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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2015-05-14 Daily Xml
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Ministerial Statement

State Government Concessions

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier) (14:02): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Today with my colleague the Treasurer it was my great pleasure to announce the first reform as part of the state government's state tax review. Pensioners, low-income earners and self-funded retirees holding a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card will receive up to $200 per year under a new cost-of-living concession. This concession is in direct response to the Abbott government's failure to reinstate the $30 million per year in funding it cut from pensioner concessions in South Australia. While we are disappointed that the Abbott government has refused to reinstate the payment they cruelly cut from pensioners, we are proud to be able to step in with a new concession that will come into effect on 1 July.

Our concession will enable about 205,000 households to use our $200 payment towards their bills, whether that is electricity, gas or water bills, council rates or whatever is their greatest need. The new concession will replace the $190 council rate concession which only provided funding to pensioners, low-income earners and self-funded retirees who own their own home. As a result of our reform, more South Australian pensioners will be better off. Our concession is expanded to help more people and is better targeted to those in need of support.

Eligibility for the new concession has been expanded to include pensioners and low-income earners who are tenants; that means 45,000 pensioners and low-income earners will now receive an extra $100 in their pocket each year. Our concession will give more people more money and greater flexibility to manage their budgets. While homeowners who currently receive the council rate concession will not need to apply separately for this new concession, tenants will need to apply by 31 October 2015.

Application forms for the concession will be made available from 1 July 2015 by contacting the concession hotline on 1800 307 758. Our new concession will cost the state government $36.5 million per year, meaning the total amount of funding the state government will now spend on concessions in 2015-16 is $280 million.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Before the Premier said anything even slightly contentious, these members offended: I call to order and warn for the first time the leader, the member for Hartley and the member for Schubert; and I call to order the members for Morialta, the deputy leader, Hammond, Chaffey and the Treasurer.

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