Council Rate Concessions

Mr GRIFFITHS (Goyder) (14:50): My question is to the Minister for Local Government. Can the minister outline how the government's position to no longer fund the approximate $33 million per year in pensioner concessions for local government rates from 1 July 2015 complies with the agreement that the minister made with the Premier in order to form government that states that the Labor Party will commit to a review of pensioner concessions as applied in respect to local government rates and the pre-election position of the minister for pensioner concessions to be increased from $190 to $230?

Mr Knoll interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Schubert is called to order because, of course, any member of the government can answer a question.

Mr Pengilly: Just like he answered the last two.

The SPEAKER: The member for Finniss is so close to joining his Kangaroo Island colleague.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Minister for Small Business) (14:51): I have to say one of the cruellest aspects of the most recent commonwealth budget—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Again, I thought we were on the same page about these cuts, but obviously not. Apparently now we know that the opposition supports the commonwealth cuts. I have to be careful how I pronounce that. You don't want to say it too quickly.

I think it is important to note that one of the cruellest cuts was the $30 million reduction in subsidies in concession payments for pensioners. We have increased pensioner concessions for utilities and water. We made a commitment to do so in the election campaign. When the commonwealth, with five weeks notice, cut $30 million per annum from concessions to pensioners, the state government stepped in to fill that gap, so pensioners would not be impacted by the cuts made by the Prime Minister and we said on budget day that we would campaign for the next 12 months with the Local Government Association and this government together to have that cut reversed.

At the time, the opposition said they would join us. Instead they scoff at us in this place. Also at the same time, to meet the costs of other cuts they have made to our most vulnerable, we removed the remissions from the emergency services levy except for pensioners. We protected pensioners: they have kept their remissions. I have to say the good work of this government and the member for Frome in protecting the most vulnerable in our community from the most savage parts of the Liberal Party cuts are testament to his influence in this government and what motivates this government.