❓ The Government assures that the ratepayers of the City of Cockburn will not bear the costs of the state government inquiry, reversing the previous government's decision and refunding an initial payment of $662,687.
AnsweredQoN 21Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Will the Government ensure that the ratepayers of the City of Cockburn are not unfairly burdened with the exorbitant costs associated with the state government inquiry into the council? Mrs ROBERTS
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Cockburn for this question. I know that he is very interested in local government matters. He has been very concerned on behalf of not only the City of Cockburn but also his constituents, most of whom are residents of the City of Cockburn. I am pleased to report that our Government has already refunded to the City of Cockburn $662 687, which was the first instalment the former Government required the City of Cockburn to pay for the state government inquiry. I assure the House that the full cost of the Douglas inquiry will be met by the State. Mr Barnett: Did you promise to do that during the election campaign? Mrs ROBERTS: That is right. The Government gave that commitment during the election campaign because, unlike the Opposition, we did not want to single out the City of Cockburn as the only local government authority that had ever been required to pay for the cost of a Department of Local Government inquiry. The constituents of Cockburn should not be penalised by way of their rates or a reduction in services because of what was essentially an inquiry that is a core responsibility of the Department of Local Government. The fact of the matter is that the Department of Local Government has administered those inquiries for many years under the Act, and it has never required local government authorities to pay for them. The former Government singled out the City of Cockburn and wanted it to pay nearly $2 million. That cost would have been inflicted upon every mum and dad and ratepayer in the City of Cockburn. They would have had to pay for it through the nose by way of council rates or they would have had their services dramatically reduced. The decision by the former Government was very unfair and yet another reason that the constituents of Cockburn voted for the new member in their droves. The member for Warren-Blackwood is part of a discredited government that made the wrong decision on a number of matters. To think that the member could sit here today and try to defend his actions in attempting to fleece the ratepayer of Cockburn is disgusting. Unlike the former Government, we will be honouring our pre-election commitments and it was our commitment that we would not penalise the ratepayers of Cockburn and that we would pay for the inquiry in full.
Mrs ROBERTS replied: I thank the member for Cockburn for this question. I know that he is very interested in local government matters. He has been very concerned on behalf of not only the City of Cockburn but also his constituents, most of whom are residents of the City of Cockburn. I am pleased to report that our Government has already refunded to the City of Cockburn $662 687, which was the first instalment the former Government required the City of Cockburn to pay for the state government inquiry. I assure the House that the full cost of the Douglas inquiry will be met by the State. Mr Barnett: Did you promise to do that during the election campaign? Mrs ROBERTS: That is right. The Government gave that commitment during the election campaign because, unlike the Opposition, we did not want to single out the City of Cockburn as the only local government authority that had ever been required to pay for the cost of a Department of Local Government inquiry. The constituents of Cockburn should not be penalised by way of their rates or a reduction in services because of what was essentially an inquiry that is a core responsibility of the Department of Local Government. The fact of the matter is that the Department of Local Government has administered those inquiries for many years under the Act, and it has never required local government authorities to pay for them. The former Government singled out the City of Cockburn and wanted it to pay nearly $2 million. That cost would have been inflicted upon every mum and dad and ratepayer in the City of Cockburn. They would have had to pay for it through the nose by way of council rates or they would have had their services dramatically reduced. The decision by the former Government was very unfair and yet another reason that the constituents of Cockburn voted for the new member in their droves. The member for Warren-Blackwood is part of a discredited government that made the wrong decision on a number of matters. To think that the member could sit here today and try to defend his actions in attempting to fleece the ratepayer of Cockburn is disgusting. Unlike the former Government, we will be honouring our pre-election commitments and it was our commitment that we would not penalise the ratepayers of Cockburn and that we would pay for the inquiry in full.
I thank the member for Cockburn for this question. I know that he is very interested in local government matters. He has been very concerned on behalf of not only the City of Cockburn but also his constituents, most of whom are residents of the City of Cockburn. I am pleased to report that our Government has already refunded to the City of Cockburn $662 687, which was the first instalment the former Government required the City of Cockburn to pay for the state government inquiry. I assure the House that the full cost of the Douglas inquiry will be met by the State. Mr Barnett: Did you promise to do that during the election campaign? Mrs ROBERTS: That is right. The Government gave that commitment during the election campaign because, unlike the Opposition, we did not want to single out the City of Cockburn as the only local government authority that had ever been required to pay for the cost of a Department of Local Government inquiry. The constituents of Cockburn should not be penalised by way of their rates or a reduction in services because of what was essentially an inquiry that is a core responsibility of the Department of Local Government. The fact of the matter is that the Department of Local Government has administered those inquiries for many years under the Act, and it has never required local government authorities to pay for them. The former Government singled out the City of Cockburn and wanted it to pay nearly $2 million. That cost would have been inflicted upon every mum and dad and ratepayer in the City of Cockburn. They would have had to pay for it through the nose by way of council rates or they would have had their services dramatically reduced. The decision by the former Government was very unfair and yet another reason that the constituents of Cockburn voted for the new member in their droves. The member for Warren-Blackwood is part of a discredited government that made the wrong decision on a number of matters. To think that the member could sit here today and try to defend his actions in attempting to fleece the ratepayer of Cockburn is disgusting. Unlike the former Government, we will be honouring our pre-election commitments and it was our commitment that we would not penalise the ratepayers of Cockburn and that we would pay for the inquiry in full.
Mr Barnett: Did you promise to do that during the election campaign? Mrs ROBERTS: That is right. The Government gave that commitment during the election campaign because, unlike the Opposition, we did not want to single out the City of Cockburn as the only local government authority that had ever been required to pay for the cost of a Department of Local Government inquiry. The constituents of Cockburn should not be penalised by way of their rates or a reduction in services because of what was essentially an inquiry that is a core responsibility of the Department of Local Government. The fact of the matter is that the Department of Local Government has administered those inquiries for many years under the Act, and it has never required local government authorities to pay for them. The former Government singled out the City of Cockburn and wanted it to pay nearly $2 million. That cost would have been inflicted upon every mum and dad and ratepayer in the City of Cockburn. They would have had to pay for it through the nose by way of council rates or they would have had their services dramatically reduced. The decision by the former Government was very unfair and yet another reason that the constituents of Cockburn voted for the new member in their droves. The member for Warren-Blackwood is part of a discredited government that made the wrong decision on a number of matters. To think that the member could sit here today and try to defend his actions in attempting to fleece the ratepayer of Cockburn is disgusting. Unlike the former Government, we will be honouring our pre-election commitments and it was our commitment that we would not penalise the ratepayers of Cockburn and that we would pay for the inquiry in full.
Mrs ROBERTS: That is right. The Government gave that commitment during the election campaign because, unlike the Opposition, we did not want to single out the City of Cockburn as the only local government authority that had ever been required to pay for the cost of a Department of Local Government inquiry. The constituents of Cockburn should not be penalised by way of their rates or a reduction in services because of what was essentially an inquiry that is a core responsibility of the Department of Local Government. The fact of the matter is that the Department of Local Government has administered those inquiries for many years under the Act, and it has never required local government authorities to pay for them. The former Government singled out the City of Cockburn and wanted it to pay nearly $2 million. That cost would have been inflicted upon every mum and dad and ratepayer in the City of Cockburn. They would have had to pay for it through the nose by way of council rates or they would have had their services dramatically reduced. The decision by the former Government was very unfair and yet another reason that the constituents of Cockburn voted for the new member in their droves. The member for Warren-Blackwood is part of a discredited government that made the wrong decision on a number of matters. To think that the member could sit here today and try to defend his actions in attempting to fleece the ratepayer of Cockburn is disgusting. Unlike the former Government, we will be honouring our pre-election commitments and it was our commitment that we would not penalise the ratepayers of Cockburn and that we would pay for the inquiry in full.
Mrs ROBERTS replied: I thank the member for Cockburn for this question. I know that he is very interested in local government matters. He has been very concerned on behalf of not only the City of Cockburn but also his constituents, most of whom are residents of the City of Cockburn. I am pleased to report that our Government has already refunded to the City of Cockburn $662 687, which was the first instalment the former Government required the City of Cockburn to pay for the state government inquiry. I assure the House that the full cost of the Douglas inquiry will be met by the State. Mr Barnett: Did you promise to do that during the election campaign? Mrs ROBERTS: That is right. The Government gave that commitment during the election campaign because, unlike the Opposition, we did not want to single out the City of Cockburn as the only local government authority that had ever been required to pay for the cost of a Department of Local Government inquiry. The constituents of Cockburn should not be penalised by way of their rates or a reduction in services because of what was essentially an inquiry that is a core responsibility of the Department of Local Government. The fact of the matter is that the Department of Local Government has administered those inquiries for many years under the Act, and it has never required local government authorities to pay for them. The former Government singled out the City of Cockburn and wanted it to pay nearly $2 million. That cost would have been inflicted upon every mum and dad and ratepayer in the City of Cockburn. They would have had to pay for it through the nose by way of council rates or they would have had their services dramatically reduced. The decision by the former Government was very unfair and yet another reason that the constituents of Cockburn voted for the new member in their droves. The member for Warren-Blackwood is part of a discredited government that made the wrong decision on a number of matters. To think that the member could sit here today and try to defend his actions in attempting to fleece the ratepayer of Cockburn is disgusting. Unlike the former Government, we will be honouring our pre-election commitments and it was our commitment that we would not penalise the ratepayers of Cockburn and that we would pay for the inquiry in full.
I thank the member for Cockburn for this question. I know that he is very interested in local government matters. He has been very concerned on behalf of not only the City of Cockburn but also his constituents, most of whom are residents of the City of Cockburn. I am pleased to report that our Government has already refunded to the City of Cockburn $662 687, which was the first instalment the former Government required the City of Cockburn to pay for the state government inquiry. I assure the House that the full cost of the Douglas inquiry will be met by the State. Mr Barnett: Did you promise to do that during the election campaign? Mrs ROBERTS: That is right. The Government gave that commitment during the election campaign because, unlike the Opposition, we did not want to single out the City of Cockburn as the only local government authority that had ever been required to pay for the cost of a Department of Local Government inquiry. The constituents of Cockburn should not be penalised by way of their rates or a reduction in services because of what was essentially an inquiry that is a core responsibility of the Department of Local Government. The fact of the matter is that the Department of Local Government has administered those inquiries for many years under the Act, and it has never required local government authorities to pay for them. The former Government singled out the City of Cockburn and wanted it to pay nearly $2 million. That cost would have been inflicted upon every mum and dad and ratepayer in the City of Cockburn. They would have had to pay for it through the nose by way of council rates or they would have had their services dramatically reduced. The decision by the former Government was very unfair and yet another reason that the constituents of Cockburn voted for the new member in their droves. The member for Warren-Blackwood is part of a discredited government that made the wrong decision on a number of matters. To think that the member could sit here today and try to defend his actions in attempting to fleece the ratepayer of Cockburn is disgusting. Unlike the former Government, we will be honouring our pre-election commitments and it was our commitment that we would not penalise the ratepayers of Cockburn and that we would pay for the inquiry in full.
Mr Barnett: Did you promise to do that during the election campaign? Mrs ROBERTS: That is right. The Government gave that commitment during the election campaign because, unlike the Opposition, we did not want to single out the City of Cockburn as the only local government authority that had ever been required to pay for the cost of a Department of Local Government inquiry. The constituents of Cockburn should not be penalised by way of their rates or a reduction in services because of what was essentially an inquiry that is a core responsibility of the Department of Local Government. The fact of the matter is that the Department of Local Government has administered those inquiries for many years under the Act, and it has never required local government authorities to pay for them. The former Government singled out the City of Cockburn and wanted it to pay nearly $2 million. That cost would have been inflicted upon every mum and dad and ratepayer in the City of Cockburn. They would have had to pay for it through the nose by way of council rates or they would have had their services dramatically reduced. The decision by the former Government was very unfair and yet another reason that the constituents of Cockburn voted for the new member in their droves. The member for Warren-Blackwood is part of a discredited government that made the wrong decision on a number of matters. To think that the member could sit here today and try to defend his actions in attempting to fleece the ratepayer of Cockburn is disgusting. Unlike the former Government, we will be honouring our pre-election commitments and it was our commitment that we would not penalise the ratepayers of Cockburn and that we would pay for the inquiry in full.
Mrs ROBERTS: That is right. The Government gave that commitment during the election campaign because, unlike the Opposition, we did not want to single out the City of Cockburn as the only local government authority that had ever been required to pay for the cost of a Department of Local Government inquiry. The constituents of Cockburn should not be penalised by way of their rates or a reduction in services because of what was essentially an inquiry that is a core responsibility of the Department of Local Government. The fact of the matter is that the Department of Local Government has administered those inquiries for many years under the Act, and it has never required local government authorities to pay for them. The former Government singled out the City of Cockburn and wanted it to pay nearly $2 million. That cost would have been inflicted upon every mum and dad and ratepayer in the City of Cockburn. They would have had to pay for it through the nose by way of council rates or they would have had their services dramatically reduced. The decision by the former Government was very unfair and yet another reason that the constituents of Cockburn voted for the new member in their droves. The member for Warren-Blackwood is part of a discredited government that made the wrong decision on a number of matters. To think that the member could sit here today and try to defend his actions in attempting to fleece the ratepayer of Cockburn is disgusting. Unlike the former Government, we will be honouring our pre-election commitments and it was our commitment that we would not penalise the ratepayers of Cockburn and that we would pay for the inquiry in full.
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