SAFETY AND SECURITY REBATE
477. Ms C.M. COLLINS to the Minister for Seniors and Ageing:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's significant investment in protecting our community, in
particular Western Australian seniors. Can the minister update the house on how
the McGowan Labor government is ensuring our seniors can feel safe and secure
in their homes?
Mr D.T.
PUNCH replied:
I am delighted to once again be able
to say what a great friend of seniors the McGowan government is, and I thank
the member for the question.
Last month, the Premier, the
Minister for Police and I joined the very hardworking member for Hillarys at
the home of the delightful Fred and Belinda, two seniors, to announce the
return of the safety and security rebate, which can be claimed for the purchase
of safety and security equipment and the cost of installation by a licensed
tradesperson. This rebate of up to $400 per household is an excellent
opportunity for seniors to make sure that they continue to be as safe and
secure as possible. This $12 million program delivers on the McGowan government's
election commitment to ensure community safety and resilience as part of the
2021–22 budget. It is yet another election commitment delivered by this
government. I will remind members of the eligible items for the rebate. They
include the purchase and/or installation of home alarms and closed-circuit
television systems, security door screens, deadlocks, security sensor lights,
wi-fi video doorbells, residual current devices, mains powered smoke alarms,
fire extinguishers and fire blankets. It is no surprise, members, that in the
first 10 days following the launch, the WA
Seniors Card centre received more than 2 500 calls and almost 1 000 emails
about the rebate. I urge all seniors to take up that opportunity,
because the Seniors Card continues to be one of the great assets of this
government, and delivers $650 in total value aside from the $400 safety and
security rebate.
Which government in penny-pinching
mode after suddenly realising it had stuffed up the state's finances
axed the seniors rebate 2015? Which government?
Ms R. Saffioti: You tell us
now!
Mr D.T. PUNCH: It was Hon
Tony Simpson and a Liberal–National government that was penny pinching
and ripping off seniors. It said that 45 000 seniors would be affected by that
mean-spirited cut. That government was spending all over the place—spending
on nice-to-haves—but what did it do? It stuck the knife into our
seniors. What is more, it identified the areas that would be worst hit—the
City of Wanneroo; City of Mandurah; City of Stirling; City of Joondalup; City
of Swan; Shire of Mundaring; City of Armadale, member for Armadale; City of
Albany; City of Greater Geraldton; and City of Busselton. There is one thing I am
very happy about: nine out of 10 of those areas are safe in Labor hands!