❓ Ms Davies questions the Premier about potential staffing budget cuts to regional development commissions within the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development. The Premier deflects, highlighting funding rebasing and criticising previous budget plans.
AnsweredQoN 480Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY
INDUSTRIES AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT —REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMISSIONS —
2019–20 STATE BUDGET
480. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Premier:
I refer to comments from the
Minister for Regional Development that new funding for the Department of
Primary Industries and Regional Development will allow DPIRD to fulfil its
critical role in supporting WA's primary industries and regional
communities whilst also ensuring the department is able to rebuild capacity and
capability. In reference to the nine regional development commissions, can the
Premier confirm whether each have been asked to reduce their staffing budgets;
and, if the Premier cannot confirm, why not?
INDUSTRIES AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT —REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMISSIONS —
2019–20 STATE BUDGET
480. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Premier:
I refer to comments from the
Minister for Regional Development that new funding for the Department of
Primary Industries and Regional Development will allow DPIRD to fulfil its
critical role in supporting WA's primary industries and regional
communities whilst also ensuring the department is able to rebuild capacity and
capability. In reference to the nine regional development commissions, can the
Premier confirm whether each have been asked to reduce their staffing budgets;
and, if the Premier cannot confirm, why not?
AnswerView source ↗
I will explain what I do know; that
is, as part of the state budget we rebased the funding of the Department of
Primary Industries and Regional Development—from memory, it was around
the sum of $120 million—to ensure that it had a firm base. Had we not
done that, the cuts that were built in across the forward estimates, which we inherited, would have meant a loss of another
hundred or hundreds of staff across the agency. Members might have seen
the Farmers' Federation, or whatever it is now called—WAFarmers—and
the Leader of the National Party's ex-chief of staff, Mr Whittington,
endorsed —
Ms M.J. Davies : No, not mine.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Someone's
chief of staff.
Mr D.T. Redman : Not mine.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Whose chief of
staff was he?
Mr R.H. Cook : Ken Baston's.
Mr M. McGOWAN : He was the
chief of staff to Ken Baston, a former agriculture minister. He endorsed what
we did. I think the agricultural and farming sectors of Western Australia have
applauded what this government and the Minister for Agriculture and Food have
done; otherwise the agency itself would have suffered the cuts that the
Liberals and Nationals had booked into its future budget.
In respect to the exact staffing
profiles of the regional development commissions, I invite the Leader of the
National Party to ask her question of the Minister for Regional Development.
is, as part of the state budget we rebased the funding of the Department of
Primary Industries and Regional Development—from memory, it was around
the sum of $120 million—to ensure that it had a firm base. Had we not
done that, the cuts that were built in across the forward estimates, which we inherited, would have meant a loss of another
hundred or hundreds of staff across the agency. Members might have seen
the Farmers' Federation, or whatever it is now called—WAFarmers—and
the Leader of the National Party's ex-chief of staff, Mr Whittington,
endorsed —
Ms M.J. Davies : No, not mine.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Someone's
chief of staff.
Mr D.T. Redman : Not mine.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Whose chief of
staff was he?
Mr R.H. Cook : Ken Baston's.
Mr M. McGOWAN : He was the
chief of staff to Ken Baston, a former agriculture minister. He endorsed what
we did. I think the agricultural and farming sectors of Western Australia have
applauded what this government and the Minister for Agriculture and Food have
done; otherwise the agency itself would have suffered the cuts that the
Liberals and Nationals had booked into its future budget.
In respect to the exact staffing
profiles of the regional development commissions, I invite the Leader of the
National Party to ask her question of the Minister for Regional Development.
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