❓ Mr. Hyde questions the Minister for Local Government regarding the expiry of 25-year gravesite tenure grants, introduced by a previous Labor government. The Minister accuses Mr. Hyde of scaremongering and misleading the public on a sensitive issue.
AnsweredQoN 325Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
RIGHT OF BURIAL — GRANTS EXPIRY
325. Mr J.N. HYDE to the Minister for Local Government:
I refer to the minister's bungled handling of the
change to 25-year terms for gravesite tenure looming on 2 July.
(1) When the
minister told Parliament last week that his communication strategy involved an
email address and online initiatives, was he aware that prior to 1986 email
addresses were not invented, so no applicants whose plots expire from 2 July
had email addresses on their forms?
(2) Does the
minister understand that he has upset families that have been putting relatives
to rest alongside each other for over 70 years and have now discovered that
they may lose their family plots?
(3) Was it not
enough for the Barnett government to increase the cost of living for the
living; why is it now putting up taxes for the dead?
325. Mr J.N. HYDE to the Minister for Local Government:
I refer to the minister's bungled handling of the
change to 25-year terms for gravesite tenure looming on 2 July.
(1) When the
minister told Parliament last week that his communication strategy involved an
email address and online initiatives, was he aware that prior to 1986 email
addresses were not invented, so no applicants whose plots expire from 2 July
had email addresses on their forms?
(2) Does the
minister understand that he has upset families that have been putting relatives
to rest alongside each other for over 70 years and have now discovered that
they may lose their family plots?
(3) Was it not
enough for the Barnett government to increase the cost of living for the
living; why is it now putting up taxes for the dead?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3)
This is just another example of the member for Perth misleading the people of
Western Australia. Once again, he is trying to make political mileage out of a
very, very sensitive issue, and people are, naturally, very concerned about the
impacts it has on their loved ones. He does not even bother to get his facts
right. It does not matter what he says; he has never really worried about
getting his facts right. Firstly, it was a Labor government in 1986 that
introduced a change to the grant of right of burial from 99 years and 50 years
to 25 years. It was the Labor government that made the changes so that the
terms of the existing grants were reduced to 25 years. Labor was in power until
1993, so what did that government do to notify people when it changed the act
back in 1986? What did they do? Absolutely nothing.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Willagee, I formally call you to order for the first time today. Member for
Belmont, I formally call you to order for the first time today. Member for
Joondalup, you are called to order for the first time today as well. I do not
recall anyone else but the member for Perth asking this question. I do not
think he asked anyone else but the Minister for Local Government to answer it.
Mr
G.M. CASTRILLI : Thank you, Mr Speaker. A grant of right of burial is
basically when someone reserves a particular plot of land in a cemetery for
future use. It is not about digging up someone's remains or disturbing
a loved one's grave. Yes, the legislation changed the term to 25 years,
which expires on 2 July 2012. That was done by a previous Labor government.
What does it mean for grant holders? If they want to renew it, they can reserve
their plot for the next 25 years. They may decide they do not want it because
now about 80 per cent of people prefer cremation to burial. Some might decide
that it is important to renew it, and they can do that at a cost of about $1 800.
There is no immediate need to take any action, so nothing will change on the
ground after 2 July. Plots will not be reused or changed. I encourage people
affected by this to please get in touch with the Metropolitan Cemeteries Board
or their regional cemeteries board, but they do not have to do that
immediately.
Mr
J.N. Hyde interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Perth!
Mr
G.M. CASTRILLI : Due to the member for Perth's scaremongering of the
poor people, for whom this is a very emotive and sensitive issue, the
Metropolitan Cemeteries Board received more than 1 900 calls yesterday and
about 440 this morning. They have been taking phone calls and trying to sort
that out.
Mr
J.N. Hyde : You are getting only six emails a week about your stupid policy.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Perth, I formally call you to order for the first time.
I am presuming you want to ask a supplementary question.
Mr
G.M. CASTRILLI : Thank you, Mr Speaker. It was a Labor government that
changed all this, not the Liberal–National government. I say it again:
it was the Labor government, not the Liberal–National government, and I
am dealing with it.
Several members interjected.
Mr G.M. CASTRILLI :
The Metropolitan Cemeteries Board is used to dealing with people and families
in distress. It is a very sensitive issue and the member for Perth's
scaremongering of people in Western Australia does not help the cause. He
should understand the effect of his actions on people and think about it before
he opens his big mouth and does all that scaremongering.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Yelling across the chamber does not assist matters, member for West Swan. I
formally call you to order for the second time today. Member for Perth, normally
I give people the opportunity to ask supplementary questions; I formally call
you to order for the second time today. When I sit down, if you want to ask a
supplementary question, you had better be quick to your feet.
This is just another example of the member for Perth misleading the people of
Western Australia. Once again, he is trying to make political mileage out of a
very, very sensitive issue, and people are, naturally, very concerned about the
impacts it has on their loved ones. He does not even bother to get his facts
right. It does not matter what he says; he has never really worried about
getting his facts right. Firstly, it was a Labor government in 1986 that
introduced a change to the grant of right of burial from 99 years and 50 years
to 25 years. It was the Labor government that made the changes so that the
terms of the existing grants were reduced to 25 years. Labor was in power until
1993, so what did that government do to notify people when it changed the act
back in 1986? What did they do? Absolutely nothing.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Willagee, I formally call you to order for the first time today. Member for
Belmont, I formally call you to order for the first time today. Member for
Joondalup, you are called to order for the first time today as well. I do not
recall anyone else but the member for Perth asking this question. I do not
think he asked anyone else but the Minister for Local Government to answer it.
Mr
G.M. CASTRILLI : Thank you, Mr Speaker. A grant of right of burial is
basically when someone reserves a particular plot of land in a cemetery for
future use. It is not about digging up someone's remains or disturbing
a loved one's grave. Yes, the legislation changed the term to 25 years,
which expires on 2 July 2012. That was done by a previous Labor government.
What does it mean for grant holders? If they want to renew it, they can reserve
their plot for the next 25 years. They may decide they do not want it because
now about 80 per cent of people prefer cremation to burial. Some might decide
that it is important to renew it, and they can do that at a cost of about $1 800.
There is no immediate need to take any action, so nothing will change on the
ground after 2 July. Plots will not be reused or changed. I encourage people
affected by this to please get in touch with the Metropolitan Cemeteries Board
or their regional cemeteries board, but they do not have to do that
immediately.
Mr
J.N. Hyde interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Perth!
Mr
G.M. CASTRILLI : Due to the member for Perth's scaremongering of the
poor people, for whom this is a very emotive and sensitive issue, the
Metropolitan Cemeteries Board received more than 1 900 calls yesterday and
about 440 this morning. They have been taking phone calls and trying to sort
that out.
Mr
J.N. Hyde : You are getting only six emails a week about your stupid policy.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Perth, I formally call you to order for the first time.
I am presuming you want to ask a supplementary question.
Mr
G.M. CASTRILLI : Thank you, Mr Speaker. It was a Labor government that
changed all this, not the Liberal–National government. I say it again:
it was the Labor government, not the Liberal–National government, and I
am dealing with it.
Several members interjected.
Mr G.M. CASTRILLI :
The Metropolitan Cemeteries Board is used to dealing with people and families
in distress. It is a very sensitive issue and the member for Perth's
scaremongering of people in Western Australia does not help the cause. He
should understand the effect of his actions on people and think about it before
he opens his big mouth and does all that scaremongering.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Yelling across the chamber does not assist matters, member for West Swan. I
formally call you to order for the second time today. Member for Perth, normally
I give people the opportunity to ask supplementary questions; I formally call
you to order for the second time today. When I sit down, if you want to ask a
supplementary question, you had better be quick to your feet.
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