Government concessions and emergency financial relief provided to low income earners are in jeopardy.
Family Minister Eric Ripper said today the Opposition had conspicuously avoided giving any firm commitment to continuing these programs.
"The Liberals promise to abolish payroll tax, which brings in $500 million annually, will almost certainly mean substantial cuts to programs to help the needy, such as concessions and emergency financial relief," Mr Ripper said.
Transport and accommodation services for Western Australians with disabilities, and child care, were other areas where the Opposition had pointedly refused to guarantee Government plans for expansion.
"Completely axing payroll tax means either significantly increased taxes of another form, drastic cuts in areas such as social welfare, or both."
The GST also would make basic essentials more expensive because no sales tax was currently levied on Government services. Families on low incomes would bear the full brunt of GST increases which would mean an extra $160 dollars a year in the cost of these Government services alone.
The Lawrence Government currently provided about $170 million in concessions on essential services such as electricity, water, and local government rates. More than $5 million a year was also provided for emergency financial relief to people in crisis. The New South Wales Liberal Government provided no such help, and this position was also likely in WA should the Opposition take office.
"The Opposition leader has said he is prepared to inflict pain on Western Australians, and it can be only hoped this is not similar to the broken promises and pain inflicted by the Kennett Government in Victoria, from which the WA Opposition has borrowed so many other ideas."
