Right now our economy doesn’t work for us. Big corporations are using their influence and political donations to gain more for themselves, while many people across our communities are struggling to afford a roof over their head or to put food on the table.
We will introduce a state banking levy into Western Australia, which will raise up to $230 million per year for WA communities, allowing us to boost investment in education, mental health services and construct much needed social housing.
Instead of embracing renewable energy and tackling climate change, both the Labor and the Liberal parties have used public money to prop up the coal, gas and oil industries while accepting millions of dollars in political donations from them.
In the 2018/2019 state budget papers alone, the Government committed over $1 billion in subsidies for the oil and gas, coal and mining industries. Of this, $875 million was directly associated with fossil fuel infrastructure projects, financial assistance programs and grants for exploration drilling.
This is our public money that should be used to invest in the future of our state. Investing in these industries is poor economic policy and disastrous for our climate and our future.
The Greens will:
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Introduce a state-based Big Bank Levy to make banks pay their fair share, and to fund much-needed investment in our communities · More » |
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Make the fossil fuel industry pay their fair share by ending unfair subsidies · More » |
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Make mining corporations pay their fair share by increasing fees for iron ore and gold · More » |
Our plan
Introduce a big bank levy
The Royal Commission into the banking sector shed light on the atrocious behaviours of our big banks, who ripped off everyday Australians while at the same time raking in super profits and paying their CEOs and executives hundreds of millions each year.
Australians are getting ripped off, and it’s time we had more for Western Australians, and less for the big banks.
The Greens are the only party that does not accept donations from banks, and we will ensure the big banks pay their fair share by introducing a state banking levy into Western Australia.
This levy will raise up to $230 million per year for WA communities, allowing us to boost investment in education, mental health services and construct much needed social housing.
End unfair fossil fuel subsidies
Between 2008 and 2014, the WA State Government spent an estimated total of $6.2 billion on support to the mining and fossil fuel industry.
The McGowan Government continues to use public money to subsidise and prop up the coal and gas industries, instead of planning and investing in clean, innovative industries of the future. In the 2018/2019 state budget papers alone, the Government committed over $1 billion in subsidies for the oil and gas, coal and mining industries.
This is our public money that should be used to invest in the future of our state, not in the dying coal and gas industries. Investing in these industries is poor economic policy and disastrous for our climate and our future.
The Greens will end fossil fuel subsidies, saving our state over $875 million per year that we can invest in job-creating industries such as the care economy, the clean energy sector and environmental regeneration and land management.
Raise fees for gold and iron ore
Iron ore producers in Western Australia continue to generate massive profits for their shareholders, while only giving back a small portion to the state government and our communities.
Increasing the iron ore rental fee will bring in much needed revenue for Western Australia to fund new employment opportunities in the renewable economy, and to significantly increase funding in the care
economy. We also support recommendations of the 2015 review into WA’s mining royalties to increase the gold ad valorem rate.
We have a plan to increase iron ore and gold fees, which will inject over $3.8 billion into our economy every year, allowing us to future-proof our economy so that we can recover from this pandemic together.