitment that reinstated financial
counselling. That is something that the previous government took away. I know
that when I talk to vulnerable families right now, financial counsel is a critical
part as they face the challenges of the cost-of-living pressures with which
they are dealing. We know what electricity prices were like under the previous
government, and we also know what the opposition's position was when
the federal Labor government recently made tax changes, which means the most
vulnerable families in our society will receive a much-needed tax cut and which
the opposition opposed.
Altogether, in five years, some $2.7 billion
worth of cost-of-living relief has been delivered by this Labor government.
That is $2.7 billion over five years, and each and every day, those measures
are having a significant and positive impact on the most vulnerable families in
Western Australia. I can reassure members that the Cook Labor government will
continue to support vulnerable families and do everything it can to support
them.
thank the member for Belmont for her question. I put on record again in
this place her incredible advocacy for grandcarers in particular. I meet with
them regularly, and they often mention the member for Belmont as a longstanding
champion for their cause.
The Cook government recognises and
values those who step up to look after vulnerable children and young people
when they need it most. This includes people who open their homes to care for
our vulnerable children—people like grandcarers who provide the primary
care for their grandchildren; and foster carers, family carers and special
guardianship carers who care for children and young people in out-of-home care.
Back in December, the Premier and I,
together with the member for Belmont, announced a much-needed one-off
cost-of-living payment that saw eligible carers receive a one-off payment of
$500 for the first child in their care and $250 for any additional child as a cost-relief
measure. In total, that is a $3.6 million investment
going to those families caring for our vulnerable children. That payment was
delivered in late January. As any of us who are parents would know, January
is one of the toughest times of the year when it comes to taking kids back to
school. It was only on Monday that I met with Dianne and Alan from Grandparents
Raising Grandchildren WA who said the feedback on the impact and importance of
that payment at this time of year has been extraordinary. I am happy to report
back to the house that that cost-of-living relief payment has delivered relief
for 8 000 children across the state. Our government is proud to continue to
support families caring for vulnerable children.
It builds on our other cost-of-living
measures that impact in a positive way to support vulnerable families. We have
delivered on our election commitment to boost the grandcarers payment because,
under the previous government, it was only $400,
whereas now grandcarers get $1 000 per year per child. This is a significant
uplift from what was available under the previous government. Our flagship Home
Stretch WA, a $37 million investment, supports young people aged 18 to
21 years leaving out-of-home care. This is significant assistance providing
those vulnerable people with much-needed support. We boosted the hardship
utilities grant of course. In broader terms, we often hear in this house about
the significant suite of cost-of-living
measures that the Cook Labor government has delivered, including some $1
400 worth of electricity credits; the cap on public transport fees to two
zones; free public transport for schoolchildren;
free public transport for all people on Sundays; and, one that sometimes gets
forgotten, but I know my previous predecessor used to highlight in this
place, delivering on a 2017 election commitment that reinstated financial
counselling. That is something that the previous government took away. I know
that when I talk to vulnerable families right now, financial counsel is a critical
part as they face the challenges of the cost-of-living pressures with which
they are dealing. We know what electricity prices were like under the previous
government, and we also know what the opposition's position was when
the federal Labor government recently made tax changes, which means the most
vulnerable families in our society will receive a much-needed tax cut and which
the opposition opposed.
Altogether, in five years, some $2.7 billion
worth of cost-of-living relief has been delivered by this Labor government.
That is $2.7 billion over five years, and each and every day, those measures
are having a significant and positive impact on the most vulnerable families in
Western Australia. I can reassure members that the Cook Labor government will
continue to support vulnerable families and do everything it can to support
them.
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