❓ A WA parliamentary question on notice regarding state government dividends from Western Power, Commonwealth Grants Commission reductions, and regional services. The Treasurer's response deflects blame to the previous government and highlights increased spending on regional electricity maintenance.
AnsweredQoN 448Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the media statement by the Treasurer today condemning the federal Government for reducing the Commonwealth Grants Commission recommendation by $20 million in which he states - We are being punished by Canberra for being successful. It is a ridiculous system that financially punishes a State like WA for generating the wealth on which the nation depends. (1) Will the minister explain how, on one hand, he can rip $20 million from Western Power by ramping up the state government dividend whilst at the same time slamming the Commonwealth Government for doing the same? (2) Given that regional Western Australia is the prime reason for the State being successful, will the minister admit to his stunning hypocrisy whilst merrily ripping basic services and infrastructure from the regional communities that underwrite the state budget? (3) Will the minister explain to regional, rural and coastal communities of Western Australia, which are currently receiving a third world power service because of budgetary restraints, why they are being punished for being successful? Mr E.S. RIPPER
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(3) Where was the Leader of the National Party from 1993 to 2001? He must have been asleep or possibly not even in the State. The issues we are dealing with certainly have a history longer than two years. If the State had the $374 million that the Commonwealth has taken from it in the past 10 years it would be able to address a lot of needs in the State, including a lot of regional needs. If the Commonwealth tells the State that it has done a bit better in economic development than expected and has higher royalty returns and, as a consequence, will lose some commonwealth grants to be given to a deserving State like Queensland, that puts pressure on the State’s ability to fund all sorts of services, including regional services. The Leader of the National Party thinks that because the Government took a little bit extra from the profits of Western Power - $20 million - that that somehow affects services to regional areas. Mr M.W. Trenorden: How will people get power? Mr E.S. RIPPER: I thought the Leader of the National Party would come to that, so I have some figures for him on what has been spent in recent years on the maintenance of the electricity - Mr M.W. Trenorden: Tell us about it. Mr E.S. RIPPER: The Leader of the National Party should wait a minute. If he wants to ask questions he had better listen to the answers. He should be quiet for a minute because I am about to give him some figures for comparative purposes. Let us look at distribution maintenance in the electricity system in the non-metropolitan area. A total of $14.9 million was spent in 1998-99 on that issue, $9.3 million in 1999-2000, and $11.6 million in 2000-01. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: The member for Warren-Blackwood should wait a minute and listen. That was the record of the coalition Government - $14.9 million, $9.3 million and $11.6 million. Let us now look at what the Labor Government is spending - $20.8 million in 2001-02, $27.8 million in 2002-03 - nearly double the coalition Government’s biggest year - and the forecast is to spend $29.3 million in 2003-04. Mr Speaker, who is looking after the regions? Was it the National Party when it was in government - no, its expenditure level was about half ours - or is it Labor in government? It is Labor in government that is looking after the regions. The Leader of the National Party must acknowledge that there have been some power difficulties in the wheatbelt because we inherited an ageing and dilapidated transmission distribution system and that the problem built up when his party was in government and he was asleep at the wheel.
(2) Given that regional Western Australia is the prime reason for the State being successful, will the minister admit to his stunning hypocrisy whilst merrily ripping basic services and infrastructure from the regional communities that underwrite the state budget? (3) Will the minister explain to regional, rural and coastal communities of Western Australia, which are currently receiving a third world power service because of budgetary restraints, why they are being punished for being successful? Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(3) Where was the Leader of the National Party from 1993 to 2001? He must have been asleep or possibly not even in the State. The issues we are dealing with certainly have a history longer than two years. If the State had the $374 million that the Commonwealth has taken from it in the past 10 years it would be able to address a lot of needs in the State, including a lot of regional needs. If the Commonwealth tells the State that it has done a bit better in economic development than expected and has higher royalty returns and, as a consequence, will lose some commonwealth grants to be given to a deserving State like Queensland, that puts pressure on the State’s ability to fund all sorts of services, including regional services. The Leader of the National Party thinks that because the Government took a little bit extra from the profits of Western Power - $20 million - that that somehow affects services to regional areas. Mr M.W. Trenorden: How will people get power? Mr E.S. RIPPER: I thought the Leader of the National Party would come to that, so I have some figures for him on what has been spent in recent years on the maintenance of the electricity - Mr M.W. Trenorden: Tell us about it. Mr E.S. RIPPER: The Leader of the National Party should wait a minute. If he wants to ask questions he had better listen to the answers. He should be quiet for a minute because I am about to give him some figures for comparative purposes. Let us look at distribution maintenance in the electricity system in the non-metropolitan area. A total of $14.9 million was spent in 1998-99 on that issue, $9.3 million in 1999-2000, and $11.6 million in 2000-01. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: The member for Warren-Blackwood should wait a minute and listen. That was the record of the coalition Government - $14.9 million, $9.3 million and $11.6 million. Let us now look at what the Labor Government is spending - $20.8 million in 2001-02, $27.8 million in 2002-03 - nearly double the coalition Government’s biggest year - and the forecast is to spend $29.3 million in 2003-04. Mr Speaker, who is looking after the regions? Was it the National Party when it was in government - no, its expenditure level was about half ours - or is it Labor in government? It is Labor in government that is looking after the regions. The Leader of the National Party must acknowledge that there have been some power difficulties in the wheatbelt because we inherited an ageing and dilapidated transmission distribution system and that the problem built up when his party was in government and he was asleep at the wheel.
(3) Will the minister explain to regional, rural and coastal communities of Western Australia, which are currently receiving a third world power service because of budgetary restraints, why they are being punished for being successful? Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(3) Where was the Leader of the National Party from 1993 to 2001? He must have been asleep or possibly not even in the State. The issues we are dealing with certainly have a history longer than two years. If the State had the $374 million that the Commonwealth has taken from it in the past 10 years it would be able to address a lot of needs in the State, including a lot of regional needs. If the Commonwealth tells the State that it has done a bit better in economic development than expected and has higher royalty returns and, as a consequence, will lose some commonwealth grants to be given to a deserving State like Queensland, that puts pressure on the State’s ability to fund all sorts of services, including regional services. The Leader of the National Party thinks that because the Government took a little bit extra from the profits of Western Power - $20 million - that that somehow affects services to regional areas. Mr M.W. Trenorden: How will people get power? Mr E.S. RIPPER: I thought the Leader of the National Party would come to that, so I have some figures for him on what has been spent in recent years on the maintenance of the electricity - Mr M.W. Trenorden: Tell us about it. Mr E.S. RIPPER: The Leader of the National Party should wait a minute. If he wants to ask questions he had better listen to the answers. He should be quiet for a minute because I am about to give him some figures for comparative purposes. Let us look at distribution maintenance in the electricity system in the non-metropolitan area. A total of $14.9 million was spent in 1998-99 on that issue, $9.3 million in 1999-2000, and $11.6 million in 2000-01. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: The member for Warren-Blackwood should wait a minute and listen. That was the record of the coalition Government - $14.9 million, $9.3 million and $11.6 million. Let us now look at what the Labor Government is spending - $20.8 million in 2001-02, $27.8 million in 2002-03 - nearly double the coalition Government’s biggest year - and the forecast is to spend $29.3 million in 2003-04. Mr Speaker, who is looking after the regions? Was it the National Party when it was in government - no, its expenditure level was about half ours - or is it Labor in government? It is Labor in government that is looking after the regions. The Leader of the National Party must acknowledge that there have been some power difficulties in the wheatbelt because we inherited an ageing and dilapidated transmission distribution system and that the problem built up when his party was in government and he was asleep at the wheel.
Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(3) Where was the Leader of the National Party from 1993 to 2001? He must have been asleep or possibly not even in the State. The issues we are dealing with certainly have a history longer than two years. If the State had the $374 million that the Commonwealth has taken from it in the past 10 years it would be able to address a lot of needs in the State, including a lot of regional needs. If the Commonwealth tells the State that it has done a bit better in economic development than expected and has higher royalty returns and, as a consequence, will lose some commonwealth grants to be given to a deserving State like Queensland, that puts pressure on the State’s ability to fund all sorts of services, including regional services. The Leader of the National Party thinks that because the Government took a little bit extra from the profits of Western Power - $20 million - that that somehow affects services to regional areas. Mr M.W. Trenorden: How will people get power? Mr E.S. RIPPER: I thought the Leader of the National Party would come to that, so I have some figures for him on what has been spent in recent years on the maintenance of the electricity - Mr M.W. Trenorden: Tell us about it. Mr E.S. RIPPER: The Leader of the National Party should wait a minute. If he wants to ask questions he had better listen to the answers. He should be quiet for a minute because I am about to give him some figures for comparative purposes. Let us look at distribution maintenance in the electricity system in the non-metropolitan area. A total of $14.9 million was spent in 1998-99 on that issue, $9.3 million in 1999-2000, and $11.6 million in 2000-01. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: The member for Warren-Blackwood should wait a minute and listen. That was the record of the coalition Government - $14.9 million, $9.3 million and $11.6 million. Let us now look at what the Labor Government is spending - $20.8 million in 2001-02, $27.8 million in 2002-03 - nearly double the coalition Government’s biggest year - and the forecast is to spend $29.3 million in 2003-04. Mr Speaker, who is looking after the regions? Was it the National Party when it was in government - no, its expenditure level was about half ours - or is it Labor in government? It is Labor in government that is looking after the regions. The Leader of the National Party must acknowledge that there have been some power difficulties in the wheatbelt because we inherited an ageing and dilapidated transmission distribution system and that the problem built up when his party was in government and he was asleep at the wheel.
(1)-(3) Where was the Leader of the National Party from 1993 to 2001? He must have been asleep or possibly not even in the State. The issues we are dealing with certainly have a history longer than two years. If the State had the $374 million that the Commonwealth has taken from it in the past 10 years it would be able to address a lot of needs in the State, including a lot of regional needs. If the Commonwealth tells the State that it has done a bit better in economic development than expected and has higher royalty returns and, as a consequence, will lose some commonwealth grants to be given to a deserving State like Queensland, that puts pressure on the State’s ability to fund all sorts of services, including regional services. The Leader of the National Party thinks that because the Government took a little bit extra from the profits of Western Power - $20 million - that that somehow affects services to regional areas. Mr M.W. Trenorden: How will people get power? Mr E.S. RIPPER: I thought the Leader of the National Party would come to that, so I have some figures for him on what has been spent in recent years on the maintenance of the electricity - Mr M.W. Trenorden: Tell us about it. Mr E.S. RIPPER: The Leader of the National Party should wait a minute. If he wants to ask questions he had better listen to the answers. He should be quiet for a minute because I am about to give him some figures for comparative purposes. Let us look at distribution maintenance in the electricity system in the non-metropolitan area. A total of $14.9 million was spent in 1998-99 on that issue, $9.3 million in 1999-2000, and $11.6 million in 2000-01. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: The member for Warren-Blackwood should wait a minute and listen. That was the record of the coalition Government - $14.9 million, $9.3 million and $11.6 million. Let us now look at what the Labor Government is spending - $20.8 million in 2001-02, $27.8 million in 2002-03 - nearly double the coalition Government’s biggest year - and the forecast is to spend $29.3 million in 2003-04. Mr Speaker, who is looking after the regions? Was it the National Party when it was in government - no, its expenditure level was about half ours - or is it Labor in government? It is Labor in government that is looking after the regions. The Leader of the National Party must acknowledge that there have been some power difficulties in the wheatbelt because we inherited an ageing and dilapidated transmission distribution system and that the problem built up when his party was in government and he was asleep at the wheel.
Mr M.W. Trenorden: How will people get power? Mr E.S. RIPPER: I thought the Leader of the National Party would come to that, so I have some figures for him on what has been spent in recent years on the maintenance of the electricity - Mr M.W. Trenorden: Tell us about it. Mr E.S. RIPPER: The Leader of the National Party should wait a minute. If he wants to ask questions he had better listen to the answers. He should be quiet for a minute because I am about to give him some figures for comparative purposes. Let us look at distribution maintenance in the electricity system in the non-metropolitan area. A total of $14.9 million was spent in 1998-99 on that issue, $9.3 million in 1999-2000, and $11.6 million in 2000-01. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: The member for Warren-Blackwood should wait a minute and listen. That was the record of the coalition Government - $14.9 million, $9.3 million and $11.6 million. Let us now look at what the Labor Government is spending - $20.8 million in 2001-02, $27.8 million in 2002-03 - nearly double the coalition Government’s biggest year - and the forecast is to spend $29.3 million in 2003-04. Mr Speaker, who is looking after the regions? Was it the National Party when it was in government - no, its expenditure level was about half ours - or is it Labor in government? It is Labor in government that is looking after the regions. The Leader of the National Party must acknowledge that there have been some power difficulties in the wheatbelt because we inherited an ageing and dilapidated transmission distribution system and that the problem built up when his party was in government and he was asleep at the wheel.
Mr E.S. RIPPER: I thought the Leader of the National Party would come to that, so I have some figures for him on what has been spent in recent years on the maintenance of the electricity - Mr M.W. Trenorden: Tell us about it. Mr E.S. RIPPER: The Leader of the National Party should wait a minute. If he wants to ask questions he had better listen to the answers. He should be quiet for a minute because I am about to give him some figures for comparative purposes. Let us look at distribution maintenance in the electricity system in the non-metropolitan area. A total of $14.9 million was spent in 1998-99 on that issue, $9.3 million in 1999-2000, and $11.6 million in 2000-01. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: The member for Warren-Blackwood should wait a minute and listen. That was the record of the coalition Government - $14.9 million, $9.3 million and $11.6 million. Let us now look at what the Labor Government is spending - $20.8 million in 2001-02, $27.8 million in 2002-03 - nearly double the coalition Government’s biggest year - and the forecast is to spend $29.3 million in 2003-04. Mr Speaker, who is looking after the regions? Was it the National Party when it was in government - no, its expenditure level was about half ours - or is it Labor in government? It is Labor in government that is looking after the regions. The Leader of the National Party must acknowledge that there have been some power difficulties in the wheatbelt because we inherited an ageing and dilapidated transmission distribution system and that the problem built up when his party was in government and he was asleep at the wheel.
Mr M.W. Trenorden: Tell us about it. Mr E.S. RIPPER: The Leader of the National Party should wait a minute. If he wants to ask questions he had better listen to the answers. He should be quiet for a minute because I am about to give him some figures for comparative purposes. Let us look at distribution maintenance in the electricity system in the non-metropolitan area. A total of $14.9 million was spent in 1998-99 on that issue, $9.3 million in 1999-2000, and $11.6 million in 2000-01. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: The member for Warren-Blackwood should wait a minute and listen. That was the record of the coalition Government - $14.9 million, $9.3 million and $11.6 million. Let us now look at what the Labor Government is spending - $20.8 million in 2001-02, $27.8 million in 2002-03 - nearly double the coalition Government’s biggest year - and the forecast is to spend $29.3 million in 2003-04. Mr Speaker, who is looking after the regions? Was it the National Party when it was in government - no, its expenditure level was about half ours - or is it Labor in government? It is Labor in government that is looking after the regions. The Leader of the National Party must acknowledge that there have been some power difficulties in the wheatbelt because we inherited an ageing and dilapidated transmission distribution system and that the problem built up when his party was in government and he was asleep at the wheel.
Mr E.S. RIPPER: The Leader of the National Party should wait a minute. If he wants to ask questions he had better listen to the answers. He should be quiet for a minute because I am about to give him some figures for comparative purposes. Let us look at distribution maintenance in the electricity system in the non-metropolitan area. A total of $14.9 million was spent in 1998-99 on that issue, $9.3 million in 1999-2000, and $11.6 million in 2000-01. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: The member for Warren-Blackwood should wait a minute and listen. That was the record of the coalition Government - $14.9 million, $9.3 million and $11.6 million. Let us now look at what the Labor Government is spending - $20.8 million in 2001-02, $27.8 million in 2002-03 - nearly double the coalition Government’s biggest year - and the forecast is to spend $29.3 million in 2003-04. Mr Speaker, who is looking after the regions? Was it the National Party when it was in government - no, its expenditure level was about half ours - or is it Labor in government? It is Labor in government that is looking after the regions. The Leader of the National Party must acknowledge that there have been some power difficulties in the wheatbelt because we inherited an ageing and dilapidated transmission distribution system and that the problem built up when his party was in government and he was asleep at the wheel.
Let us look at distribution maintenance in the electricity system in the non-metropolitan area. A total of $14.9 million was spent in 1998-99 on that issue, $9.3 million in 1999-2000, and $11.6 million in 2000-01. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: The member for Warren-Blackwood should wait a minute and listen. That was the record of the coalition Government - $14.9 million, $9.3 million and $11.6 million. Let us now look at what the Labor Government is spending - $20.8 million in 2001-02, $27.8 million in 2002-03 - nearly double the coalition Government’s biggest year - and the forecast is to spend $29.3 million in 2003-04. Mr Speaker, who is looking after the regions? Was it the National Party when it was in government - no, its expenditure level was about half ours - or is it Labor in government? It is Labor in government that is looking after the regions. The Leader of the National Party must acknowledge that there have been some power difficulties in the wheatbelt because we inherited an ageing and dilapidated transmission distribution system and that the problem built up when his party was in government and he was asleep at the wheel.
Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: The member for Warren-Blackwood should wait a minute and listen. That was the record of the coalition Government - $14.9 million, $9.3 million and $11.6 million. Let us now look at what the Labor Government is spending - $20.8 million in 2001-02, $27.8 million in 2002-03 - nearly double the coalition Government’s biggest year - and the forecast is to spend $29.3 million in 2003-04. Mr Speaker, who is looking after the regions? Was it the National Party when it was in government - no, its expenditure level was about half ours - or is it Labor in government? It is Labor in government that is looking after the regions. The Leader of the National Party must acknowledge that there have been some power difficulties in the wheatbelt because we inherited an ageing and dilapidated transmission distribution system and that the problem built up when his party was in government and he was asleep at the wheel.
Mr E.S. RIPPER: The member for Warren-Blackwood should wait a minute and listen. That was the record of the coalition Government - $14.9 million, $9.3 million and $11.6 million. Let us now look at what the Labor Government is spending - $20.8 million in 2001-02, $27.8 million in 2002-03 - nearly double the coalition Government’s biggest year - and the forecast is to spend $29.3 million in 2003-04. Mr Speaker, who is looking after the regions? Was it the National Party when it was in government - no, its expenditure level was about half ours - or is it Labor in government? It is Labor in government that is looking after the regions. The Leader of the National Party must acknowledge that there have been some power difficulties in the wheatbelt because we inherited an ageing and dilapidated transmission distribution system and that the problem built up when his party was in government and he was asleep at the wheel.
Mr Speaker, who is looking after the regions? Was it the National Party when it was in government - no, its expenditure level was about half ours - or is it Labor in government? It is Labor in government that is looking after the regions. The Leader of the National Party must acknowledge that there have been some power difficulties in the wheatbelt because we inherited an ageing and dilapidated transmission distribution system and that the problem built up when his party was in government and he was asleep at the wheel.
(2) Given that regional Western Australia is the prime reason for the State being successful, will the minister admit to his stunning hypocrisy whilst merrily ripping basic services and infrastructure from the regional communities that underwrite the state budget? (3) Will the minister explain to regional, rural and coastal communities of Western Australia, which are currently receiving a third world power service because of budgetary restraints, why they are being punished for being successful? Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(3) Where was the Leader of the National Party from 1993 to 2001? He must have been asleep or possibly not even in the State. The issues we are dealing with certainly have a history longer than two years. If the State had the $374 million that the Commonwealth has taken from it in the past 10 years it would be able to address a lot of needs in the State, including a lot of regional needs. If the Commonwealth tells the State that it has done a bit better in economic development than expected and has higher royalty returns and, as a consequence, will lose some commonwealth grants to be given to a deserving State like Queensland, that puts pressure on the State’s ability to fund all sorts of services, including regional services. The Leader of the National Party thinks that because the Government took a little bit extra from the profits of Western Power - $20 million - that that somehow affects services to regional areas. Mr M.W. Trenorden: How will people get power? Mr E.S. RIPPER: I thought the Leader of the National Party would come to that, so I have some figures for him on what has been spent in recent years on the maintenance of the electricity - Mr M.W. Trenorden: Tell us about it. Mr E.S. RIPPER: The Leader of the National Party should wait a minute. If he wants to ask questions he had better listen to the answers. He should be quiet for a minute because I am about to give him some figures for comparative purposes. Let us look at distribution maintenance in the electricity system in the non-metropolitan area. A total of $14.9 million was spent in 1998-99 on that issue, $9.3 million in 1999-2000, and $11.6 million in 2000-01. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: The member for Warren-Blackwood should wait a minute and listen. That was the record of the coalition Government - $14.9 million, $9.3 million and $11.6 million. Let us now look at what the Labor Government is spending - $20.8 million in 2001-02, $27.8 million in 2002-03 - nearly double the coalition Government’s biggest year - and the forecast is to spend $29.3 million in 2003-04. Mr Speaker, who is looking after the regions? Was it the National Party when it was in government - no, its expenditure level was about half ours - or is it Labor in government? It is Labor in government that is looking after the regions. The Leader of the National Party must acknowledge that there have been some power difficulties in the wheatbelt because we inherited an ageing and dilapidated transmission distribution system and that the problem built up when his party was in government and he was asleep at the wheel.
(3) Will the minister explain to regional, rural and coastal communities of Western Australia, which are currently receiving a third world power service because of budgetary restraints, why they are being punished for being successful? Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(3) Where was the Leader of the National Party from 1993 to 2001? He must have been asleep or possibly not even in the State. The issues we are dealing with certainly have a history longer than two years. If the State had the $374 million that the Commonwealth has taken from it in the past 10 years it would be able to address a lot of needs in the State, including a lot of regional needs. If the Commonwealth tells the State that it has done a bit better in economic development than expected and has higher royalty returns and, as a consequence, will lose some commonwealth grants to be given to a deserving State like Queensland, that puts pressure on the State’s ability to fund all sorts of services, including regional services. The Leader of the National Party thinks that because the Government took a little bit extra from the profits of Western Power - $20 million - that that somehow affects services to regional areas. Mr M.W. Trenorden: How will people get power? Mr E.S. RIPPER: I thought the Leader of the National Party would come to that, so I have some figures for him on what has been spent in recent years on the maintenance of the electricity - Mr M.W. Trenorden: Tell us about it. Mr E.S. RIPPER: The Leader of the National Party should wait a minute. If he wants to ask questions he had better listen to the answers. He should be quiet for a minute because I am about to give him some figures for comparative purposes. Let us look at distribution maintenance in the electricity system in the non-metropolitan area. A total of $14.9 million was spent in 1998-99 on that issue, $9.3 million in 1999-2000, and $11.6 million in 2000-01. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: The member for Warren-Blackwood should wait a minute and listen. That was the record of the coalition Government - $14.9 million, $9.3 million and $11.6 million. Let us now look at what the Labor Government is spending - $20.8 million in 2001-02, $27.8 million in 2002-03 - nearly double the coalition Government’s biggest year - and the forecast is to spend $29.3 million in 2003-04. Mr Speaker, who is looking after the regions? Was it the National Party when it was in government - no, its expenditure level was about half ours - or is it Labor in government? It is Labor in government that is looking after the regions. The Leader of the National Party must acknowledge that there have been some power difficulties in the wheatbelt because we inherited an ageing and dilapidated transmission distribution system and that the problem built up when his party was in government and he was asleep at the wheel.
Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: (1)-(3) Where was the Leader of the National Party from 1993 to 2001? He must have been asleep or possibly not even in the State. The issues we are dealing with certainly have a history longer than two years. If the State had the $374 million that the Commonwealth has taken from it in the past 10 years it would be able to address a lot of needs in the State, including a lot of regional needs. If the Commonwealth tells the State that it has done a bit better in economic development than expected and has higher royalty returns and, as a consequence, will lose some commonwealth grants to be given to a deserving State like Queensland, that puts pressure on the State’s ability to fund all sorts of services, including regional services. The Leader of the National Party thinks that because the Government took a little bit extra from the profits of Western Power - $20 million - that that somehow affects services to regional areas. Mr M.W. Trenorden: How will people get power? Mr E.S. RIPPER: I thought the Leader of the National Party would come to that, so I have some figures for him on what has been spent in recent years on the maintenance of the electricity - Mr M.W. Trenorden: Tell us about it. Mr E.S. RIPPER: The Leader of the National Party should wait a minute. If he wants to ask questions he had better listen to the answers. He should be quiet for a minute because I am about to give him some figures for comparative purposes. Let us look at distribution maintenance in the electricity system in the non-metropolitan area. A total of $14.9 million was spent in 1998-99 on that issue, $9.3 million in 1999-2000, and $11.6 million in 2000-01. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: The member for Warren-Blackwood should wait a minute and listen. That was the record of the coalition Government - $14.9 million, $9.3 million and $11.6 million. Let us now look at what the Labor Government is spending - $20.8 million in 2001-02, $27.8 million in 2002-03 - nearly double the coalition Government’s biggest year - and the forecast is to spend $29.3 million in 2003-04. Mr Speaker, who is looking after the regions? Was it the National Party when it was in government - no, its expenditure level was about half ours - or is it Labor in government? It is Labor in government that is looking after the regions. The Leader of the National Party must acknowledge that there have been some power difficulties in the wheatbelt because we inherited an ageing and dilapidated transmission distribution system and that the problem built up when his party was in government and he was asleep at the wheel.
(1)-(3) Where was the Leader of the National Party from 1993 to 2001? He must have been asleep or possibly not even in the State. The issues we are dealing with certainly have a history longer than two years. If the State had the $374 million that the Commonwealth has taken from it in the past 10 years it would be able to address a lot of needs in the State, including a lot of regional needs. If the Commonwealth tells the State that it has done a bit better in economic development than expected and has higher royalty returns and, as a consequence, will lose some commonwealth grants to be given to a deserving State like Queensland, that puts pressure on the State’s ability to fund all sorts of services, including regional services. The Leader of the National Party thinks that because the Government took a little bit extra from the profits of Western Power - $20 million - that that somehow affects services to regional areas. Mr M.W. Trenorden: How will people get power? Mr E.S. RIPPER: I thought the Leader of the National Party would come to that, so I have some figures for him on what has been spent in recent years on the maintenance of the electricity - Mr M.W. Trenorden: Tell us about it. Mr E.S. RIPPER: The Leader of the National Party should wait a minute. If he wants to ask questions he had better listen to the answers. He should be quiet for a minute because I am about to give him some figures for comparative purposes. Let us look at distribution maintenance in the electricity system in the non-metropolitan area. A total of $14.9 million was spent in 1998-99 on that issue, $9.3 million in 1999-2000, and $11.6 million in 2000-01. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: The member for Warren-Blackwood should wait a minute and listen. That was the record of the coalition Government - $14.9 million, $9.3 million and $11.6 million. Let us now look at what the Labor Government is spending - $20.8 million in 2001-02, $27.8 million in 2002-03 - nearly double the coalition Government’s biggest year - and the forecast is to spend $29.3 million in 2003-04. Mr Speaker, who is looking after the regions? Was it the National Party when it was in government - no, its expenditure level was about half ours - or is it Labor in government? It is Labor in government that is looking after the regions. The Leader of the National Party must acknowledge that there have been some power difficulties in the wheatbelt because we inherited an ageing and dilapidated transmission distribution system and that the problem built up when his party was in government and he was asleep at the wheel.
Mr M.W. Trenorden: How will people get power? Mr E.S. RIPPER: I thought the Leader of the National Party would come to that, so I have some figures for him on what has been spent in recent years on the maintenance of the electricity - Mr M.W. Trenorden: Tell us about it. Mr E.S. RIPPER: The Leader of the National Party should wait a minute. If he wants to ask questions he had better listen to the answers. He should be quiet for a minute because I am about to give him some figures for comparative purposes. Let us look at distribution maintenance in the electricity system in the non-metropolitan area. A total of $14.9 million was spent in 1998-99 on that issue, $9.3 million in 1999-2000, and $11.6 million in 2000-01. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: The member for Warren-Blackwood should wait a minute and listen. That was the record of the coalition Government - $14.9 million, $9.3 million and $11.6 million. Let us now look at what the Labor Government is spending - $20.8 million in 2001-02, $27.8 million in 2002-03 - nearly double the coalition Government’s biggest year - and the forecast is to spend $29.3 million in 2003-04. Mr Speaker, who is looking after the regions? Was it the National Party when it was in government - no, its expenditure level was about half ours - or is it Labor in government? It is Labor in government that is looking after the regions. The Leader of the National Party must acknowledge that there have been some power difficulties in the wheatbelt because we inherited an ageing and dilapidated transmission distribution system and that the problem built up when his party was in government and he was asleep at the wheel.
Mr E.S. RIPPER: I thought the Leader of the National Party would come to that, so I have some figures for him on what has been spent in recent years on the maintenance of the electricity - Mr M.W. Trenorden: Tell us about it. Mr E.S. RIPPER: The Leader of the National Party should wait a minute. If he wants to ask questions he had better listen to the answers. He should be quiet for a minute because I am about to give him some figures for comparative purposes. Let us look at distribution maintenance in the electricity system in the non-metropolitan area. A total of $14.9 million was spent in 1998-99 on that issue, $9.3 million in 1999-2000, and $11.6 million in 2000-01. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: The member for Warren-Blackwood should wait a minute and listen. That was the record of the coalition Government - $14.9 million, $9.3 million and $11.6 million. Let us now look at what the Labor Government is spending - $20.8 million in 2001-02, $27.8 million in 2002-03 - nearly double the coalition Government’s biggest year - and the forecast is to spend $29.3 million in 2003-04. Mr Speaker, who is looking after the regions? Was it the National Party when it was in government - no, its expenditure level was about half ours - or is it Labor in government? It is Labor in government that is looking after the regions. The Leader of the National Party must acknowledge that there have been some power difficulties in the wheatbelt because we inherited an ageing and dilapidated transmission distribution system and that the problem built up when his party was in government and he was asleep at the wheel.
Mr M.W. Trenorden: Tell us about it. Mr E.S. RIPPER: The Leader of the National Party should wait a minute. If he wants to ask questions he had better listen to the answers. He should be quiet for a minute because I am about to give him some figures for comparative purposes. Let us look at distribution maintenance in the electricity system in the non-metropolitan area. A total of $14.9 million was spent in 1998-99 on that issue, $9.3 million in 1999-2000, and $11.6 million in 2000-01. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: The member for Warren-Blackwood should wait a minute and listen. That was the record of the coalition Government - $14.9 million, $9.3 million and $11.6 million. Let us now look at what the Labor Government is spending - $20.8 million in 2001-02, $27.8 million in 2002-03 - nearly double the coalition Government’s biggest year - and the forecast is to spend $29.3 million in 2003-04. Mr Speaker, who is looking after the regions? Was it the National Party when it was in government - no, its expenditure level was about half ours - or is it Labor in government? It is Labor in government that is looking after the regions. The Leader of the National Party must acknowledge that there have been some power difficulties in the wheatbelt because we inherited an ageing and dilapidated transmission distribution system and that the problem built up when his party was in government and he was asleep at the wheel.
Mr E.S. RIPPER: The Leader of the National Party should wait a minute. If he wants to ask questions he had better listen to the answers. He should be quiet for a minute because I am about to give him some figures for comparative purposes. Let us look at distribution maintenance in the electricity system in the non-metropolitan area. A total of $14.9 million was spent in 1998-99 on that issue, $9.3 million in 1999-2000, and $11.6 million in 2000-01. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: The member for Warren-Blackwood should wait a minute and listen. That was the record of the coalition Government - $14.9 million, $9.3 million and $11.6 million. Let us now look at what the Labor Government is spending - $20.8 million in 2001-02, $27.8 million in 2002-03 - nearly double the coalition Government’s biggest year - and the forecast is to spend $29.3 million in 2003-04. Mr Speaker, who is looking after the regions? Was it the National Party when it was in government - no, its expenditure level was about half ours - or is it Labor in government? It is Labor in government that is looking after the regions. The Leader of the National Party must acknowledge that there have been some power difficulties in the wheatbelt because we inherited an ageing and dilapidated transmission distribution system and that the problem built up when his party was in government and he was asleep at the wheel.
Let us look at distribution maintenance in the electricity system in the non-metropolitan area. A total of $14.9 million was spent in 1998-99 on that issue, $9.3 million in 1999-2000, and $11.6 million in 2000-01. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: The member for Warren-Blackwood should wait a minute and listen. That was the record of the coalition Government - $14.9 million, $9.3 million and $11.6 million. Let us now look at what the Labor Government is spending - $20.8 million in 2001-02, $27.8 million in 2002-03 - nearly double the coalition Government’s biggest year - and the forecast is to spend $29.3 million in 2003-04. Mr Speaker, who is looking after the regions? Was it the National Party when it was in government - no, its expenditure level was about half ours - or is it Labor in government? It is Labor in government that is looking after the regions. The Leader of the National Party must acknowledge that there have been some power difficulties in the wheatbelt because we inherited an ageing and dilapidated transmission distribution system and that the problem built up when his party was in government and he was asleep at the wheel.
Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. Mr E.S. RIPPER: The member for Warren-Blackwood should wait a minute and listen. That was the record of the coalition Government - $14.9 million, $9.3 million and $11.6 million. Let us now look at what the Labor Government is spending - $20.8 million in 2001-02, $27.8 million in 2002-03 - nearly double the coalition Government’s biggest year - and the forecast is to spend $29.3 million in 2003-04. Mr Speaker, who is looking after the regions? Was it the National Party when it was in government - no, its expenditure level was about half ours - or is it Labor in government? It is Labor in government that is looking after the regions. The Leader of the National Party must acknowledge that there have been some power difficulties in the wheatbelt because we inherited an ageing and dilapidated transmission distribution system and that the problem built up when his party was in government and he was asleep at the wheel.
Mr E.S. RIPPER: The member for Warren-Blackwood should wait a minute and listen. That was the record of the coalition Government - $14.9 million, $9.3 million and $11.6 million. Let us now look at what the Labor Government is spending - $20.8 million in 2001-02, $27.8 million in 2002-03 - nearly double the coalition Government’s biggest year - and the forecast is to spend $29.3 million in 2003-04. Mr Speaker, who is looking after the regions? Was it the National Party when it was in government - no, its expenditure level was about half ours - or is it Labor in government? It is Labor in government that is looking after the regions. The Leader of the National Party must acknowledge that there have been some power difficulties in the wheatbelt because we inherited an ageing and dilapidated transmission distribution system and that the problem built up when his party was in government and he was asleep at the wheel.
Mr Speaker, who is looking after the regions? Was it the National Party when it was in government - no, its expenditure level was about half ours - or is it Labor in government? It is Labor in government that is looking after the regions. The Leader of the National Party must acknowledge that there have been some power difficulties in the wheatbelt because we inherited an ageing and dilapidated transmission distribution system and that the problem built up when his party was in government and he was asleep at the wheel.
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