WATER CORPORATION —
FEES AND CHARGES
833. Dr
D.J. HONEY to the Minister for Water:
I have a supplementary question.
Ms S. Winton: Give it
another crack!
Dr D.J. HONEY: I will.
The SPEAKER: Member for
Wanneroo, I call you to order for the third time.
Dr D.J. HONEY: When is the
minister going to stop hurting Western Australian families with his $400 tax on
metropolitan households instead of his plan for 2.5 per cent year-on-year
increases in the future?
Mr D.J.
KELLY replied:
Member for Cottesloe, is it your
policy to reduce water charges by $400 for each family? Is that your policy?
Dr D.J. Honey: I asked you
the question!
Mr D.J. KELLY: Is that your
policy?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER: Members on my
left! Members!
Mr D.J. KELLY: Leader of
the Opposition, is that your policy—to reduce water charges by $400 per
family in WA?
Mrs L.M. Harvey: You have no
answer.
Mr D.J. KELLY: I am asking
you. The member for Cottesloe is the shadow spokesperson for water. He is claiming
we are overcharging by $400.
The SPEAKER: Minister,
through the Chair, please.
Mr D.J. KELLY: Member for
Cottesloe, is it your policy that you will reduce water charges by $400?
Dr D.J. Honey: Answer the
question. You are putting up charges.
Mr D.J. KELLY: You talk
about the hardship that we are creating, or you claim we are creating, but the
previous government cut off the water to 2 500
families every year because they could not pay their bills. I repeat: 2 500
families every year were getting
their water turned off because they could not pay their bills. When we came
into government, we asked the Water Corporation to change the way it
dealt with families who were finding it difficult to pay their water bills. We
have now reduced that number by over 60 per cent. We have introduced a raft of
measures to make it easier for people to pay
their water bills. Our track record is so much better than yours ever was and
ever will be.
The SPEAKER: That is the end
of question time.