❓ Mr. Johnston questions the Treasurer about the cost of a government campaign promoting the sale of Western Power, accusing it of being Liberal Party propaganda. The Treasurer defends the government's right to promote its policy and accuses the opposition of spreading propaganda.
AnsweredQoN 329Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ASSET SALES — WESTERN POWER —
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
329. Mr W.J. JOHNSTON to the Treasurer:
I have a supplementary question. Given that the Treasurer will not tell
us how much taxpayers' money is going to pay for Liberal propaganda to
change the minds of people who are continuing to oppose the sale of Western Power,
is he too embarrassed by that?
Mr
J.M. Francis interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister for Emergency Services, I do not want to hear any more about
superfluous nonsense. I call you to order for the first time.
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My supplementary question is to the
Treasurer. Given the Treasurer will not tell this house how much he is going to
spend promoting Liberal Party policy through a government propaganda campaign
to change people's minds who are opposing the sale of Western power, is
that because he is too embarrassed to tell the truth?
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
329. Mr W.J. JOHNSTON to the Treasurer:
I have a supplementary question. Given that the Treasurer will not tell
us how much taxpayers' money is going to pay for Liberal propaganda to
change the minds of people who are continuing to oppose the sale of Western Power,
is he too embarrassed by that?
Mr
J.M. Francis interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister for Emergency Services, I do not want to hear any more about
superfluous nonsense. I call you to order for the first time.
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My supplementary question is to the
Treasurer. Given the Treasurer will not tell this house how much he is going to
spend promoting Liberal Party policy through a government propaganda campaign
to change people's minds who are opposing the sale of Western power, is
that because he is too embarrassed to tell the truth?
AnswerView source ↗
That is a question typical of the member for Cannington. When he asks
questions like that, he disrespects this place and everybody in it—a
low life!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Cannington!
Dr M.D. NAHAN : A low life!
The SPEAKER : We have had an exchange, now I want an answer through the Chair.
Dr M.D. NAHAN : I have no embarrassment. We brought down a budget
that announced the proposal. We will develop it. We are in government—you
are not. We will use, appropriately, the instruments of government to develop
the case, and I will personally promote it and progress it—and we are
not resiling from that. The public deserves to hear the proposition honestly
and objectively and to pierce through the propaganda from your side because the
state faces a challenge in order to fund the infrastructure of the future and
we are promoting a policy to do that. You are promoting a magic pudding!
questions like that, he disrespects this place and everybody in it—a
low life!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Cannington!
Dr M.D. NAHAN : A low life!
The SPEAKER : We have had an exchange, now I want an answer through the Chair.
Dr M.D. NAHAN : I have no embarrassment. We brought down a budget
that announced the proposal. We will develop it. We are in government—you
are not. We will use, appropriately, the instruments of government to develop
the case, and I will personally promote it and progress it—and we are
not resiling from that. The public deserves to hear the proposition honestly
and objectively and to pierce through the propaganda from your side because the
state faces a challenge in order to fund the infrastructure of the future and
we are promoting a policy to do that. You are promoting a magic pudding!
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.