❓ Ms. Rowe asks about the Cook Labor government's cost-of-living support. The Premier outlines various initiatives targeting transport, energy, education, and seniors, while criticising the opposition's past record.
AnsweredQoN 148Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Cost-of-living relief
148. Ms Cassie Rowe to
the Premier:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's record of delivering cost-of-living support for Western
Australians.
Can the Premier
outline to the house how our government is delivering meaningful cost-of-living
support to Western Australians who need it the most?
148. Ms Cassie Rowe to
the Premier:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's record of delivering cost-of-living support for Western
Australians.
Can the Premier
outline to the house how our government is delivering meaningful cost-of-living
support to Western Australians who need it the most?
AnswerView source ↗
We know that
cost-of-living pressures are being felt right across the board, and the entire
western world has been impacted by inflation growth since the pandemic. While
Western Australia's economy remains the strongest in the nation, with
employment at an all-time high, we know that we are not immune to the impacts
and the pressures of inflationary and geopolitical pressures. We know that
today's decision by the Reserve Bank of Australia will come as a disappointment
to many Western Australians. Their decision to raise interest rates from 3.85%
to 4.1% will be felt right across the board. That is why my government is
working hard to keep money in the pockets of Western Australians. It is why we
are working hard to maintain our strong economy. It is why we continue to
provide responsible and meaningful targeted cost-of-living relief to Western
Australians—to households, seniors, students, renters and regional
Western Australians. We have made it more affordable for Western Australians to
get around the state. We have delivered on our election commitment to cap
public transport fares to one zone, which means someone can travel to and from
the city, from outer Perth, and pay only $2.80. It has not been this cheap to
travel around Metronet since the 1980s.
Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Central Wheatbelt!
Mr Roger Cook: In regional WA, we have slashed Transwa
fares by 50%—permanently. That means—
Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.
Mr Roger Cook: Mr Speaker, that means—
Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Central Wheatbelt! Your
interjections are disorderly. Please stop.
Mr Roger Cook: Someone noisy from the other side is
talking about Kalgoorlie. A person travelling to and from Perth and Kalgoorlie can
save 100 bucks through Transwa.
We are also
providing relief when it comes to energy. Our WA Residential Battery Scheme is
providing real and ongoing cost-of-living relief. In partnership with the
federal government, we are providing rebates, subsidies and low-interest loans
to 100,000 WA families to install household batteries, saving around $1,500 a
year for those who install the residential battery. It comes on top of our
household electricity credits over the last four years, saving each household
$2,100.
It does not stop
there. We have delivered two WA student assistance payments, providing families
with much-needed relief for high school students and primary school students.
We have offered targeted relief—free TAFE and double KidSport vouchers.
We have also supported regional families with Country Week assistance payments,
expansion of the Patient Assisted Travel Scheme, capping regional airfares, and
an increase to the Regional Pensioner Travel Card by $100. All of a sudden they
are a little bit quiet on the other side! We are also looking out for seniors.
We have boosted the seniors cost-of-living rebate and reintroduced the seniors
safety and security rebate, which was abolished by those opposite when they
were in government. This is real cost-of-living relief provided by Western
Australians' WA Labor government.
There are two things
that our cost-of-living initiatives have in common. Firstly, they provide real
meaningful cost-of-living relief to Western Australians who need it most.
Secondly, the Liberal Party and National Party have regularly criticised them
as being a sugar hit. We know what their sugar hits are; there was a 90%
increase in electricity bills and a 510% increase in TAFE fees when they were
in government. The only sugar hit that we got from
the Liberals was to their revenue, punishing hardworking Western Australians who
my WA Labor government is supporting with cost-of-living relief.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Thank you, members! When you are ready.
cost-of-living pressures are being felt right across the board, and the entire
western world has been impacted by inflation growth since the pandemic. While
Western Australia's economy remains the strongest in the nation, with
employment at an all-time high, we know that we are not immune to the impacts
and the pressures of inflationary and geopolitical pressures. We know that
today's decision by the Reserve Bank of Australia will come as a disappointment
to many Western Australians. Their decision to raise interest rates from 3.85%
to 4.1% will be felt right across the board. That is why my government is
working hard to keep money in the pockets of Western Australians. It is why we
are working hard to maintain our strong economy. It is why we continue to
provide responsible and meaningful targeted cost-of-living relief to Western
Australians—to households, seniors, students, renters and regional
Western Australians. We have made it more affordable for Western Australians to
get around the state. We have delivered on our election commitment to cap
public transport fares to one zone, which means someone can travel to and from
the city, from outer Perth, and pay only $2.80. It has not been this cheap to
travel around Metronet since the 1980s.
Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Central Wheatbelt!
Mr Roger Cook: In regional WA, we have slashed Transwa
fares by 50%—permanently. That means—
Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.
Mr Roger Cook: Mr Speaker, that means—
Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Central Wheatbelt! Your
interjections are disorderly. Please stop.
Mr Roger Cook: Someone noisy from the other side is
talking about Kalgoorlie. A person travelling to and from Perth and Kalgoorlie can
save 100 bucks through Transwa.
We are also
providing relief when it comes to energy. Our WA Residential Battery Scheme is
providing real and ongoing cost-of-living relief. In partnership with the
federal government, we are providing rebates, subsidies and low-interest loans
to 100,000 WA families to install household batteries, saving around $1,500 a
year for those who install the residential battery. It comes on top of our
household electricity credits over the last four years, saving each household
$2,100.
It does not stop
there. We have delivered two WA student assistance payments, providing families
with much-needed relief for high school students and primary school students.
We have offered targeted relief—free TAFE and double KidSport vouchers.
We have also supported regional families with Country Week assistance payments,
expansion of the Patient Assisted Travel Scheme, capping regional airfares, and
an increase to the Regional Pensioner Travel Card by $100. All of a sudden they
are a little bit quiet on the other side! We are also looking out for seniors.
We have boosted the seniors cost-of-living rebate and reintroduced the seniors
safety and security rebate, which was abolished by those opposite when they
were in government. This is real cost-of-living relief provided by Western
Australians' WA Labor government.
There are two things
that our cost-of-living initiatives have in common. Firstly, they provide real
meaningful cost-of-living relief to Western Australians who need it most.
Secondly, the Liberal Party and National Party have regularly criticised them
as being a sugar hit. We know what their sugar hits are; there was a 90%
increase in electricity bills and a 510% increase in TAFE fees when they were
in government. The only sugar hit that we got from
the Liberals was to their revenue, punishing hardworking Western Australians who
my WA Labor government is supporting with cost-of-living relief.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Thank you, members! When you are ready.
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