Shadow Treasurer Wyatt questions Treasurer Buswell about projected state debt exceeding 60.9% of revenue and reaching $20 billion by 2011-12. Buswell avoids a direct answer, deferring to the upcoming budget release.

AnsweredQoN 358Legislative Assembly
Asked
6 May 2009
Portfolio
Treasurer

QuestionView source ↗

STATE DEBT — MEASURE
I ask a supplementary question. The net debt to revenue ratio for 2011-12 as published in the midyear review is 60.9 per cent. Can the Treasurer confirm that the forecast contained in the 2009-10 budget will exceed that ratio and will push debt out to more than $20 billion? Mr T.R. BUSWELL

AnswerView source ↗

I am not going to speculate on what the debt figure will be in the budget next week. As I have said, only nine more sleeps! Mr E.S. Ripper : You will not deny that it will be $20 billion? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : When members opposite wake up next Thursday, we will bring them a set of the budget papers, and they will see just what we can do in these difficult times to support jobs in Western Australia, to put in place the structural reform that this state needs to build a modern economy in the twenty-first century and to support families—and to do that in a financially sustainable way.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL replied: I am not going to speculate on what the debt figure will be in the budget next week. As I have said, only nine more sleeps! Mr E.S. Ripper : You will not deny that it will be $20 billion? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : When members opposite wake up next Thursday, we will bring them a set of the budget papers, and they will see just what we can do in these difficult times to support jobs in Western Australia, to put in place the structural reform that this state needs to build a modern economy in the twenty-first century and to support families—and to do that in a financially sustainable way.
I am not going to speculate on what the debt figure will be in the budget next week. As I have said, only nine more sleeps! Mr E.S. Ripper : You will not deny that it will be $20 billion? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : When members opposite wake up next Thursday, we will bring them a set of the budget papers, and they will see just what we can do in these difficult times to support jobs in Western Australia, to put in place the structural reform that this state needs to build a modern economy in the twenty-first century and to support families—and to do that in a financially sustainable way.
Mr E.S. Ripper : You will not deny that it will be $20 billion? Mr T.R. BUSWELL : When members opposite wake up next Thursday, we will bring them a set of the budget papers, and they will see just what we can do in these difficult times to support jobs in Western Australia, to put in place the structural reform that this state needs to build a modern economy in the twenty-first century and to support families—and to do that in a financially sustainable way.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : When members opposite wake up next Thursday, we will bring them a set of the budget papers, and they will see just what we can do in these difficult times to support jobs in Western Australia, to put in place the structural reform that this state needs to build a modern economy in the twenty-first century and to support families—and to do that in a financially sustainable way.

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