❓ The Treasurer outlines the government's investment in affordable housing and public transport, particularly Metronet, while criticising the opposition's stance on these issues, highlighting perceived inconsistencies in their policies.
AnsweredQoN 217Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Metronet—Rail infrastructure
217. Mrs Michelle Maynard to the Treasurer:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to ensuring that every Western Australian has a
home.
(1) Can the Treasurer please outline to
the house how the Cook Labor government's investment is targeted at creating
affordable housing and connected communities and better connections to public
transport?
(2) Can the Treasurer advise the house of
any recent developments in the support of public transport?
217. Mrs Michelle Maynard to the Treasurer:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to ensuring that every Western Australian has a
home.
(1) Can the Treasurer please outline to
the house how the Cook Labor government's investment is targeted at creating
affordable housing and connected communities and better connections to public
transport?
(2) Can the Treasurer advise the house of
any recent developments in the support of public transport?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I thank the member for the questions. Of
course, we have rolled out our Metronet train stations, and as part of the
announcements over the past week, including our record $2 billion
partnership with the Albanese government, and a part of that significant
investment is supporting the infrastructure to activate these new Metronet
precincts and build more homes closer to public transport. Now there are a
whole range of initiatives over that $2 billion and, on top of that, of course,
there are the other initiatives our state is rolling out—for example, more
shared equity.
The government partners with
first home buyers to buy their first home. We have of course our guaranteed
pre-sale—again, where the state works to support new homes. We have a whole
range of initiatives. We have infrastructure. The Infrastructure Development
Fund is about supporting new homes and new medium density, and again the state
is supporting the cost of the water and energy utilities. Of course, we are
also seeing out there not only the infrastructure, but record growth in
patronage. We have seen more people than ever before catching our public
transport.
Members might be surprised that
the other side has cottoned on to public transport. There we are. There is the
Leader of the Opposition on the train to Yanchep, members. It is the train that
the Liberal Party believes should not exist, and there he is, with an
honourable member of the other place, on the train to Yanchep. We know that
they stand for nothing and they are basically contradicting each other every
day. We heard the shadow Treasurer today saying, "Spend less", but we
have seen the Leader of the Opposition out there saying that he is going to cut
stamp duty by 20% and give free public transport. Who do we believe? Let us go
to Metronet itself. This is what the shadow Treasurer said: Labor's
prioritisation of Metronet with gold-plated station infrastructure. This is
what the shadow Treasurer said about Metronet.
The Conservative Political
Action Conference (CPAC) speech that the Leader of the Opposition gave crossed
a number of different areas and, funnily enough, talked about how we should be
delivering in the suburbs. We have seen the shadow Treasurer saying that we
should not be delivering train stations in the outer suburbs, and what does the
Leader of the Opposition say? He says that we must be focused on supply. It
means infrastructure that keeps pace with growth so new suburbs are livable,
not stranded. Who do we believe? Do we believe the Leader
of the Opposition who says we should be delivering infrastructure in the
suburbs or the shadow Treasurer that says we shouldn't be? We have a shadow
Treasurer saying we should cut spending.
Shadow Treasurer, do you support
your advocacy for a 20% cut in stamp duty? She is not answering. Shadow
Treasurer, do you support the Leader of the Opposition—
Point of order
Mr Liam Staltari: As the Treasurer knows, please
direct her comments through the Chair.
The Speaker: Yes. Treasurer, please direct your
comments through the Chair.
Questions without notice resumed
Ms Rita Saffioti: The Leader of the Opposition is
doing some filing there and sorting out some documents.
Mr John Carey: He's searching for a policy! "I
can't find the policy!"
The Speaker: Members!
Ms Rita Saffioti: "I
had one here. I'm sure I filed it under "p" for policy, but I can't find
it!" I will give this to the Minister for Finance. The Leader of the
Opposition is doing more filing than is done in a nail salon! That is the Minister
for Finance's gag; I will not take ownership of it.
Everyone opposite is
too busy. Everyone is looking down. I do not understand. Do members opposite support
their own policy of a 20% cut in stamp duty? Crickets. Do members opposite support
abolishing public transport fares until the end of the year?
Ms Libby Mettam: How many hospitals have you built?
The Speaker: Members!
Ms Rita Saffioti: Does the member for Vasse support
abolishing public transport fares until the end of the year?
Point of order
Mr Lachlan Hunter: Mr Speaker, I would ask that you
draw the Treasurer's response to a close, given that this is question time for
the opposition to ask the government questions.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members, thank you. I will not be
upholding that point of order, member for Central Wheatbelt. Treasurer, if you
could conclude your comments.
Questions without notice resumed
Ms Rita Saffioti: Mr Speaker, we are trying to draw
out what they stand for. The shadow Treasurer is saying to cut spending and the
Leader of the Opposition is saying to increase spending and have a 20% cut in
stamp duty. Do members opposite support that? They have gone out and said it. Is
that their policy? Is it still their policy to abolish public transport fares
until the end of the year? They interject and they talk whenever anyone else is
on their feet, but now the Leader of the Opposition is doing his tax receipts
for the past two years in the chamber. He is doing anything but answering the
question.
We have a very clear
policy—support WA households and invest like never before in key services like
health. When it comes to housing, do members know what people and industry are
calling for? They are calling for more infrastructure, more training and more
land, and that is what we are delivering.
course, we have rolled out our Metronet train stations, and as part of the
announcements over the past week, including our record $2 billion
partnership with the Albanese government, and a part of that significant
investment is supporting the infrastructure to activate these new Metronet
precincts and build more homes closer to public transport. Now there are a
whole range of initiatives over that $2 billion and, on top of that, of course,
there are the other initiatives our state is rolling out—for example, more
shared equity.
The government partners with
first home buyers to buy their first home. We have of course our guaranteed
pre-sale—again, where the state works to support new homes. We have a whole
range of initiatives. We have infrastructure. The Infrastructure Development
Fund is about supporting new homes and new medium density, and again the state
is supporting the cost of the water and energy utilities. Of course, we are
also seeing out there not only the infrastructure, but record growth in
patronage. We have seen more people than ever before catching our public
transport.
Members might be surprised that
the other side has cottoned on to public transport. There we are. There is the
Leader of the Opposition on the train to Yanchep, members. It is the train that
the Liberal Party believes should not exist, and there he is, with an
honourable member of the other place, on the train to Yanchep. We know that
they stand for nothing and they are basically contradicting each other every
day. We heard the shadow Treasurer today saying, "Spend less", but we
have seen the Leader of the Opposition out there saying that he is going to cut
stamp duty by 20% and give free public transport. Who do we believe? Let us go
to Metronet itself. This is what the shadow Treasurer said: Labor's
prioritisation of Metronet with gold-plated station infrastructure. This is
what the shadow Treasurer said about Metronet.
The Conservative Political
Action Conference (CPAC) speech that the Leader of the Opposition gave crossed
a number of different areas and, funnily enough, talked about how we should be
delivering in the suburbs. We have seen the shadow Treasurer saying that we
should not be delivering train stations in the outer suburbs, and what does the
Leader of the Opposition say? He says that we must be focused on supply. It
means infrastructure that keeps pace with growth so new suburbs are livable,
not stranded. Who do we believe? Do we believe the Leader
of the Opposition who says we should be delivering infrastructure in the
suburbs or the shadow Treasurer that says we shouldn't be? We have a shadow
Treasurer saying we should cut spending.
Shadow Treasurer, do you support
your advocacy for a 20% cut in stamp duty? She is not answering. Shadow
Treasurer, do you support the Leader of the Opposition—
Point of order
Mr Liam Staltari: As the Treasurer knows, please
direct her comments through the Chair.
The Speaker: Yes. Treasurer, please direct your
comments through the Chair.
Questions without notice resumed
Ms Rita Saffioti: The Leader of the Opposition is
doing some filing there and sorting out some documents.
Mr John Carey: He's searching for a policy! "I
can't find the policy!"
The Speaker: Members!
Ms Rita Saffioti: "I
had one here. I'm sure I filed it under "p" for policy, but I can't find
it!" I will give this to the Minister for Finance. The Leader of the
Opposition is doing more filing than is done in a nail salon! That is the Minister
for Finance's gag; I will not take ownership of it.
Everyone opposite is
too busy. Everyone is looking down. I do not understand. Do members opposite support
their own policy of a 20% cut in stamp duty? Crickets. Do members opposite support
abolishing public transport fares until the end of the year?
Ms Libby Mettam: How many hospitals have you built?
The Speaker: Members!
Ms Rita Saffioti: Does the member for Vasse support
abolishing public transport fares until the end of the year?
Point of order
Mr Lachlan Hunter: Mr Speaker, I would ask that you
draw the Treasurer's response to a close, given that this is question time for
the opposition to ask the government questions.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members, thank you. I will not be
upholding that point of order, member for Central Wheatbelt. Treasurer, if you
could conclude your comments.
Questions without notice resumed
Ms Rita Saffioti: Mr Speaker, we are trying to draw
out what they stand for. The shadow Treasurer is saying to cut spending and the
Leader of the Opposition is saying to increase spending and have a 20% cut in
stamp duty. Do members opposite support that? They have gone out and said it. Is
that their policy? Is it still their policy to abolish public transport fares
until the end of the year? They interject and they talk whenever anyone else is
on their feet, but now the Leader of the Opposition is doing his tax receipts
for the past two years in the chamber. He is doing anything but answering the
question.
We have a very clear
policy—support WA households and invest like never before in key services like
health. When it comes to housing, do members know what people and industry are
calling for? They are calling for more infrastructure, more training and more
land, and that is what we are delivering.
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