WESTERN AUSTRALIAN CRICKET ASSOCIATION —
LOCAL GOVERNMENT RATES
623. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Minister for Local Government:
I have a supplementary
question. Does the minister consider it fair for mums and dads in small
business and residents in the City of Perth to pick up the bill, or will
the state government assist the City of Perth in offsetting the cost of this decision?
Mr J.N. CAREY
replied:
I want to be very clear that the
redevelopment of the WACA, which is part of the Perth City Deal, is of
incredible benefit to the ratepayers of Perth. I know that because I am the
local member for Perth and there was an incredible passion and energy from
local residents in relation to the redevelopment. I note that the total value
of the exemption is around $77 000, which is a very small percentage of the
city's budget. I am very confident that the ratepayers in Perth, whom I engage with regularly—in
fact, two weekends ago I had a coffee catch-up that was attended by over
40 residents, who engaged with me on a range of issues. Our government is in
touch with the CBD community —
Mr M. McGowan: Like the
National Party.
Mr J.N. CAREY: Yes, just
like members of the National Party who live in my electorate. I actually think
they get my —
Mr R.S. Love: There are a whole
lot of business in Perth that have been impacted by COVID and whole range of
other issues, including all the —
Mr J.N. CAREY: This is
extraordinary. The member's government did it for successive years and
that was okay. There is one rule for the National Party and the Liberal Party,
and one rule for other governments. Why did his previous government do it for
successive years?
Mr R.S. Love: I am asking
you why you made the decision.
Mr J.N. CAREY: No. I am
asking the member why is it—this is the born-to-rule mentality of the
National Party and the Leader of the Opposition; it is a born-to-rule
mentality.
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
The SPEAKER: Order, please,
members!
Mr J.N. CAREY: There is a born-to-rule
mentality with the National Party. We see it in the way that they conduct themselves in the chamber, particularly the Leader
of the Opposition. I want to be very clear on this. Their government did it over successive years—successive
years—and yet the member says that is fine: ''We can do that.
That's all right.''
Ms A. Sanderson: They're
allowed.
Mr J.N. CAREY: They are
allowed to.
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
The SPEAKER: Minister, I think
you are drawing way too many interjections and I would love to give another
member the opportunity to ask a question very soon.
Mr J.N. CAREY: Clearly, the
member for Moore is very passionate because it is an issue so close to his
heart and because he lives so close to the
city, or his colleagues do. The reality is this. I considered the impacts of
COVID on the WACA and the
redevelopment of the WACA and I believe that the redevelopment of the WACA, as
part of the $1.7 billion Perth City
Deal, will provide significant benefits to ratepayers and that this exemption
was justified.