❓ Mr Punch asks about water rebates for pensioners in public housing in Busselton. The Minister responds, highlighting the previous government's inaction and detailing the current government's efforts to provide the rebate.
AnsweredQoN 710Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
WATER —
PENSIONER REBATES — PUBLIC HOUSING, BUSSELTON
710. Mr D.T. PUNCH to the Minister for Water:
(1) Can the
minister update the house on how the McGowan Labor government is supporting
pensioners in public housing in Busselton to reduce the cost of their water
bills?
(2) Can the minister
advise how this government's approach compares to the way those same
pensioners were treated by the previous Liberal–National government?
PENSIONER REBATES — PUBLIC HOUSING, BUSSELTON
710. Mr D.T. PUNCH to the Minister for Water:
(1) Can the
minister update the house on how the McGowan Labor government is supporting
pensioners in public housing in Busselton to reduce the cost of their water
bills?
(2) Can the minister
advise how this government's approach compares to the way those same
pensioners were treated by the previous Liberal–National government?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Bunbury for
the question.
(1)–(2) I
am delighted to update the house. As most members in this house know, being
good local members, pensioners are entitled to a 50 per cent rebate on a portion
of their water usage. That applies across Western Australia, unless, of course,
up until now, they lived in the area serviced by Busselton Water. Until now,
pensioners in public housing in the area serviced by Busselton Water had been
denied that 50 per cent rebate.
Ms M.J. Davies : The cheapest
water in the state.
Mr D.J. KELLY : What did I hear?
What a disgrace?
Ms M.J. Davies : The cheapest
water in the state.
Mr D.J. KELLY : Sorry; the
member for Central Wheatbelt said that they do not deserve it because they get
the cheapest water in the state.
Several members interjected.
Point of Order
Mr V.A.
CATANIA : The minister is misleading what the member for Central
Wheatbelt said.
The SPEAKER : Excuse me. When
you have a point of order, you get up, you tell me what the point of order is.
You just do not say that the minister did that. What is your point of order?
Mr V.A. CATANIA : The minister
is misrepresenting the Leader of the Nationals WA and the comments that she
made.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Vasse, I call you to order for the second time.
Mr D.J. KELLY : When I discovered
that pensioners in public housing in Busselton were denied that pensioner
rebate, I immediately set about to remedy that situation.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Vasse, I call you to order for
the third time.
Mr D.J. KELLY : What it
required were some discussions with the Minister for Housing in order to ensure
that Busselton Water and the Department of Communities would talk to each other
to identify those public housing tenants who were entitled to the rebate, and
the rebate is now available to them. There are potentially 500 people.
Ms R. Saffioti : You'd
think the local member would support it?
Mr D.J. KELLY : Yes; you would
like to think so.
The SPEAKER : Minister for
Transport!
Mr D.J. KELLY : There are
approximately 500 pensioners in the Busselton area who until now have not had
that rebate available to them. It staggers me that the previous government
allowed this situation to continue. Just in case members are wondering, it
required discussions between the Minister for Water and the Minister for
Housing to get this done. I could do put your hands up if you were a Minister
for Water in the previous government, but I will not do that; I will let
members know. Graham Jacobs was one Minister for Water. The member for Nedlands
was a Minister for Water under the previous government, and he did nothing
about this issue. The member for Warren–Blackwood was a Minister for
Water and he did nothing to remedy this situation. Surprise, surprise—the
member for Central Wheatbelt was also a Minister for Water under the previous
government and she did nothing about it. As she just indicated, she believes
the residents of Busselton do not deserve it because they have the cheapest
water in the state. I do not care. Pensioners deserve every rebate they are
entitled to, including pensioners in public housing in Busselton. Four
ministers for water did nothing about this in eight and a half years.
Ministers for housing—they
are the landlords—should have taken an interest in this. Under the
previous government, of course, we had Troy Buswell, who was the first Minister
for Housing. He was also the member for Vasse, remember. He did nothing to
assist his constituents.
Point of Order
Mrs L.M.
HARVEY : The minister has now been on his feet for over four minutes.
It is a dorothy dixer in question time before a two-week break.
Ms S. Winton interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Wanneroo, I call you to order for the first time. Wrap this up, minister.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr D.J. KELLY : It is a long
list. I will go through them quickly. After Troy Buswell, we had the member for
Nedlands, who was the Minister for Housing, who went from the water portfolio
to the housing portfolio. We had Troy Buswell again, who did nothing about it.
We then had the member for Warren–Blackwood, who became the Minister
for Housing having been the Minister for Water; he did nothing about it. The
housing portfolio went back to the member for Nedlands. Again, he did nothing
about it. It then went to Hon Colin Holt, who did nothing about this issue. It
then went to Hon Brendon Grylls, the then member for Pilbara, as Minister for
Housing, who did nothing about it. On my calculations, that is four ministers
for water and seven ministers for housing who did nothing about dealing with
this issue to ensure pensioners in public housing in Busselton got the rebates
that they deserved.
The only person I will give any
credit to on the other side on this issue is the current member for Vasse, who
last year wrote to me, urging me to get on and remedy this problem. Mind you,
she had been the local member since October 2014 and had not managed to get the
issue resolved. After two years as a government backbencher, the issue was not
resolved. I am pleased to inform the house and the member for Vasse that I have
now resolved this issue so that public housing tenants in the seat of Busselton
now get the rebates that they deserve.
the question.
(1)–(2) I
am delighted to update the house. As most members in this house know, being
good local members, pensioners are entitled to a 50 per cent rebate on a portion
of their water usage. That applies across Western Australia, unless, of course,
up until now, they lived in the area serviced by Busselton Water. Until now,
pensioners in public housing in the area serviced by Busselton Water had been
denied that 50 per cent rebate.
Ms M.J. Davies : The cheapest
water in the state.
Mr D.J. KELLY : What did I hear?
What a disgrace?
Ms M.J. Davies : The cheapest
water in the state.
Mr D.J. KELLY : Sorry; the
member for Central Wheatbelt said that they do not deserve it because they get
the cheapest water in the state.
Several members interjected.
Point of Order
Mr V.A.
CATANIA : The minister is misleading what the member for Central
Wheatbelt said.
The SPEAKER : Excuse me. When
you have a point of order, you get up, you tell me what the point of order is.
You just do not say that the minister did that. What is your point of order?
Mr V.A. CATANIA : The minister
is misrepresenting the Leader of the Nationals WA and the comments that she
made.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Vasse, I call you to order for the second time.
Mr D.J. KELLY : When I discovered
that pensioners in public housing in Busselton were denied that pensioner
rebate, I immediately set about to remedy that situation.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Vasse, I call you to order for
the third time.
Mr D.J. KELLY : What it
required were some discussions with the Minister for Housing in order to ensure
that Busselton Water and the Department of Communities would talk to each other
to identify those public housing tenants who were entitled to the rebate, and
the rebate is now available to them. There are potentially 500 people.
Ms R. Saffioti : You'd
think the local member would support it?
Mr D.J. KELLY : Yes; you would
like to think so.
The SPEAKER : Minister for
Transport!
Mr D.J. KELLY : There are
approximately 500 pensioners in the Busselton area who until now have not had
that rebate available to them. It staggers me that the previous government
allowed this situation to continue. Just in case members are wondering, it
required discussions between the Minister for Water and the Minister for
Housing to get this done. I could do put your hands up if you were a Minister
for Water in the previous government, but I will not do that; I will let
members know. Graham Jacobs was one Minister for Water. The member for Nedlands
was a Minister for Water under the previous government, and he did nothing
about this issue. The member for Warren–Blackwood was a Minister for
Water and he did nothing to remedy this situation. Surprise, surprise—the
member for Central Wheatbelt was also a Minister for Water under the previous
government and she did nothing about it. As she just indicated, she believes
the residents of Busselton do not deserve it because they have the cheapest
water in the state. I do not care. Pensioners deserve every rebate they are
entitled to, including pensioners in public housing in Busselton. Four
ministers for water did nothing about this in eight and a half years.
Ministers for housing—they
are the landlords—should have taken an interest in this. Under the
previous government, of course, we had Troy Buswell, who was the first Minister
for Housing. He was also the member for Vasse, remember. He did nothing to
assist his constituents.
Point of Order
Mrs L.M.
HARVEY : The minister has now been on his feet for over four minutes.
It is a dorothy dixer in question time before a two-week break.
Ms S. Winton interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Wanneroo, I call you to order for the first time. Wrap this up, minister.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr D.J. KELLY : It is a long
list. I will go through them quickly. After Troy Buswell, we had the member for
Nedlands, who was the Minister for Housing, who went from the water portfolio
to the housing portfolio. We had Troy Buswell again, who did nothing about it.
We then had the member for Warren–Blackwood, who became the Minister
for Housing having been the Minister for Water; he did nothing about it. The
housing portfolio went back to the member for Nedlands. Again, he did nothing
about it. It then went to Hon Colin Holt, who did nothing about this issue. It
then went to Hon Brendon Grylls, the then member for Pilbara, as Minister for
Housing, who did nothing about it. On my calculations, that is four ministers
for water and seven ministers for housing who did nothing about dealing with
this issue to ensure pensioners in public housing in Busselton got the rebates
that they deserved.
The only person I will give any
credit to on the other side on this issue is the current member for Vasse, who
last year wrote to me, urging me to get on and remedy this problem. Mind you,
she had been the local member since October 2014 and had not managed to get the
issue resolved. After two years as a government backbencher, the issue was not
resolved. I am pleased to inform the house and the member for Vasse that I have
now resolved this issue so that public housing tenants in the seat of Busselton
now get the rebates that they deserve.
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