Pearce MHR Christian Porter attended the Two Rocks Yanchep Residents Association meeting on July 22, where members asked a variety of questions.
The introduction of a $7 fee to see a doctor was among the concerns brought up by residents and Mr Porter said doctors would still be able to bulk bill for people who could not afford it.
‘Seventy per cent of all visits to doctors are bulk billed,’ he said.
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Bringing up Federal cuts to seniors cards, Ed Whitchurch said there were ‘men in their 80s crying because they haven’t been able to meet their own budgets’.
He said the cuts could have a flow-on effect on council rates discounts for seniors, and asked the MP who people should blame.
‘Blame the Federal Government and State Government and the previous Federal government,’ Mr Porter said.
‘As a nation at the moment, we are spending more than we earn.’
Mr Porter said the country had significant debt, despite its steadily growing economy, and the government was trying to reduce that.
‘We could basically build a tertiary hospital once a month with the interest we are spending,’ he said.
Asked if he had any sway to get a post office in Yanchep, Mr Porter said the future of Australia Post was in a state of flux.
He said while there was growth from parcels, what used to be the cash cow of the post business, letters, was ‘falling of a cliff.’
‘It is basically becoming another parcel delivery service competing with all these other parcel delivery services,’ he said.
Mr Porter also talked about the growth and infrastructure demand in the area.
‘The train is stopping at Butler, but it won’t stop there forever,’ he said.
‘It’s remarkable what’s happening in this area.’
He said meeting the demands of population growth was a major issue for WA, which was growing by about 1500 people a week.
Asked by Sue Dash whether developers could pre-fund the train line to Yanchep, Mr Porter said very few organisations could handle that sort of investment.
See also page 12