Weatherill not listening on concessions – Rejects Review
Feb 22, 2012
Hon Iain Evans MP
Shadow Treasurer
Weatherill not listening on concessions – Rejects Review
Labor used its numbers to defeat a motion to investigate state based concessions and their effectiveness in meeting the needs of people on low income and those most in need.
This is despite stating in the Governor’s speech when opening Parliament on February 14th that the Government would develop “well targeted concessions”.
Just two days after the Governor’s speech Shadow Treasurer Iain Evans moved in the Parliament’s Economics and Finance Committee on 16 February 2012:
“That the Economic and Finance Committee review the state based concessions, including their effectiveness in meeting the needs of people on low income and those most in need.”
The motion was defeated by Labor along party lines, four votes to three.
The SACOSS Cost of Living Summit in October 2011 recommended that the:
“South Australian Government should undertake a comprehensive review of concessions.” (Page 15)
The report of the Cost of Living Summit states:
“of particular note was that nobody in the room believed the concession system is working effectively to assist those least able to pay for utilities...there was a clear consensus around the demand for a comprehensive review of the system.” (Page 14)
“The Liberal Opposition listened – Premier Weatherill did not,” Shadow Treasurer Iain Evans said.
“It was the Liberal Party that last increased the local government pensioner concessions in 2001.
“It was the Liberal Party that first announced new concessions relating to heating and cooling costs for those with certain medical needs – which Labor copied weeks later,” Mr Evans said.