❓ Dr. Nahan questions the Premier on the impact of federal Labor's negative gearing policies on WA homeowners. The Premier deflects, highlighting job creation and infrastructure projects under his government.
AnsweredQoN 196Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
HOUSE PRICES —
PREMIER'S COMMENTS
196. Dr M.D. NAHAN to the Premier:
That is real leadership on his side!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, please!
Mr W.J. Johnston interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister for
Mines and Petroleum, I call you to order for the first time.
Dr M.D. NAHAN : I have a supplementary
question. Given there are close to 80 000 Western Australian families with
negative equity in their home, a figure that has continued to rise under his
government, why has he sold out these families and our state by supporting Bill
Shorten's negative gearing and capital gains tax?
PREMIER'S COMMENTS
196. Dr M.D. NAHAN to the Premier:
That is real leadership on his side!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, please!
Mr W.J. Johnston interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister for
Mines and Petroleum, I call you to order for the first time.
Dr M.D. NAHAN : I have a supplementary
question. Given there are close to 80 000 Western Australian families with
negative equity in their home, a figure that has continued to rise under his
government, why has he sold out these families and our state by supporting Bill
Shorten's negative gearing and capital gains tax?
AnswerView source ↗
Mr Speaker —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! Do you
not want to hear the answer?
Dr M.D. Nahan : That's
what's funding Ellenbrook.
Mr M. McGOWAN : The Leader of
the Opposition is opposed to the Morley–Ellenbrook railway line.
Dr M.D. Nahan interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : They promised
it twice in two elections.
Dr M.D. Nahan interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
Opposition, I call you to order for the second time.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Colin Barnett
was out there banging in signs saying he was going to build it, then members
opposite did not deliver it—in two elections. We are building it,
predominantly funded by the commonwealth, and members opposite hate it.
I think that it is a good time for Western
Australians to go out there and get into the property market. The fact of the
matter is that houses and housing is now more affordable than it has been for a
considerable period. Although the Liberal Party love to talk everything down,
the fact of the matter is that since we have been in office, 36 000 additional
jobs have been created in Western Australia.
Mr I.C. Blayney interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Geraldton!
Mr M. McGOWAN : In the Liberal–National
government's last two years in office, it lost 25 000 jobs. Those are
the facts. In today's unemployment figures—admittedly, they are
volatile and bounce around a bit—we saw a considerable improvement.
Mr D.C. Nalder interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Bateman!
Mr M. McGOWAN : A further 36 000
people in work is greater than the entire population of Kalgoorlie–Boulder,
and that is for new jobs that have been created under this government.
Dr M.D. Nahan interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
Opposition, you are on three calls. This is your last warning.
Mr M. McGOWAN : There are so
many I cannot recall them all, but over recent weeks, we have seen
announcements for additional funding for tourism marketing overseas and the
waste-to-energy project in Kwinana. On Sunday, we announced the extension of
the Mitchell Freeway north. There are 250 jobs at Austal Ships. This government
is supporting the liquefied natural gas and oil and gas industry in Western Australia.
Over recent months, we have seen the announcement of major expansions in the
mining industry and a range of industries across Western Australia. The outcome
is that now close to 36 000 additional jobs have been created in Western Australia
since we have been in office. I think we have some cause for optimism in Western
Australia. I do not think that the economy is going to go back to the boom
conditions of 2011, 2012 and 2013. I do not think that that will happen, but I think
there is cause for optimism. Certainly, when I talk to the business community,
I hear that it is optimistic. It knows that the boom will not happen again. I do
not think it will happen again in my lifetime, because the take-off of China
happens only once. However, we are seeing lots of important projects getting
off the ground and high levels of business confidence and higher levels of
consumer confidence in Western Australia. The government has the state's
finances back on track.
Point of Order
Dr M.D. NAHAN : The question
was clear. The question was about his support for Bill Shorten's negative
gearing and capital gains tax —
The SPEAKER : It is not a point
of order.
Mr S.K. L'ESTRANGE : I
have a point of order.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : It better not be
on the last one, because I already ruled on that.
Mr S.K. L'ESTRANGE :
No, I am making my own, thank you, Mr Speaker. Standing order 78 states that an
answer must be relevant to the question.
Several members interjected.
Mr S.K. L'ESTRANGE : It is separate, and I have
referred to the standing order.
The SPEAKER : Members, when
you are in opposition, you ask the government ministers questions. They can
answer how they want. If they think it is relevant, it is relevant. It is the
same as when you were on the other side. If members can remember being on the
other side, the previous Speaker said that it is up to the minister to answer
the question how he or she sees fit.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr M. McGOWAN : The question
was about the housing market. I am talking about reasons for confidence in Western
Australia. We should encourage people to get out there and into the housing
market. I think that is a pretty straightforward connection, if members ask me.
We have seen declines in house prices in Melbourne and Sydney. They have been
very significant, and far greater in percentage terms than those we have seen
in Western Australia. We often cannot win with house prices. I remember that
last time I was a minister, everyone in the Liberal Party was complaining that
house prices were too high and now they are complaining that they are too low.
We cannot win. The reality is that it is a good time to buy. The property and
housing sectors are at one on that. Anyone with a modicum of commonsense who
understands the property market would agree with that.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! Do you
not want to hear the answer?
Dr M.D. Nahan : That's
what's funding Ellenbrook.
Mr M. McGOWAN : The Leader of
the Opposition is opposed to the Morley–Ellenbrook railway line.
Dr M.D. Nahan interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : They promised
it twice in two elections.
Dr M.D. Nahan interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
Opposition, I call you to order for the second time.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Colin Barnett
was out there banging in signs saying he was going to build it, then members
opposite did not deliver it—in two elections. We are building it,
predominantly funded by the commonwealth, and members opposite hate it.
I think that it is a good time for Western
Australians to go out there and get into the property market. The fact of the
matter is that houses and housing is now more affordable than it has been for a
considerable period. Although the Liberal Party love to talk everything down,
the fact of the matter is that since we have been in office, 36 000 additional
jobs have been created in Western Australia.
Mr I.C. Blayney interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Geraldton!
Mr M. McGOWAN : In the Liberal–National
government's last two years in office, it lost 25 000 jobs. Those are
the facts. In today's unemployment figures—admittedly, they are
volatile and bounce around a bit—we saw a considerable improvement.
Mr D.C. Nalder interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Bateman!
Mr M. McGOWAN : A further 36 000
people in work is greater than the entire population of Kalgoorlie–Boulder,
and that is for new jobs that have been created under this government.
Dr M.D. Nahan interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
Opposition, you are on three calls. This is your last warning.
Mr M. McGOWAN : There are so
many I cannot recall them all, but over recent weeks, we have seen
announcements for additional funding for tourism marketing overseas and the
waste-to-energy project in Kwinana. On Sunday, we announced the extension of
the Mitchell Freeway north. There are 250 jobs at Austal Ships. This government
is supporting the liquefied natural gas and oil and gas industry in Western Australia.
Over recent months, we have seen the announcement of major expansions in the
mining industry and a range of industries across Western Australia. The outcome
is that now close to 36 000 additional jobs have been created in Western Australia
since we have been in office. I think we have some cause for optimism in Western
Australia. I do not think that the economy is going to go back to the boom
conditions of 2011, 2012 and 2013. I do not think that that will happen, but I think
there is cause for optimism. Certainly, when I talk to the business community,
I hear that it is optimistic. It knows that the boom will not happen again. I do
not think it will happen again in my lifetime, because the take-off of China
happens only once. However, we are seeing lots of important projects getting
off the ground and high levels of business confidence and higher levels of
consumer confidence in Western Australia. The government has the state's
finances back on track.
Point of Order
Dr M.D. NAHAN : The question
was clear. The question was about his support for Bill Shorten's negative
gearing and capital gains tax —
The SPEAKER : It is not a point
of order.
Mr S.K. L'ESTRANGE : I
have a point of order.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : It better not be
on the last one, because I already ruled on that.
Mr S.K. L'ESTRANGE :
No, I am making my own, thank you, Mr Speaker. Standing order 78 states that an
answer must be relevant to the question.
Several members interjected.
Mr S.K. L'ESTRANGE : It is separate, and I have
referred to the standing order.
The SPEAKER : Members, when
you are in opposition, you ask the government ministers questions. They can
answer how they want. If they think it is relevant, it is relevant. It is the
same as when you were on the other side. If members can remember being on the
other side, the previous Speaker said that it is up to the minister to answer
the question how he or she sees fit.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr M. McGOWAN : The question
was about the housing market. I am talking about reasons for confidence in Western
Australia. We should encourage people to get out there and into the housing
market. I think that is a pretty straightforward connection, if members ask me.
We have seen declines in house prices in Melbourne and Sydney. They have been
very significant, and far greater in percentage terms than those we have seen
in Western Australia. We often cannot win with house prices. I remember that
last time I was a minister, everyone in the Liberal Party was complaining that
house prices were too high and now they are complaining that they are too low.
We cannot win. The reality is that it is a good time to buy. The property and
housing sectors are at one on that. Anyone with a modicum of commonsense who
understands the property market would agree with that.
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