opinion

Libby Mettam: Free zoo trip won’t feed the kids

Libby MettamThe West Australian
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Camera IconPremier Roger Cook and Environment Minister Reece Whitby announced free Perth Zoo tickets for families before feeding the tree kangaroos. Credit: Michael Wilson/The West Australian

Last week, Roger Cook claimed his Government was a “cost-of-living relief Government” which was “determined to burst the cost-of-living bubble”.

The Cook Government is big on rhetoric but small on delivery, and this is just the latest example of how out of touch the Premier is with the struggles facing everyday West Australians.

While the Premier makes bold statements about tackling inflation and providing relief, his actions reveal he is totally oblivious to the harsh economic realities many are living through.

Instead of delivering meaningful solutions, the Government’s focus seems to be on symbolic gestures and glitzy events, leaving many to wonder if the Premier understands the crisis affecting families across the State.

At a time when this Labor Government is more flushed with cash than any government in our State’s history, having pocketed billions in iron ore royalties over the past seven years, Foodbank WA estimates at least 250,000 WA households are experiencing severe food insecurity.

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While Roger Cook proclaims his Government has created one of the strongest economies in the country, we are the rough sleeping capital of Australia.

There are currently 1725 homeless West Australians — and those are just the ones being tracked in the data.

Crisis accommodation organisations are turning people away at a rate never seen before. Without crisis accommodation, people are forced to stay in abusive relationships — or live in their cars — with serious physical and mental health consequences.

While the NSW and Queensland governments contribute upwards of $3 million to fund the Kids Helpline — a vital counselling service for young people doing it tough — the Cook Government contributes a pathetic $90,000.

As a result, last year 18,200 contacts from WA didn’t get a proper response when they tried to get help.

This is completely unacceptable. No child seeking help should ever be ignored. This is why I have committed to boosting the funding for this essential service by $6 million over the next four years.

Over the past seven years, this Government has jacked up household fees and charges by more than $1000, placing additional strain on already struggling families.

Increasing electricity and water bills, along with vehicle registration, have made it harder for everyday West Australians to manage their living costs.

For the many West Australians who are already grappling with rising inflation and housing pressures, these increases feel like an added burden the Government won’t meaningfully address.

Instead of easing the financial load, ongoing fee hikes make the cost-of-living crisis worse for thousands of households across the State.

While thousands of West Australians are worried about the ever-growing number on the bottom of their grocery bill, the Premier for Special Events and Concerts worries about which pet project he wants to spend taxpayers’ money and $20 billion in surpluses on next.

None of it, of course, where those who are struggling would like to see it.

The Cook Government’s decision to double its asset investment plan each year — particularly to fund the now $10 billion over-budget METRONET project — is having significant inflationary impacts, while also straining the availability of skilled workers across key industries.

These misaligned spending priorities reverberate across the economy, where vital sectors like housing and construction cannot get workers and cannot keep up with demand, while the Government continues to pump money into budget overruns on infrastructure projects.

Instead of focusing on balanced, sustainable investments, Roger Cook’s addiction to spending taxpayers’ money is making things more expensive and making the skills shortage worse, when housing affordability is more crucial than ever.

You’d be right to question the Government’s priorities or motives.

Whether it’s $8 million on a Coldplay concert or $6 million for free entry to the zoo, Roger Cook is spending money on everything but a meaningful plan to address cost-of-living struggles.

Roger Cook heralded $75 million in Student Assistance Payments as “going back into the pockets of West Australians”, ignoring the fact that some areas of significant need — namely in regional WA — didn’t register to receive the payment.

Instead of providing the money directly to schools based on enrolment to guarantee all kids got the aid (as is best practice in other States), more than 140,000 families had not opted into the payment in the days before it closed.

While assistance for school children is a noble cause, and free tickets to the Royal Show and the zoo are nice to have, you’ve got to ask how many families would prefer support to put food on the table, or a roof over their heads.

Anglicare’s CEO Mark Glasson, in response to these announcements, said “a visit to the zoo, while a nice day out, is not going to solve the problems for families,” and that Roger Cook’s initiatives “won’t touch the sides of the cost-of-living crisis”.

Anglicare’s recent report shows there has been a $90 median increase in rental costs in WA, and no rental properties are affordable for someone on a JobSeeker or Disability Support Pension.

No one is saying “don’t go to the zoo or enjoy the Royal Show” These things will give many a reprieve at a time of extreme hardship.

The harsh reality, however, is these “family-friendly” policies — out of all issues needing policy reform or funding across our State — don’t address the key issues.

West Australians are hurting and should be angry.

Being in Government is a privilege. It is the trust of the WA people given to you to spend their taxpayer dollars and the benefits from our flourishing economy.

Instead of investing in the things that matter — cost of living, health, housing, crime — they are disconnected from the policies that will really make a difference in people’s lives.

West Australians deserve a government that puts them first, and a future Liberal Government will prioritise addressing the priorities that matter to all West Australians.

Libby Mettam is the leader of the Liberals.

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