Dr Gallop (Labor) questions Premier Court (Liberal) on reintroducing fuel price capping following a Select Committee recommendation. The Premier acknowledges the report and indicates likely support for most recommendations, but avoids direct commitment on price capping and deflects responsibility for fuel excise.

AnsweredQoN 238Legislative Assembly
Asked
12 October 2000
Member
Portfolio
Premier

QuestionView source ↗

I refer to the recommendation of the Select Committee on Petroleum Products Pricing in Western Australia that price capping be immediately reintroduced in Western Australia. (1) Will the Government join with the Labor Party in supporting that recommendation? (2) Will the Premier admit his Government was wrong to abandon the price capping regime put in place by the previous Labor Government? (3) Does he agree with the committee that his decision to abandon Labor’s price capping regime in 1993 increased the price differential between country and city fuel prices? Mr COURT

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(3) The Leader of the Opposition is talking about capping wholesale prices. I have read the executive summary of the committee’s report. It is a detailed report that makes a number of good recommendations. My initial response is that I believe the Government will support most of the recommendations. Of course, it does not make the decisions about the fuel excise. The Government certainly supports the recommendations to encourage people to switch to liquefied petroleum gas. A detailed response to the report will be made soon.
(1) Will the Government join with the Labor Party in supporting that recommendation? (2) Will the Premier admit his Government was wrong to abandon the price capping regime put in place by the previous Labor Government? (3) Does he agree with the committee that his decision to abandon Labor’s price capping regime in 1993 increased the price differential between country and city fuel prices? Mr COURT replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(3) The Leader of the Opposition is talking about capping wholesale prices. I have read the executive summary of the committee’s report. It is a detailed report that makes a number of good recommendations. My initial response is that I believe the Government will support most of the recommendations. Of course, it does not make the decisions about the fuel excise. The Government certainly supports the recommendations to encourage people to switch to liquefied petroleum gas. A detailed response to the report will be made soon.
(2) Will the Premier admit his Government was wrong to abandon the price capping regime put in place by the previous Labor Government? (3) Does he agree with the committee that his decision to abandon Labor’s price capping regime in 1993 increased the price differential between country and city fuel prices? Mr COURT replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(3) The Leader of the Opposition is talking about capping wholesale prices. I have read the executive summary of the committee’s report. It is a detailed report that makes a number of good recommendations. My initial response is that I believe the Government will support most of the recommendations. Of course, it does not make the decisions about the fuel excise. The Government certainly supports the recommendations to encourage people to switch to liquefied petroleum gas. A detailed response to the report will be made soon.
(3) Does he agree with the committee that his decision to abandon Labor’s price capping regime in 1993 increased the price differential between country and city fuel prices? Mr COURT replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(3) The Leader of the Opposition is talking about capping wholesale prices. I have read the executive summary of the committee’s report. It is a detailed report that makes a number of good recommendations. My initial response is that I believe the Government will support most of the recommendations. Of course, it does not make the decisions about the fuel excise. The Government certainly supports the recommendations to encourage people to switch to liquefied petroleum gas. A detailed response to the report will be made soon.
Mr COURT replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(3) The Leader of the Opposition is talking about capping wholesale prices. I have read the executive summary of the committee’s report. It is a detailed report that makes a number of good recommendations. My initial response is that I believe the Government will support most of the recommendations. Of course, it does not make the decisions about the fuel excise. The Government certainly supports the recommendations to encourage people to switch to liquefied petroleum gas. A detailed response to the report will be made soon.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(3) The Leader of the Opposition is talking about capping wholesale prices. I have read the executive summary of the committee’s report. It is a detailed report that makes a number of good recommendations. My initial response is that I believe the Government will support most of the recommendations. Of course, it does not make the decisions about the fuel excise. The Government certainly supports the recommendations to encourage people to switch to liquefied petroleum gas. A detailed response to the report will be made soon.
(1)-(3) The Leader of the Opposition is talking about capping wholesale prices. I have read the executive summary of the committee’s report. It is a detailed report that makes a number of good recommendations. My initial response is that I believe the Government will support most of the recommendations. Of course, it does not make the decisions about the fuel excise. The Government certainly supports the recommendations to encourage people to switch to liquefied petroleum gas. A detailed response to the report will be made soon.

Explore WA Government Data

Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.

Explore more