❓ The question concerns the Cook Labor government's cost-of-living relief measures related to transport, specifically capped fares and free travel for students. The Minister's answer defends the government's initiatives and criticises the opposition's stance on cost-of-living support and public transport.
AnsweredQoN 476Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
COST OF LIVING — TRANSPORT
476. Mr K.J.J. MICHEL to the Minister for Transport:
I refer to the Cook Labor
government's commitment to providing cost-of-living relief to all Western
Australians.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how this government is providing support to
households with cheaper transport options including capped fares and free
travel for school students?
(2) Can the minister advise the house whether she is
aware of any threats to the ongoing availability of such initiatives?
476. Mr K.J.J. MICHEL to the Minister for Transport:
I refer to the Cook Labor
government's commitment to providing cost-of-living relief to all Western
Australians.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how this government is providing support to
households with cheaper transport options including capped fares and free
travel for school students?
(2) Can the minister advise the house whether she is
aware of any threats to the ongoing availability of such initiatives?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for Riverton for that question. We know that this Liberal–National
opposition has been opposed to cost-of-living initiatives in this state. Regarding
the student assistance payment, we recall the opposition said that we should
not provide support to families in Western Australia that is not means tested. Remember that? I find it quite ironic
again that it opposed the initiative and is now saying it did not go far
enough. We saw that opposition to the student assistance payment. The Liberal
and National Parties are also opposed to public transport. Public transport is
one of the most affordable ways to move around the city, and we have introduced other initiatives around the state in
regional WA. The first was the two- zone fare cap for people travelling
more than two zones, under which the most people will pay and continue to pay
is less than $5 with a SmartRider. This is saving people in Butler, for
example, member for Butler, over $1 000 per annum, and even more for people
living in the member for Dawesville's electorate. So far, from October
2023, an estimated $14 million has been saved through the nine-zone journeys,
which is a 27 per cent increase from the figure of the previous year. That is a
real saving for those travelling around our suburbs and through some of our
regional towns.
Free public transport on Sundays lets
people move around the suburbs free on Sundays. We have seen a 30 per cent increase
in patronage on Sundays as a result of that initiative and savings for workers
and everyone else travelling around on a Sunday. The ride to school free
program saves families with two children around $560 per annum. That is on top
of the student assistance payment and the other assistance we have provided. So
far, $4.6 million of subsidised public transport fares just for the school
initiative has been paid out.
In regional WA, other initiatives
include the regional pensioner fuel card increase, the doubling of the
conveyance allowance for families who cannot access good bus services and the
provision of over 360 000 capped airfares to regional residents. That is one of
the biggest success stories in relation to the cost of living, in which we
saved regional families hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in airfares
since this initiative was introduced. We continue to support it. As has been
fed back to me, both from our regional members and the public, this was one of
the best things that we could have done to support liveability and transport
within regional WA.
This is what we are doing to support
the cost of living. We know the opposition, after eight years, left
unaffordable airfares for regional Western Australians. The National Party said
that it was committed to the regions but did nothing on regional airfare
affordability. The Nationals WA and the Liberal Party will unwind our
cost-of-living initiatives for our public transport system. They do not believe
in subsidising public transport. They do not
believe in building public transport. It means kids going to school and
families moving around the suburbs and it means people connecting to
TAFEs, because, of course, now we have made them affordable, as opposed to what
the other side did. It would mean massive increases in public transport fares
if the National and Liberal Parties were to gain power, impacting families and
the ability of people in Western Australia to connect to schools, jobs and
other opportunities.
thank the member for Riverton for that question. We know that this Liberal–National
opposition has been opposed to cost-of-living initiatives in this state. Regarding
the student assistance payment, we recall the opposition said that we should
not provide support to families in Western Australia that is not means tested. Remember that? I find it quite ironic
again that it opposed the initiative and is now saying it did not go far
enough. We saw that opposition to the student assistance payment. The Liberal
and National Parties are also opposed to public transport. Public transport is
one of the most affordable ways to move around the city, and we have introduced other initiatives around the state in
regional WA. The first was the two- zone fare cap for people travelling
more than two zones, under which the most people will pay and continue to pay
is less than $5 with a SmartRider. This is saving people in Butler, for
example, member for Butler, over $1 000 per annum, and even more for people
living in the member for Dawesville's electorate. So far, from October
2023, an estimated $14 million has been saved through the nine-zone journeys,
which is a 27 per cent increase from the figure of the previous year. That is a
real saving for those travelling around our suburbs and through some of our
regional towns.
Free public transport on Sundays lets
people move around the suburbs free on Sundays. We have seen a 30 per cent increase
in patronage on Sundays as a result of that initiative and savings for workers
and everyone else travelling around on a Sunday. The ride to school free
program saves families with two children around $560 per annum. That is on top
of the student assistance payment and the other assistance we have provided. So
far, $4.6 million of subsidised public transport fares just for the school
initiative has been paid out.
In regional WA, other initiatives
include the regional pensioner fuel card increase, the doubling of the
conveyance allowance for families who cannot access good bus services and the
provision of over 360 000 capped airfares to regional residents. That is one of
the biggest success stories in relation to the cost of living, in which we
saved regional families hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in airfares
since this initiative was introduced. We continue to support it. As has been
fed back to me, both from our regional members and the public, this was one of
the best things that we could have done to support liveability and transport
within regional WA.
This is what we are doing to support
the cost of living. We know the opposition, after eight years, left
unaffordable airfares for regional Western Australians. The National Party said
that it was committed to the regions but did nothing on regional airfare
affordability. The Nationals WA and the Liberal Party will unwind our
cost-of-living initiatives for our public transport system. They do not believe
in subsidising public transport. They do not
believe in building public transport. It means kids going to school and
families moving around the suburbs and it means people connecting to
TAFEs, because, of course, now we have made them affordable, as opposed to what
the other side did. It would mean massive increases in public transport fares
if the National and Liberal Parties were to gain power, impacting families and
the ability of people in Western Australia to connect to schools, jobs and
other opportunities.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.