❓ Treasurer Buswell defends the lack of budget allocation for the Oakajee Port project, criticising the previous government's financial management and highlighting the importance of realistic budgeting.
AnsweredQoN 432Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
OAKAJEE PORT — BUDGET ALLOCATION
I have a supplementary question. In light of the fact that the Premier has previously said that regardless of any federal funding he will push ahead with Oakajee, does the Treasurer not accept that there should have been a provision for at least some funding for Oakajee in at least the budget or forward estimates? Mr T.R. BUSWELL
I have a supplementary question. In light of the fact that the Premier has previously said that regardless of any federal funding he will push ahead with Oakajee, does the Treasurer not accept that there should have been a provision for at least some funding for Oakajee in at least the budget or forward estimates? Mr T.R. BUSWELL
AnswerView source ↗
No, I do not. Can I also say that we are not going to be the sort of government — Mr M. McGowan interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Rockingham! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : — that does a Fiona Stanley Hospital and puts it in the budget at $400 million only to have it cost $1.8 billion. We are going to be dinkum in our approach — Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : When things get into the budget from us, they will actually be realistic. We are not going to be off dreaming in the never-never; it is not going to be one of the previous government’s railway stations! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : We all know why they were so expensive; because of the coffee table book that it funded at the end of the process. If members opposite want me to dig it out again, I will. It was a great thing to belt members opposite around with and we really enjoyed it. But we will not talk about that, Mr Speaker. We will not go there. The answer is no; I did not think it was appropriate. I will tell the member for Victoria Park one of the other interesting things. We could have gone down that path. He should look at some of the criticism that was levelled at the Victorian government when it presupposed some of the outcomes around Infrastructure Australia, put it into its budget and had it accounted for as revenue—artificially inflating the surplus; it was expensed as capital. We are not going to do that. We will present to the best of our capacity a fair dinkum set of finances.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL replied: No, I do not. Can I also say that we are not going to be the sort of government — Mr M. McGowan interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Rockingham! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : — that does a Fiona Stanley Hospital and puts it in the budget at $400 million only to have it cost $1.8 billion. We are going to be dinkum in our approach — Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : When things get into the budget from us, they will actually be realistic. We are not going to be off dreaming in the never-never; it is not going to be one of the previous government’s railway stations! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : We all know why they were so expensive; because of the coffee table book that it funded at the end of the process. If members opposite want me to dig it out again, I will. It was a great thing to belt members opposite around with and we really enjoyed it. But we will not talk about that, Mr Speaker. We will not go there. The answer is no; I did not think it was appropriate. I will tell the member for Victoria Park one of the other interesting things. We could have gone down that path. He should look at some of the criticism that was levelled at the Victorian government when it presupposed some of the outcomes around Infrastructure Australia, put it into its budget and had it accounted for as revenue—artificially inflating the surplus; it was expensed as capital. We are not going to do that. We will present to the best of our capacity a fair dinkum set of finances.
No, I do not. Can I also say that we are not going to be the sort of government — Mr M. McGowan interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Rockingham! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : — that does a Fiona Stanley Hospital and puts it in the budget at $400 million only to have it cost $1.8 billion. We are going to be dinkum in our approach — Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : When things get into the budget from us, they will actually be realistic. We are not going to be off dreaming in the never-never; it is not going to be one of the previous government’s railway stations! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : We all know why they were so expensive; because of the coffee table book that it funded at the end of the process. If members opposite want me to dig it out again, I will. It was a great thing to belt members opposite around with and we really enjoyed it. But we will not talk about that, Mr Speaker. We will not go there. The answer is no; I did not think it was appropriate. I will tell the member for Victoria Park one of the other interesting things. We could have gone down that path. He should look at some of the criticism that was levelled at the Victorian government when it presupposed some of the outcomes around Infrastructure Australia, put it into its budget and had it accounted for as revenue—artificially inflating the surplus; it was expensed as capital. We are not going to do that. We will present to the best of our capacity a fair dinkum set of finances.
Mr M. McGowan interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Rockingham! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : — that does a Fiona Stanley Hospital and puts it in the budget at $400 million only to have it cost $1.8 billion. We are going to be dinkum in our approach — Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : When things get into the budget from us, they will actually be realistic. We are not going to be off dreaming in the never-never; it is not going to be one of the previous government’s railway stations! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : We all know why they were so expensive; because of the coffee table book that it funded at the end of the process. If members opposite want me to dig it out again, I will. It was a great thing to belt members opposite around with and we really enjoyed it. But we will not talk about that, Mr Speaker. We will not go there. The answer is no; I did not think it was appropriate. I will tell the member for Victoria Park one of the other interesting things. We could have gone down that path. He should look at some of the criticism that was levelled at the Victorian government when it presupposed some of the outcomes around Infrastructure Australia, put it into its budget and had it accounted for as revenue—artificially inflating the surplus; it was expensed as capital. We are not going to do that. We will present to the best of our capacity a fair dinkum set of finances.
The SPEAKER : Order, member for Rockingham! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : — that does a Fiona Stanley Hospital and puts it in the budget at $400 million only to have it cost $1.8 billion. We are going to be dinkum in our approach — Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : When things get into the budget from us, they will actually be realistic. We are not going to be off dreaming in the never-never; it is not going to be one of the previous government’s railway stations! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : We all know why they were so expensive; because of the coffee table book that it funded at the end of the process. If members opposite want me to dig it out again, I will. It was a great thing to belt members opposite around with and we really enjoyed it. But we will not talk about that, Mr Speaker. We will not go there. The answer is no; I did not think it was appropriate. I will tell the member for Victoria Park one of the other interesting things. We could have gone down that path. He should look at some of the criticism that was levelled at the Victorian government when it presupposed some of the outcomes around Infrastructure Australia, put it into its budget and had it accounted for as revenue—artificially inflating the surplus; it was expensed as capital. We are not going to do that. We will present to the best of our capacity a fair dinkum set of finances.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : — that does a Fiona Stanley Hospital and puts it in the budget at $400 million only to have it cost $1.8 billion. We are going to be dinkum in our approach — Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : When things get into the budget from us, they will actually be realistic. We are not going to be off dreaming in the never-never; it is not going to be one of the previous government’s railway stations! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : We all know why they were so expensive; because of the coffee table book that it funded at the end of the process. If members opposite want me to dig it out again, I will. It was a great thing to belt members opposite around with and we really enjoyed it. But we will not talk about that, Mr Speaker. We will not go there. The answer is no; I did not think it was appropriate. I will tell the member for Victoria Park one of the other interesting things. We could have gone down that path. He should look at some of the criticism that was levelled at the Victorian government when it presupposed some of the outcomes around Infrastructure Australia, put it into its budget and had it accounted for as revenue—artificially inflating the surplus; it was expensed as capital. We are not going to do that. We will present to the best of our capacity a fair dinkum set of finances.
Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : When things get into the budget from us, they will actually be realistic. We are not going to be off dreaming in the never-never; it is not going to be one of the previous government’s railway stations! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : We all know why they were so expensive; because of the coffee table book that it funded at the end of the process. If members opposite want me to dig it out again, I will. It was a great thing to belt members opposite around with and we really enjoyed it. But we will not talk about that, Mr Speaker. We will not go there. The answer is no; I did not think it was appropriate. I will tell the member for Victoria Park one of the other interesting things. We could have gone down that path. He should look at some of the criticism that was levelled at the Victorian government when it presupposed some of the outcomes around Infrastructure Australia, put it into its budget and had it accounted for as revenue—artificially inflating the surplus; it was expensed as capital. We are not going to do that. We will present to the best of our capacity a fair dinkum set of finances.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : When things get into the budget from us, they will actually be realistic. We are not going to be off dreaming in the never-never; it is not going to be one of the previous government’s railway stations! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : We all know why they were so expensive; because of the coffee table book that it funded at the end of the process. If members opposite want me to dig it out again, I will. It was a great thing to belt members opposite around with and we really enjoyed it. But we will not talk about that, Mr Speaker. We will not go there. The answer is no; I did not think it was appropriate. I will tell the member for Victoria Park one of the other interesting things. We could have gone down that path. He should look at some of the criticism that was levelled at the Victorian government when it presupposed some of the outcomes around Infrastructure Australia, put it into its budget and had it accounted for as revenue—artificially inflating the surplus; it was expensed as capital. We are not going to do that. We will present to the best of our capacity a fair dinkum set of finances.
Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : We all know why they were so expensive; because of the coffee table book that it funded at the end of the process. If members opposite want me to dig it out again, I will. It was a great thing to belt members opposite around with and we really enjoyed it. But we will not talk about that, Mr Speaker. We will not go there. The answer is no; I did not think it was appropriate. I will tell the member for Victoria Park one of the other interesting things. We could have gone down that path. He should look at some of the criticism that was levelled at the Victorian government when it presupposed some of the outcomes around Infrastructure Australia, put it into its budget and had it accounted for as revenue—artificially inflating the surplus; it was expensed as capital. We are not going to do that. We will present to the best of our capacity a fair dinkum set of finances.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : We all know why they were so expensive; because of the coffee table book that it funded at the end of the process. If members opposite want me to dig it out again, I will. It was a great thing to belt members opposite around with and we really enjoyed it. But we will not talk about that, Mr Speaker. We will not go there. The answer is no; I did not think it was appropriate. I will tell the member for Victoria Park one of the other interesting things. We could have gone down that path. He should look at some of the criticism that was levelled at the Victorian government when it presupposed some of the outcomes around Infrastructure Australia, put it into its budget and had it accounted for as revenue—artificially inflating the surplus; it was expensed as capital. We are not going to do that. We will present to the best of our capacity a fair dinkum set of finances.
The answer is no; I did not think it was appropriate. I will tell the member for Victoria Park one of the other interesting things. We could have gone down that path. He should look at some of the criticism that was levelled at the Victorian government when it presupposed some of the outcomes around Infrastructure Australia, put it into its budget and had it accounted for as revenue—artificially inflating the surplus; it was expensed as capital. We are not going to do that. We will present to the best of our capacity a fair dinkum set of finances.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL replied: No, I do not. Can I also say that we are not going to be the sort of government — Mr M. McGowan interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Rockingham! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : — that does a Fiona Stanley Hospital and puts it in the budget at $400 million only to have it cost $1.8 billion. We are going to be dinkum in our approach — Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : When things get into the budget from us, they will actually be realistic. We are not going to be off dreaming in the never-never; it is not going to be one of the previous government’s railway stations! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : We all know why they were so expensive; because of the coffee table book that it funded at the end of the process. If members opposite want me to dig it out again, I will. It was a great thing to belt members opposite around with and we really enjoyed it. But we will not talk about that, Mr Speaker. We will not go there. The answer is no; I did not think it was appropriate. I will tell the member for Victoria Park one of the other interesting things. We could have gone down that path. He should look at some of the criticism that was levelled at the Victorian government when it presupposed some of the outcomes around Infrastructure Australia, put it into its budget and had it accounted for as revenue—artificially inflating the surplus; it was expensed as capital. We are not going to do that. We will present to the best of our capacity a fair dinkum set of finances.
No, I do not. Can I also say that we are not going to be the sort of government — Mr M. McGowan interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Rockingham! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : — that does a Fiona Stanley Hospital and puts it in the budget at $400 million only to have it cost $1.8 billion. We are going to be dinkum in our approach — Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : When things get into the budget from us, they will actually be realistic. We are not going to be off dreaming in the never-never; it is not going to be one of the previous government’s railway stations! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : We all know why they were so expensive; because of the coffee table book that it funded at the end of the process. If members opposite want me to dig it out again, I will. It was a great thing to belt members opposite around with and we really enjoyed it. But we will not talk about that, Mr Speaker. We will not go there. The answer is no; I did not think it was appropriate. I will tell the member for Victoria Park one of the other interesting things. We could have gone down that path. He should look at some of the criticism that was levelled at the Victorian government when it presupposed some of the outcomes around Infrastructure Australia, put it into its budget and had it accounted for as revenue—artificially inflating the surplus; it was expensed as capital. We are not going to do that. We will present to the best of our capacity a fair dinkum set of finances.
Mr M. McGowan interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Rockingham! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : — that does a Fiona Stanley Hospital and puts it in the budget at $400 million only to have it cost $1.8 billion. We are going to be dinkum in our approach — Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : When things get into the budget from us, they will actually be realistic. We are not going to be off dreaming in the never-never; it is not going to be one of the previous government’s railway stations! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : We all know why they were so expensive; because of the coffee table book that it funded at the end of the process. If members opposite want me to dig it out again, I will. It was a great thing to belt members opposite around with and we really enjoyed it. But we will not talk about that, Mr Speaker. We will not go there. The answer is no; I did not think it was appropriate. I will tell the member for Victoria Park one of the other interesting things. We could have gone down that path. He should look at some of the criticism that was levelled at the Victorian government when it presupposed some of the outcomes around Infrastructure Australia, put it into its budget and had it accounted for as revenue—artificially inflating the surplus; it was expensed as capital. We are not going to do that. We will present to the best of our capacity a fair dinkum set of finances.
The SPEAKER : Order, member for Rockingham! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : — that does a Fiona Stanley Hospital and puts it in the budget at $400 million only to have it cost $1.8 billion. We are going to be dinkum in our approach — Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : When things get into the budget from us, they will actually be realistic. We are not going to be off dreaming in the never-never; it is not going to be one of the previous government’s railway stations! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : We all know why they were so expensive; because of the coffee table book that it funded at the end of the process. If members opposite want me to dig it out again, I will. It was a great thing to belt members opposite around with and we really enjoyed it. But we will not talk about that, Mr Speaker. We will not go there. The answer is no; I did not think it was appropriate. I will tell the member for Victoria Park one of the other interesting things. We could have gone down that path. He should look at some of the criticism that was levelled at the Victorian government when it presupposed some of the outcomes around Infrastructure Australia, put it into its budget and had it accounted for as revenue—artificially inflating the surplus; it was expensed as capital. We are not going to do that. We will present to the best of our capacity a fair dinkum set of finances.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : — that does a Fiona Stanley Hospital and puts it in the budget at $400 million only to have it cost $1.8 billion. We are going to be dinkum in our approach — Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : When things get into the budget from us, they will actually be realistic. We are not going to be off dreaming in the never-never; it is not going to be one of the previous government’s railway stations! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : We all know why they were so expensive; because of the coffee table book that it funded at the end of the process. If members opposite want me to dig it out again, I will. It was a great thing to belt members opposite around with and we really enjoyed it. But we will not talk about that, Mr Speaker. We will not go there. The answer is no; I did not think it was appropriate. I will tell the member for Victoria Park one of the other interesting things. We could have gone down that path. He should look at some of the criticism that was levelled at the Victorian government when it presupposed some of the outcomes around Infrastructure Australia, put it into its budget and had it accounted for as revenue—artificially inflating the surplus; it was expensed as capital. We are not going to do that. We will present to the best of our capacity a fair dinkum set of finances.
Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : When things get into the budget from us, they will actually be realistic. We are not going to be off dreaming in the never-never; it is not going to be one of the previous government’s railway stations! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : We all know why they were so expensive; because of the coffee table book that it funded at the end of the process. If members opposite want me to dig it out again, I will. It was a great thing to belt members opposite around with and we really enjoyed it. But we will not talk about that, Mr Speaker. We will not go there. The answer is no; I did not think it was appropriate. I will tell the member for Victoria Park one of the other interesting things. We could have gone down that path. He should look at some of the criticism that was levelled at the Victorian government when it presupposed some of the outcomes around Infrastructure Australia, put it into its budget and had it accounted for as revenue—artificially inflating the surplus; it was expensed as capital. We are not going to do that. We will present to the best of our capacity a fair dinkum set of finances.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : When things get into the budget from us, they will actually be realistic. We are not going to be off dreaming in the never-never; it is not going to be one of the previous government’s railway stations! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : We all know why they were so expensive; because of the coffee table book that it funded at the end of the process. If members opposite want me to dig it out again, I will. It was a great thing to belt members opposite around with and we really enjoyed it. But we will not talk about that, Mr Speaker. We will not go there. The answer is no; I did not think it was appropriate. I will tell the member for Victoria Park one of the other interesting things. We could have gone down that path. He should look at some of the criticism that was levelled at the Victorian government when it presupposed some of the outcomes around Infrastructure Australia, put it into its budget and had it accounted for as revenue—artificially inflating the surplus; it was expensed as capital. We are not going to do that. We will present to the best of our capacity a fair dinkum set of finances.
Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : We all know why they were so expensive; because of the coffee table book that it funded at the end of the process. If members opposite want me to dig it out again, I will. It was a great thing to belt members opposite around with and we really enjoyed it. But we will not talk about that, Mr Speaker. We will not go there. The answer is no; I did not think it was appropriate. I will tell the member for Victoria Park one of the other interesting things. We could have gone down that path. He should look at some of the criticism that was levelled at the Victorian government when it presupposed some of the outcomes around Infrastructure Australia, put it into its budget and had it accounted for as revenue—artificially inflating the surplus; it was expensed as capital. We are not going to do that. We will present to the best of our capacity a fair dinkum set of finances.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : We all know why they were so expensive; because of the coffee table book that it funded at the end of the process. If members opposite want me to dig it out again, I will. It was a great thing to belt members opposite around with and we really enjoyed it. But we will not talk about that, Mr Speaker. We will not go there. The answer is no; I did not think it was appropriate. I will tell the member for Victoria Park one of the other interesting things. We could have gone down that path. He should look at some of the criticism that was levelled at the Victorian government when it presupposed some of the outcomes around Infrastructure Australia, put it into its budget and had it accounted for as revenue—artificially inflating the surplus; it was expensed as capital. We are not going to do that. We will present to the best of our capacity a fair dinkum set of finances.
The answer is no; I did not think it was appropriate. I will tell the member for Victoria Park one of the other interesting things. We could have gone down that path. He should look at some of the criticism that was levelled at the Victorian government when it presupposed some of the outcomes around Infrastructure Australia, put it into its budget and had it accounted for as revenue—artificially inflating the surplus; it was expensed as capital. We are not going to do that. We will present to the best of our capacity a fair dinkum set of finances.
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.