❓ Mrs. Harvey questions the Premier about increased Water Corporation dividends conflicting with budget repair claims, given rising hardship grant applications. The Premier defends the dividend policy, accuses the opposition of planning to sell the Water Corporation, and denies any changes.
AnsweredQoN 581Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
WATER CORPORATION — DIVIDENDS
581. Mrs L.M. HARVEY to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question.
Given the massive increase in applications for hardship utility grant scheme
grants, I would say that the increases in electricity and water prices are very
relevant.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Could you just start with that one again? I could not hear a word.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Premier!
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members!
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : The $4 billion coming out of the budget over the forward estimates
from the Water Corporation is not consistent with the previous forward
estimates. It is an increase on the Premier's watch.
Ms
M.M. Quirk interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members! Member for Girrawheen, I call you to order for the first time.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : The
Premier has put these increases in place in the name of budget repair. How can
he claim budget repair, given that he has increased debt, increased the deficit,
and increased net debt?
The SPEAKER : I do
not think that was a question, but you can answer it if you want to, Premier.
581. Mrs L.M. HARVEY to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question.
Given the massive increase in applications for hardship utility grant scheme
grants, I would say that the increases in electricity and water prices are very
relevant.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Could you just start with that one again? I could not hear a word.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Premier!
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members!
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : The $4 billion coming out of the budget over the forward estimates
from the Water Corporation is not consistent with the previous forward
estimates. It is an increase on the Premier's watch.
Ms
M.M. Quirk interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members! Member for Girrawheen, I call you to order for the first time.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : The
Premier has put these increases in place in the name of budget repair. How can
he claim budget repair, given that he has increased debt, increased the deficit,
and increased net debt?
The SPEAKER : I do
not think that was a question, but you can answer it if you want to, Premier.
AnswerView source ↗
The Treasurer has helpfully informed
me that there has been no change to the dividend policy of the Water Corporation
from the dividend policy that was there when we were elected. I want to make
one other thing plain. The Water Corporation is a natural monopoly. It is owned
by the taxpayers of Western Australia, and makes a return to the taxpayers of Western
Australia. I think that is a pretty good outcome. It is a natural monopoly, and
it makes a return to the people of the state—so it goes to funding
schools, hospitals, police and the like. That is what it does, because it
provides that return. We know, because we saw it before the last election, that
the opposition wants to sell these things. I can sense a train of thought from
the member for Scarborough. She is heading in the direction of wanting to sell
the Water Corporation, so in the next few years we will see Western Power and
the Water Corporation on the chopping block of the Liberals and Nationals. We
will be happy to fight those campaigns. We won the last election —
Mrs L.M. Harvey : Don't
mislead the house; I never said that.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I can
sense what the member is thinking. I have watched her in operation now for the
last eight and a half years, and I know what she is thinking before she even
asks it. This is another example of that. We are not selling the Water
Corporation. We are retaining the forward estimates that the former government
had. We are retaining the same dividend policy. The opposition should improve
its questions.
The SPEAKER : That is the end of question time.
me that there has been no change to the dividend policy of the Water Corporation
from the dividend policy that was there when we were elected. I want to make
one other thing plain. The Water Corporation is a natural monopoly. It is owned
by the taxpayers of Western Australia, and makes a return to the taxpayers of Western
Australia. I think that is a pretty good outcome. It is a natural monopoly, and
it makes a return to the people of the state—so it goes to funding
schools, hospitals, police and the like. That is what it does, because it
provides that return. We know, because we saw it before the last election, that
the opposition wants to sell these things. I can sense a train of thought from
the member for Scarborough. She is heading in the direction of wanting to sell
the Water Corporation, so in the next few years we will see Western Power and
the Water Corporation on the chopping block of the Liberals and Nationals. We
will be happy to fight those campaigns. We won the last election —
Mrs L.M. Harvey : Don't
mislead the house; I never said that.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I can
sense what the member is thinking. I have watched her in operation now for the
last eight and a half years, and I know what she is thinking before she even
asks it. This is another example of that. We are not selling the Water
Corporation. We are retaining the forward estimates that the former government
had. We are retaining the same dividend policy. The opposition should improve
its questions.
The SPEAKER : That is the end of question time.
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