Question Without Notice No. 755 asked in the Legislative Council on 1 November 2017 by Hon Dr Steve Thomas
Parliament: 40 Session: 1
EMERGENCY SERVICES VOLUNTEER FUEL CARD — FUNDING
755. Hon Dr STEVE THOMAS to the minister representing the Minister for Emergency Services:
I refer to the Minister for Emergency Services' media release of Tuesday, 17 October stating that the emergency service volunteer fuel card was funded until only 2018–19. I also refer to his statement to the Legislative Assembly in a question without notice on Thursday, 19 October when he said, ''The former government funded the volunteer fuel card only until 2018–19.''
(1) Does the minister stand by these statements?
(2) Given that the 2016–17 state budget clearly states in volume 2 of budget paper No 2, under the fire and emergency services division on page 607, that the regional volunteer fuel card has $1.855 million of funding in 2019–20, which is the last year of the forward estimates, and is reinforced by the 2016–17 budget paper No 3 on page 195, which states that the volunteer fuel card has a royalties for regions budget of $1.9 million in 2019–20, again the final forward estimates year, will the minister now apologise to the Legislative Assembly and the people of Western Australia for misleading them?
(3) Given that in budget estimates in the Legislative Council on Wednesday, 18 October we were informed by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services that the metropolitan expenditure on the volunteer fuel card accounts for 11 per cent of the total and regional expenditure accounts for 89 per cent of the total, is the minister suggesting that only the metropolitan budget counts in his comments?
Hon STEPHEN DAWSON replied:
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question.
(1) Yes. I refer members to the signed memorandum of understanding between DFES and the then Department of Regional Development, which formalises funding for four years ending in 2018–19. I table the attached document.
[See paper 815.]
(2) Royalties for regions funding beyond the initial period of the scheme, being 2014–15 through to 2018–19, was subject to the approval of cabinet as per the advice provided in the memorandum of understanding between DFES and the then Department of Regional Development. The royalties for regions funding profile prepopulated the out years with funding. However, this was always to be subject to approval by cabinet to further extend the scheme. It is important to note that consolidated account funding for the metropolitan component of the scheme was not prepopulated beyond 2018–19.
(3) No.