Post by Banker on Apr 20, 2012 13:05:43 GMT 7
The federal government has accused West Australian Premier Colin Barnett of a cash grab over his refusal to quarantine a pension increase from public housing rent assessments.
Federal Community Services Minister Jenny Macklin says the pension increase is vital compensation for cost increases caused by the carbon tax, so public housing tenants should not be penalised with rent increases because their pensions go up.
But Mr Barnett says it has been a long-standing policy for 25 per cent of pensions to be surrendered for HomesWest public housing rents and the policy would continue.
From next month single pensioners will get $338 a year extra, while couples will get $510.
Ms Macklin said on Friday that more than 22,000 pensioners in public housing in WA would be worse off because of Mr Barnett's refusal to quarantine the pension increase from rental assessments.
"Colin Barnett's decision not to quarantine this increase from public housing rents means he will now be taking an extra $85 a year from single pensioners and $127 a year from pensioner couples.
"It has become crystal clear that when Labor delivers a boost for pensioners, the Liberals just want to take it away," Ms Macklin said.
She said Mr Barnett needed to listen to the pleas of thousands of pensioners who wanted the federal government's pension increase to help them make ends meet.
"Instead, they're facing another cash grab from Colin Barnett and the West Australian government."
But Mr Barnett, a vocal opponent of the federal government's carbon tax, has confirmed that pensioners in public housing will face a rent rise.
"You can't leave the rental payment frozen when the cost for providing housing and the demand for providing housing and the demand for providing social housing continues to grow," he said.
"I think many people in the community who have a high mortgage or pay rents in the private rental market would love to be only paying 25 per cent of their income for accommodation."
Mr Barnett said pensioners would still be better off by 75 cents in the dollar from the pension increase.
WA opposition treasury spokesman Ben Wyatt called on Mr Barnett to reveal how much money his government would take in his "grubby cash grab".
He said WA Housing Minister Troy Buswell had said this week the federal government should have provided pensioners with more compensation to offset the carbon price.
"It is now clear that Mr Buswell wanted more compensation to allow him to gouge more money from WA pensioners," Mr Wyatt said.
He said Mr Barnett had a particular view on the carbon price, but should not inflict more financial pain on pensioners to make his political point.
"For the premier to be taking compensation money from WA pensioners after he has increased their electricity bills by 57 per cent is a sign of how arrogant and out of touch he has become," Mr Wyatt said.
news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8454642
Federal Community Services Minister Jenny Macklin says the pension increase is vital compensation for cost increases caused by the carbon tax, so public housing tenants should not be penalised with rent increases because their pensions go up.
But Mr Barnett says it has been a long-standing policy for 25 per cent of pensions to be surrendered for HomesWest public housing rents and the policy would continue.
From next month single pensioners will get $338 a year extra, while couples will get $510.
Ms Macklin said on Friday that more than 22,000 pensioners in public housing in WA would be worse off because of Mr Barnett's refusal to quarantine the pension increase from rental assessments.
"Colin Barnett's decision not to quarantine this increase from public housing rents means he will now be taking an extra $85 a year from single pensioners and $127 a year from pensioner couples.
"It has become crystal clear that when Labor delivers a boost for pensioners, the Liberals just want to take it away," Ms Macklin said.
She said Mr Barnett needed to listen to the pleas of thousands of pensioners who wanted the federal government's pension increase to help them make ends meet.
"Instead, they're facing another cash grab from Colin Barnett and the West Australian government."
But Mr Barnett, a vocal opponent of the federal government's carbon tax, has confirmed that pensioners in public housing will face a rent rise.
"You can't leave the rental payment frozen when the cost for providing housing and the demand for providing housing and the demand for providing social housing continues to grow," he said.
"I think many people in the community who have a high mortgage or pay rents in the private rental market would love to be only paying 25 per cent of their income for accommodation."
Mr Barnett said pensioners would still be better off by 75 cents in the dollar from the pension increase.
WA opposition treasury spokesman Ben Wyatt called on Mr Barnett to reveal how much money his government would take in his "grubby cash grab".
He said WA Housing Minister Troy Buswell had said this week the federal government should have provided pensioners with more compensation to offset the carbon price.
"It is now clear that Mr Buswell wanted more compensation to allow him to gouge more money from WA pensioners," Mr Wyatt said.
He said Mr Barnett had a particular view on the carbon price, but should not inflict more financial pain on pensioners to make his political point.
"For the premier to be taking compensation money from WA pensioners after he has increased their electricity bills by 57 per cent is a sign of how arrogant and out of touch he has become," Mr Wyatt said.
news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8454642