❓ Opposition questions Treasurer on comments regarding RBA interest rate cuts, accusing her spending of fueling inflation. Treasurer defends government's cost-of-living initiatives and accuses opposition of supporting higher interest rates.
AnsweredQoN 573Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA — INTEREST RATES
573. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Treasurer:
I refer to the Treasurer's recent
comments telling the Reserve Bank of Australia to cut interest rates. Under her
out-of-control spending as Treasurer; Minister for Transport, she has been a prime
contributor to inflation in the state. Will she stop lecturing the RBA and use
the levers she actually controls to undertake some real cost-of-living measures
for Western Australians?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order!
573. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Treasurer:
I refer to the Treasurer's recent
comments telling the Reserve Bank of Australia to cut interest rates. Under her
out-of-control spending as Treasurer; Minister for Transport, she has been a prime
contributor to inflation in the state. Will she stop lecturing the RBA and use
the levers she actually controls to undertake some real cost-of-living measures
for Western Australians?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order!
AnswerView source ↗
Never did I think —
The SPEAKER : Treasurer, just
before you start, we will just wait for the house to be quiet. Yes, Treasurer.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Never did I think
that we would be in this place and the Leader of the Opposition would back
higher interest rates for families. Whose side is the Leader of the Opposition
on? Whose side is he on? We are on the side of Western Australian families.
That is why we have a range of cost-of-living initiatives and we are also calling on the Reserve Bank to cut rates to
support families. That is the sensible and right thing to do. The Leader of the Opposition can back high interest rates; that is not our position.
Let us go to Metronet. Let us go to
what we are doing to support cost-of-living initiatives. Of course, we have the energy rebates, the family assistance
payments, increases to subsidies for clothing allowances—there is a whole
range of initiatives. Let us talk
about Metronet and public transport. The fact is that the Nationals WA and the
Liberal Party want to unwind subsidies for public transport in this
state. They want to increase the cost of public transport.
Dr D.J. Honey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Cottesloe, please desist.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : The jolly
member for Cottesloe! The member of Cottesloe said —
The SPEAKER : Minister, do not
get distracted. Please go back to the answer.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : The member
for Cottesloe is the architect of the plan to increase the cost of public
transport in this state because he believes we are subsidising public transport
too much. That means that the Liberal and National Parties want to increase
public transport fares. Let us talk about the impact. The member for Mandurah
is not here today and the member for Dawesville is coming in right now!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Let us pause for
a moment. Treasurer, can you just resume your seat for a moment. Member for Dawesville, as entertaining as people may have
found that, especially as an Acting Speaker, you know that you are not
allowed to speak from outside of your seat.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : The member
for Dawesville came in at the exact, right point and stated that people in her electorate are saving thousands of dollars because
of the Metronet two-zone price cap that we have put in place. Free public transport over summer, free public transport for students, free public
transport on Sundays and the fare cap are saving Western Australians thousands
of dollars. Now, the Yanchep rail extension, the Ellenbrook line, the Thornlie–Cockburn
Link and all those other projects will enable Western Australians to get onto
public transport easier, saving them money. In regional WA, our two-zone
airfare cap is saving Western Australians hundreds if not thousands of dollars
a year when they fly. There has been an increase to the Country Age Pension
Fuel Card in regional Western Australia. We have been supporting cost-of-living
initiatives across the state.
If the Leader of the Opposition does
not believe that interest rates should be cut, he should say that in public. We are on the side of Western Australian
families. I know that the Leader of the Opposition does not believe in
supporting Western Australian
families, but we do. By enhancing public transport, having new options for Western
Australians and driving down the cost of public transport, we are
helping Western Australians day by day, week by week, like never before.
The SPEAKER : Treasurer, just
before you start, we will just wait for the house to be quiet. Yes, Treasurer.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Never did I think
that we would be in this place and the Leader of the Opposition would back
higher interest rates for families. Whose side is the Leader of the Opposition
on? Whose side is he on? We are on the side of Western Australian families.
That is why we have a range of cost-of-living initiatives and we are also calling on the Reserve Bank to cut rates to
support families. That is the sensible and right thing to do. The Leader of the Opposition can back high interest rates; that is not our position.
Let us go to Metronet. Let us go to
what we are doing to support cost-of-living initiatives. Of course, we have the energy rebates, the family assistance
payments, increases to subsidies for clothing allowances—there is a whole
range of initiatives. Let us talk
about Metronet and public transport. The fact is that the Nationals WA and the
Liberal Party want to unwind subsidies for public transport in this
state. They want to increase the cost of public transport.
Dr D.J. Honey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Cottesloe, please desist.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : The jolly
member for Cottesloe! The member of Cottesloe said —
The SPEAKER : Minister, do not
get distracted. Please go back to the answer.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : The member
for Cottesloe is the architect of the plan to increase the cost of public
transport in this state because he believes we are subsidising public transport
too much. That means that the Liberal and National Parties want to increase
public transport fares. Let us talk about the impact. The member for Mandurah
is not here today and the member for Dawesville is coming in right now!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Let us pause for
a moment. Treasurer, can you just resume your seat for a moment. Member for Dawesville, as entertaining as people may have
found that, especially as an Acting Speaker, you know that you are not
allowed to speak from outside of your seat.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : The member
for Dawesville came in at the exact, right point and stated that people in her electorate are saving thousands of dollars because
of the Metronet two-zone price cap that we have put in place. Free public transport over summer, free public transport for students, free public
transport on Sundays and the fare cap are saving Western Australians thousands
of dollars. Now, the Yanchep rail extension, the Ellenbrook line, the Thornlie–Cockburn
Link and all those other projects will enable Western Australians to get onto
public transport easier, saving them money. In regional WA, our two-zone
airfare cap is saving Western Australians hundreds if not thousands of dollars
a year when they fly. There has been an increase to the Country Age Pension
Fuel Card in regional Western Australia. We have been supporting cost-of-living
initiatives across the state.
If the Leader of the Opposition does
not believe that interest rates should be cut, he should say that in public. We are on the side of Western Australian
families. I know that the Leader of the Opposition does not believe in
supporting Western Australian
families, but we do. By enhancing public transport, having new options for Western
Australians and driving down the cost of public transport, we are
helping Western Australians day by day, week by week, like never before.
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