❓ Mr. Wyatt questions the Premier about the justification for a $250,000+ advertising campaign for the Perth Waterfront project, specifically an ad featuring pelicans. The Premier defends the campaign as a necessary first step to inform the public about the project.
AnsweredQoN 322Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PERTH
WATERFRONT PROJECT — ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN
322. Mr B.S. WYATT to the Premier:
I refer to the Premier's comments in Parliament last
week in relation to the $250 000plus advertising budget associated with the
Perth Waterfront project, when he said —
As Premier I insist that any use of public expenditure on advertising
campaigns—it is a legitimate role of government to advertise—must
contain information that is relevant and important to the public of Western
Australia.
(1) How can
this advertising that I am holding up, which features three pelicans crossing
the road and contains no information on traffic flow, road closure information,
time frames or costings, be justified?
(2) Will the
Premier now immediately cease spending taxpayers' money on a blatantly
irrelevant and wasteful government advertising campaign?
WATERFRONT PROJECT — ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN
322. Mr B.S. WYATT to the Premier:
I refer to the Premier's comments in Parliament last
week in relation to the $250 000plus advertising budget associated with the
Perth Waterfront project, when he said —
As Premier I insist that any use of public expenditure on advertising
campaigns—it is a legitimate role of government to advertise—must
contain information that is relevant and important to the public of Western
Australia.
(1) How can
this advertising that I am holding up, which features three pelicans crossing
the road and contains no information on traffic flow, road closure information,
time frames or costings, be justified?
(2) Will the
Premier now immediately cease spending taxpayers' money on a blatantly
irrelevant and wasteful government advertising campaign?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2)
I take very seriously the use of taxpayers' money on advertising. To
draw the public's attention to the project is the first step.
Mr B.S. Wyatt interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Victoria Park!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
The second step is to provide the information. The Minister for Planning has
just given me an example of the information that has been distributed by the
Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority on the impact of planning and traffic.
First, the attention of members of the public is drawn to the issue and then
they are told about it; that is what is done. The public of Western Australia supports
the waterfront.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : The member for Victoria Park has asked the question; nobody else
has.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : The public of Western Australia supports the waterfront.
Ms
R. Saffioti interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for West Swan, if you want to ask a question in this place,
you know how it works now. I formally call you to order for the first time
today.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
The government's gross commitment to this project is $440 million and
the net commitment is estimated at $270 million. Billions of dollars of
development will ultimately take place around the waterfront. But, quite
understandably, not everyone understands what is happening. They do not
understand the detail. Some people are under the impression that all of Langley
Park is going to be dug up. Some of the complaints from people in my electorate
have been that we cannot do that. When it is explained to them that it is not
Langley Park but actually the area of The Esplanade in front of the city and that
the travel pattern from west to east will be virtually unchanged and there will
be a diversion from east to west, people say that that is okay. That has been
the experience in my office when people have come in and I have shown them the
maps.
This is a major transformation of Perth, and early,
preliminary construction is underway. The people of Western Australia are
entitled to know what is happening in their city. We draw their attention to it
and then we provide the detailed material, and that is what will happen; just
as we will also draw to the attention of the people of Perth why the new
stadium is being built at Burswood and why it should not be built at Subiaco.
People need to understand why the government makes those decisions. What people
will not see from the Liberal–National government is what we saw under
Labor, with Labor Premiers in full-page advertisements of themselves. People
will not see that under this government.
I take very seriously the use of taxpayers' money on advertising. To
draw the public's attention to the project is the first step.
Mr B.S. Wyatt interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Victoria Park!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
The second step is to provide the information. The Minister for Planning has
just given me an example of the information that has been distributed by the
Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority on the impact of planning and traffic.
First, the attention of members of the public is drawn to the issue and then
they are told about it; that is what is done. The public of Western Australia supports
the waterfront.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : The member for Victoria Park has asked the question; nobody else
has.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : The public of Western Australia supports the waterfront.
Ms
R. Saffioti interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for West Swan, if you want to ask a question in this place,
you know how it works now. I formally call you to order for the first time
today.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
The government's gross commitment to this project is $440 million and
the net commitment is estimated at $270 million. Billions of dollars of
development will ultimately take place around the waterfront. But, quite
understandably, not everyone understands what is happening. They do not
understand the detail. Some people are under the impression that all of Langley
Park is going to be dug up. Some of the complaints from people in my electorate
have been that we cannot do that. When it is explained to them that it is not
Langley Park but actually the area of The Esplanade in front of the city and that
the travel pattern from west to east will be virtually unchanged and there will
be a diversion from east to west, people say that that is okay. That has been
the experience in my office when people have come in and I have shown them the
maps.
This is a major transformation of Perth, and early,
preliminary construction is underway. The people of Western Australia are
entitled to know what is happening in their city. We draw their attention to it
and then we provide the detailed material, and that is what will happen; just
as we will also draw to the attention of the people of Perth why the new
stadium is being built at Burswood and why it should not be built at Subiaco.
People need to understand why the government makes those decisions. What people
will not see from the Liberal–National government is what we saw under
Labor, with Labor Premiers in full-page advertisements of themselves. People
will not see that under this government.
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