❓ Ms Mettam questions the use of Perth parking levy revenue for a public pool, suggesting surplus funds should be used. The Minister defends the levy, highlighting past increases and arguing the City of Perth needs improved amenity to attract residents and that local ratepayers should fund local amenities.
AnsweredQoN 39Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PERTH PARKING MANAGEMENT ACT — REFORM
39. Ms L. METTAM to the Minister for Transport:
I have a supplementary question. With the government's
claim that we are the best performing economic state in the nation, why does it
need to tax City of Perth businesses and motorists to fund infrastructure such
as a public pool that should be funded from the billions of surplus?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : I am waiting for people to be quiet, then I would
like to give the Leader of the Liberal Party some advice. I have said
quite a number of times now that a supplementary question should be a short,
sharp question. That fact that you preface
it with a statement is what provokes all the interjections, because you make
that statement and then you get to your why. In future, cut off those
first few words and just ask the question why. If you choose not to conform
with the format for the question, I will be directing the minister not to answer
your supplementaries.
39. Ms L. METTAM to the Minister for Transport:
I have a supplementary question. With the government's
claim that we are the best performing economic state in the nation, why does it
need to tax City of Perth businesses and motorists to fund infrastructure such
as a public pool that should be funded from the billions of surplus?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : I am waiting for people to be quiet, then I would
like to give the Leader of the Liberal Party some advice. I have said
quite a number of times now that a supplementary question should be a short,
sharp question. That fact that you preface
it with a statement is what provokes all the interjections, because you make
that statement and then you get to your why. In future, cut off those
first few words and just ask the question why. If you choose not to conform
with the format for the question, I will be directing the minister not to answer
your supplementaries.
AnswerView source ↗
I am very keen to answer
this one! This has proved why the former Liberal–National government
nearly bankrupted the state. Let us go through these key points.
Firstly, the former Liberal–National government increased the Perth
parking levy by over 70 per cent. We have increased it by 6.7 per cent over six
years. That is number one. Secondly, who funds the pool in Vasse? Are state
taxpayers funding the pool in Vasse? No, the ratepayers of that community are.
Is the member really saying that she wants her ratepayers to subsidise a pool
in the CBD? Is that what she is saying? Do the Nationals WA really believe that
is fair to the taxpayers in Geraldton and Northam, who fund their own pools and who seem to do okay? I have seen the
Northam pool, it is a beautiful pool; it has beautiful slides and good
heating. It is actually a very good pool. Anyway, those people are funding
their own assets. The Leader of the Liberal Party is telling me that she wants
her residents, her ratepayers, to fund a pool in the CBD. That is what she is
saying.
We are strong economic managers; that is what we are. We
continue to make decisions that protect taxpayers and make sure that we can
deliver services. I think it is fundamentally important that the City of Perth
has new amenity to attract people to live in it. It is not rocket science. The
more people we get in the City of Perth, the more activity there will be every
day of the year and the safer the streets will be. There will be an improved
residential rate base. Nearly one-third of the revenue of the City of Perth is
car park revenue. That is not sustainable. We need more people to live in that
city.
The problem is that over
many, many years we have not done enough to get people to live in the City of
Perth. We have not. I am offering a concerted effort, whether it is a new
primary school, community facilities or improved transport in and out. We need
to continue to work on that. The member is saying that the City of Perth should
not fund its own services. The member
is saying that is okay for the ratepayers of Northam to fund its pool, but she
believes the ratepayers of Northam
should be funding the CBD pool. That is not right. Let us face it: we need to
do better to deliver services in the city to get more people living in it. I am
talking about families, young people and older people.
These are the tough challenges. I know the intellectual depth
is not there for the member to understand that. To quote Paul Keating, ''all
tip and no iceberg'', member for Vasse! Do not come in here, dial a quote,
not actually absorb the challenge in front
of us and dial a quote again and again. Whatever the issue is, they ring her up
and say , ''Can you come out and give a quote?'' She says, ''I
will; that's fine.'' She never actually understands the
challenges. I am very prepared and passionate about this, because I want my
kids to have a City of Perth that they can go into and there is activity and
vibrancy, not just for two months of the year, but every day of the year. We
need more people living in that city and we
will do what we can to support new community facilities for the ratepayers,
encourage more housing and have new
services like pools, because we all have an obligation not to pass the buck,
but work together to make the City of Perth a place where all our
children can feel safe and want to be in for generations to come.
this one! This has proved why the former Liberal–National government
nearly bankrupted the state. Let us go through these key points.
Firstly, the former Liberal–National government increased the Perth
parking levy by over 70 per cent. We have increased it by 6.7 per cent over six
years. That is number one. Secondly, who funds the pool in Vasse? Are state
taxpayers funding the pool in Vasse? No, the ratepayers of that community are.
Is the member really saying that she wants her ratepayers to subsidise a pool
in the CBD? Is that what she is saying? Do the Nationals WA really believe that
is fair to the taxpayers in Geraldton and Northam, who fund their own pools and who seem to do okay? I have seen the
Northam pool, it is a beautiful pool; it has beautiful slides and good
heating. It is actually a very good pool. Anyway, those people are funding
their own assets. The Leader of the Liberal Party is telling me that she wants
her residents, her ratepayers, to fund a pool in the CBD. That is what she is
saying.
We are strong economic managers; that is what we are. We
continue to make decisions that protect taxpayers and make sure that we can
deliver services. I think it is fundamentally important that the City of Perth
has new amenity to attract people to live in it. It is not rocket science. The
more people we get in the City of Perth, the more activity there will be every
day of the year and the safer the streets will be. There will be an improved
residential rate base. Nearly one-third of the revenue of the City of Perth is
car park revenue. That is not sustainable. We need more people to live in that
city.
The problem is that over
many, many years we have not done enough to get people to live in the City of
Perth. We have not. I am offering a concerted effort, whether it is a new
primary school, community facilities or improved transport in and out. We need
to continue to work on that. The member is saying that the City of Perth should
not fund its own services. The member
is saying that is okay for the ratepayers of Northam to fund its pool, but she
believes the ratepayers of Northam
should be funding the CBD pool. That is not right. Let us face it: we need to
do better to deliver services in the city to get more people living in it. I am
talking about families, young people and older people.
These are the tough challenges. I know the intellectual depth
is not there for the member to understand that. To quote Paul Keating, ''all
tip and no iceberg'', member for Vasse! Do not come in here, dial a quote,
not actually absorb the challenge in front
of us and dial a quote again and again. Whatever the issue is, they ring her up
and say , ''Can you come out and give a quote?'' She says, ''I
will; that's fine.'' She never actually understands the
challenges. I am very prepared and passionate about this, because I want my
kids to have a City of Perth that they can go into and there is activity and
vibrancy, not just for two months of the year, but every day of the year. We
need more people living in that city and we
will do what we can to support new community facilities for the ratepayers,
encourage more housing and have new
services like pools, because we all have an obligation not to pass the buck,
but work together to make the City of Perth a place where all our
children can feel safe and want to be in for generations to come.
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