❓ Mrs. Hayden questions Premier McGowan about cuts to seniors' rebates and a proposed retiree tax. The Premier initially deflects, then defends the changes as necessary to address state debt, highlighting Labor's history with the Seniors Card and criticising the Liberal Party.
AnsweredQoN 433Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
SENIORS — COST-OF-LIVING INCREASES
433. Mrs A.K. HAYDEN to the Premier:
I refer to the Premier's response yesterday in the
house, when he confirmed he was completely unaware of his mean-spirited cuts to
WA seniors. I refer the Premier also to his government's media release
in July 2017, and I quote —
As of July 1, 2017, for households
with only a WA Seniors Card, these rebates will be capped at $100 each. This
measure will save an estimated $84 million.
Why is the Premier so out of touch with the harm he is
inflicting on seniors, including cuts to seniors' rebates, and his
failed attempt to inflict Labor's harmful retiree tax?
433. Mrs A.K. HAYDEN to the Premier:
I refer to the Premier's response yesterday in the
house, when he confirmed he was completely unaware of his mean-spirited cuts to
WA seniors. I refer the Premier also to his government's media release
in July 2017, and I quote —
As of July 1, 2017, for households
with only a WA Seniors Card, these rebates will be capped at $100 each. This
measure will save an estimated $84 million.
Why is the Premier so out of touch with the harm he is
inflicting on seniors, including cuts to seniors' rebates, and his
failed attempt to inflict Labor's harmful retiree tax?
AnswerView source ↗
Can I ask the member for Darling Range a question? Are you
one of those cowards the member for Scarborough is referring to? Are you one of
those cowards?
Point of Order
Mrs A.K. HAYDEN : I have a point of order.
The SPEAKER : Have you finished your question?
Mrs A.K. HAYDEN : Yes.
The SPEAKER : Okay. What is your point of order?
Mrs A.K. HAYDEN : Standing order 78 states —
An answer must be relevant to the
question.
We are in question time. The Premier ought to answer what he
was asked.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! The Premier.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr M. McGOWAN : I will explain to the member. We made
some changes in 2017 to deal with the forty-plus billion dollars' worth
of debt left by the Liberals and Nationals. That is what we did. If the member
wants to know the history of the Seniors Card, it was a Labor initiative. The
member would not know. Her knowledge of history is not great. It was a Labor
initiative. It offers a range of discounts to people across the community. It
is the most generous card of its type in the entire country. I repeat: there is
a significant issue in Western Australia today. That is the fact that the
Liberal Party will not reveal —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, if you keep interjecting, there
will be no MPI.
Mr M. McGOWAN : The Liberal Party will not reveal the
secret deal between the Leader of the Liberal Party and the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party, and what has gone on and what
arrangements are in place in the Liberal Party in relation to these
matters. I think the public of Western Australia has a right to know what is
going on. The Leader of the Opposition will not even ask me a question. He is
too afraid to stand up and ask a question, because he might have to explain
himself. The Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party sits there, tapping away on her
phone, and paying no attention to Parliament, like usual, so that she does not
have to stand up.
Point of Order
Dr D.J. HONEY : Mr
Speaker —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, if you keep going, we will not have
time to do the MPI.
Dr D.J. HONEY : My point of order is under standing
order 78. This has nothing whatever to do with the question asked by the
member.
The SPEAKER : Okay. It is not a point of order.
Premier, you will get back to the point.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr M. McGOWAN : Considering that the member for
Cottesloe stood up, I want to quote what he had to say last night. He was asked
a question, ''Will the member for Riverton be the leader at the next
election?'', and he answered, ''I'm sure he'll be
there this morning''! I think you are the anonymous coward! I think you
are the one who the member for Scarborough is referring to! I think it is you,
and I think it is the member for Bateman.
Withdrawal of Remark
Dr D.J.
HONEY : Mr Speaker, I believe that the Premier used an
unparliamentary term in referring to me—it is standing order 92. He
referred to me as a coward, Mr Speaker.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : I never heard
it. Premier, withdraw, if you did say that, please.
Mr M. McGOWAN :
I withdraw —
The SPEAKER : No, no more.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I have not
finished my answer.
The SPEAKER : No. I am saying
no more on the withdrawal.
Questions without
Notice Resumed
Mr M. McGOWAN : I note that
the government spends $2.4 billion on concessions and subsidies to support
families and seniors across Western Australia, and they have been indexed in
the budget in line with inflation. The energy assistance payment has been
increased to $300, and is paid to around 200 000 households. The dependent child
rebate has been indexed and is $320 for the first child and $83 for each
subsequent child. The cost-of-living rebate and the water services rebate is 25
per cent for seniors and 50 per cent for concession card holders. The local
government rates rebate is 25 per cent for seniors and 50 per cent for
concession card holders.
Mrs A.K. Hayden interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member!
Mr M. McGOWAN : The emergency
services levy rebate is 25 per cent for seniors and 50 per cent for concession
card holders.
The SPEAKER : Premier, you are
running out of time.
Mr M. McGOWAN : She asked me a
question, Mr Speaker.
We have reinstated financial
counselling for those people in need, which the former government got rid of,
by the Salvation Army and organisations like that. We have reinstated funding
for the hardship utility grant program, and grants of up to $581 are available.
One
thing that the people of Western Australia and Australia can always be assured
of is that only Labor stands up for
people who are on lower incomes, people who might struggle in life, people who
need support. It is always Labor.
Dr M.D. Nahan : What a joke!
Mr M. McGOWAN : The Leader of
the Opposition has the courage to interject, but he does not have the courage
to stand and ask a question. The member for Scarborough sits there, while
plotting for the leadership. Both of them need to come clean on exactly what is
going on.
The SPEAKER : That is the end
of question time.
one of those cowards the member for Scarborough is referring to? Are you one of
those cowards?
Point of Order
Mrs A.K. HAYDEN : I have a point of order.
The SPEAKER : Have you finished your question?
Mrs A.K. HAYDEN : Yes.
The SPEAKER : Okay. What is your point of order?
Mrs A.K. HAYDEN : Standing order 78 states —
An answer must be relevant to the
question.
We are in question time. The Premier ought to answer what he
was asked.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! The Premier.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr M. McGOWAN : I will explain to the member. We made
some changes in 2017 to deal with the forty-plus billion dollars' worth
of debt left by the Liberals and Nationals. That is what we did. If the member
wants to know the history of the Seniors Card, it was a Labor initiative. The
member would not know. Her knowledge of history is not great. It was a Labor
initiative. It offers a range of discounts to people across the community. It
is the most generous card of its type in the entire country. I repeat: there is
a significant issue in Western Australia today. That is the fact that the
Liberal Party will not reveal —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, if you keep interjecting, there
will be no MPI.
Mr M. McGOWAN : The Liberal Party will not reveal the
secret deal between the Leader of the Liberal Party and the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party, and what has gone on and what
arrangements are in place in the Liberal Party in relation to these
matters. I think the public of Western Australia has a right to know what is
going on. The Leader of the Opposition will not even ask me a question. He is
too afraid to stand up and ask a question, because he might have to explain
himself. The Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party sits there, tapping away on her
phone, and paying no attention to Parliament, like usual, so that she does not
have to stand up.
Point of Order
Dr D.J. HONEY : Mr
Speaker —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, if you keep going, we will not have
time to do the MPI.
Dr D.J. HONEY : My point of order is under standing
order 78. This has nothing whatever to do with the question asked by the
member.
The SPEAKER : Okay. It is not a point of order.
Premier, you will get back to the point.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr M. McGOWAN : Considering that the member for
Cottesloe stood up, I want to quote what he had to say last night. He was asked
a question, ''Will the member for Riverton be the leader at the next
election?'', and he answered, ''I'm sure he'll be
there this morning''! I think you are the anonymous coward! I think you
are the one who the member for Scarborough is referring to! I think it is you,
and I think it is the member for Bateman.
Withdrawal of Remark
Dr D.J.
HONEY : Mr Speaker, I believe that the Premier used an
unparliamentary term in referring to me—it is standing order 92. He
referred to me as a coward, Mr Speaker.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : I never heard
it. Premier, withdraw, if you did say that, please.
Mr M. McGOWAN :
I withdraw —
The SPEAKER : No, no more.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I have not
finished my answer.
The SPEAKER : No. I am saying
no more on the withdrawal.
Questions without
Notice Resumed
Mr M. McGOWAN : I note that
the government spends $2.4 billion on concessions and subsidies to support
families and seniors across Western Australia, and they have been indexed in
the budget in line with inflation. The energy assistance payment has been
increased to $300, and is paid to around 200 000 households. The dependent child
rebate has been indexed and is $320 for the first child and $83 for each
subsequent child. The cost-of-living rebate and the water services rebate is 25
per cent for seniors and 50 per cent for concession card holders. The local
government rates rebate is 25 per cent for seniors and 50 per cent for
concession card holders.
Mrs A.K. Hayden interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member!
Mr M. McGOWAN : The emergency
services levy rebate is 25 per cent for seniors and 50 per cent for concession
card holders.
The SPEAKER : Premier, you are
running out of time.
Mr M. McGOWAN : She asked me a
question, Mr Speaker.
We have reinstated financial
counselling for those people in need, which the former government got rid of,
by the Salvation Army and organisations like that. We have reinstated funding
for the hardship utility grant program, and grants of up to $581 are available.
One
thing that the people of Western Australia and Australia can always be assured
of is that only Labor stands up for
people who are on lower incomes, people who might struggle in life, people who
need support. It is always Labor.
Dr M.D. Nahan : What a joke!
Mr M. McGOWAN : The Leader of
the Opposition has the courage to interject, but he does not have the courage
to stand and ask a question. The member for Scarborough sits there, while
plotting for the leadership. Both of them need to come clean on exactly what is
going on.
The SPEAKER : That is the end
of question time.
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