The Sydney Morning Herald
· collected 2026-10-11 · by Michael Philipps
Premier Roger Cook has defended the state’s efforts to alleviate cost-of-living pressures in Western Australia, citing a billion-dollar relief package in the latest budget. However, a new report by the Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre reveals that 456,000 Western Australians, including nearly 99,000 children, are living below the poverty line as of 2026, with the overall rate rising to 15.1% from 11.8% in 2021. Opposition leader Basil Zempilas criticizes these efforts, arguing that government measures are insufficient and not addressing the concerns of those struggling.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-11,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
In Western Australia, Premier Roger Cook defended his government's efforts to address rising living costs but acknowledged that 456,000 Western Australians, including nearly 99,000 children, are now living in poverty. The Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre’s 2026 Poverty Snapshot report revealed a significant increase in the poverty rate from 11.8% in 2021 to 15.1% in 2026, largely due to rising housing costs and inadequate household incomes. During a press conference at Dumas House on Sunday, Cook admitted that Western Australians are struggling but emphasized his commitment to helping those affected by cost-of-living pressures since he took office in June 2023. He noted the provision of $1 billion from the latest budget aimed at alleviating these issues.
Written for “Poverty Report Criticism” on 2026-10-11,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it -0.35, but all 2 of its quote(s) are attributed speech - words the article quotes from someone, not the article's own narration, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 71671: attributed speech only · logged 2026-10-11
WA Premier Roger Cook has defended the state’s efforts to relieve cost-of-living pressures for Western Australians, but says it requires governments at all levels to work together to ensure people aren’t falling through the cracks.
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people → defend → cracks
His comments follow a new report that estimates that 456,000 Western Australians, including almost 99,000 children, are living in poverty in 2026 as rising housing costs and inadequate household incomes push more people below the poverty line.
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costs → follow → line
The changing face of poverty in Western Australia found 15.1 per cent of Western Australians are now living in poverty, up from 11.8 per cent in 2021.
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cent → change → 2021
Speaking at a press conference at Dumas House on Sunday, Premier Roger Cook acknowledged that Western Australians are doing it tough.
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Australians → speak → it
″I remember when I stood in this place and I was elected in June 2023.
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I → remember → June
I said I’d do two things.
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I → say → things
I said I’d keep the economy strong and to help those that are doing it tough,” he said.
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he → say → it
“We acknowledge that there are Western Australians at the moment that are doing it tough, and that’s one of the reasons why we’ve provided a billion dollars in this budget alone of cost-of-living relief for Western Australians.
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we → acknowledge → Australians
“We know that there’s a whole range of circumstances that lead to that, and that’s why our cost-of-living measures go across a range of different areas around public transport, around school costs, around fuel costs, and we’ll continue to look at what we could do to help West Aussies.”
uncertain
we → know → Aussies
Cook said there are a range of targeted measures to make sure the government is supporting those on the poverty line.
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supporting → say → line
“It requires governments at all levels to work together to ensure that people aren’t falling through the cracks,that there are people who get supported when they’re not enjoying the best of economic times,” he said.
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he → require → times
WA opposition leader Basil Zempilas said if 15 per cent of Western Australians are living on or below the poverty line, then what the state government is doing to support the public is not working.
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doing → say → public
“Western Australians are concerned about housing, they’re concerned about health, they’re concerned about police resources, and they are very clearly concerned about the cost of living that is getting beyond them and their families,” he said.
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he → ’re → them
“That’s where the people of Western Australia want this state government to focus.”
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government → ’ → Australia
Zempilas said announcements and big sums of money don’t get the job done.
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job → say → money
“If 15 per cent of West Australians are living on or below the poverty line, what do you think they think when they hear the state government talk about the most prosperous state in the nation?” he said.
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he → live → nation
“It’s not for them.
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It → ’ → them
It’s not for ordinary West Australians who are suffering like this.”
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who → ’ → this
BCEC director Professor Alan Duncan said while the number of Western Australians living in poverty had increased substantially, we also need to understand how deeply people are experiencing poverty.
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people → say → poverty
“Poverty is not just about how many people fall below a particular income threshold.
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people → fall → threshold
It’s also about how far their incomes fall short of what they need to maintain a basic standard of living,” he said.
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he → ’ → living
“The evidence points to two fundamental issues that need to be addressed together – the incomes available to households and the cost of essential expenses, particularly housing.”
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that → point → expenses
The report recommends making affordable housing a poverty-reduction priority.
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housing → recommend → ?
This includes expanding access to social and affordable housing, supporting households experiencing rental stress and ensuring incomes keep pace with the cost of living.
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incomes → include → living
Anglicare WA chief executive Mark Glasson said the findings should be a wake-up call for WA.
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findings → say → WA
“Hundreds of thousands of Western Australians are struggling to afford the basics, and the pressure is getting worse,” he said.
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he → struggle → basics
Perth rents have more than doubled since 2020, and more than one in four private renters in WA are now living in poverty.
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renters → double → poverty
“We need to make sure people can afford a safe and secure home without sacrificing food, electricity or other essentials.”
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people → need → food
The Aporia
