❓ Mrs O'Malley asks about cost-of-living relief for seniors. The Minister outlines initiatives like the Seniors Card, safety rebates, and cost-of-living rebates, while criticising the previous Liberal-National government's record.
AnsweredQoN 172Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Seniors—Cost of living
172. Mrs Lisa O'Malley to
the Minister for Aged Care and Seniors:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's efforts to provide cost-of-living relief for older Western
Australians.
Can the minister
outline to the house how government is investing in initiatives to keep older
Western Australians safe and healthy in their homes?
172. Mrs Lisa O'Malley to
the Minister for Aged Care and Seniors:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's efforts to provide cost-of-living relief for older Western
Australians.
Can the minister
outline to the house how government is investing in initiatives to keep older
Western Australians safe and healthy in their homes?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member
for the question. She has been very active in representing seniors in her
electorate, and I thank her for that.
The WA Seniors Card
is a longstanding Labor government initiative that we are very proud of. It
delivers practical support to help ease cost-of-living pressures. Our Seniors
Card is the most generous of its type in the country. It helps seniors stay
engaged in their communities as well as offering financial assistance. I will
just go through some of the benefits. They are up to 25% off people's water
service charges, discounts on local government rates, free travel on Transperth
services at off-peak times and a concession rate for travel at all other times—that
can be as low as $1.28 per trip—and a 50% concession on regional
Transwa services. These offerings can be found through the Seniors Card Discount Directory . As many members
know, and as my mother used to say, they have been flying off the shelves of
our electorate offices. Through the WA Seniors Card this government has also
delivered over 41,000 safety and security rebates to keep older Western
Australians safe in their homes. That is saving seniors over $15.7 million collectively.
Let us not forget
what the Liberal–National government did when it was in office. It
abolished the safety and security rebate in 2015. It abolished it altogether.
What a mean-spirited government it was. It actually gets worse because before the
Liberal–National government abolished it, it changed the criteria so
that in order to qualify for the safety and security rebate, people actually had
to be burgled—it was outrageous! On this side of the chamber, we
believe that all older Western Australians should feel safe in their homes and
communities.
Finally, this government continues to support our
seniors with over 350,000 people receiving a cost-of-living rebate last
year, delivering older Western Australians over $33 million. The Cook Labor
government is doing the work to ensure that older Western Australians can age
with dignity and are supported by practical measures that make a real
difference.
for the question. She has been very active in representing seniors in her
electorate, and I thank her for that.
The WA Seniors Card
is a longstanding Labor government initiative that we are very proud of. It
delivers practical support to help ease cost-of-living pressures. Our Seniors
Card is the most generous of its type in the country. It helps seniors stay
engaged in their communities as well as offering financial assistance. I will
just go through some of the benefits. They are up to 25% off people's water
service charges, discounts on local government rates, free travel on Transperth
services at off-peak times and a concession rate for travel at all other times—that
can be as low as $1.28 per trip—and a 50% concession on regional
Transwa services. These offerings can be found through the Seniors Card Discount Directory . As many members
know, and as my mother used to say, they have been flying off the shelves of
our electorate offices. Through the WA Seniors Card this government has also
delivered over 41,000 safety and security rebates to keep older Western
Australians safe in their homes. That is saving seniors over $15.7 million collectively.
Let us not forget
what the Liberal–National government did when it was in office. It
abolished the safety and security rebate in 2015. It abolished it altogether.
What a mean-spirited government it was. It actually gets worse because before the
Liberal–National government abolished it, it changed the criteria so
that in order to qualify for the safety and security rebate, people actually had
to be burgled—it was outrageous! On this side of the chamber, we
believe that all older Western Australians should feel safe in their homes and
communities.
Finally, this government continues to support our
seniors with over 350,000 people receiving a cost-of-living rebate last
year, delivering older Western Australians over $33 million. The Cook Labor
government is doing the work to ensure that older Western Australians can age
with dignity and are supported by practical measures that make a real
difference.
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