❓ Ms Davies questions the Premier's use of Royalties for Regions funds for various services, while the Premier accuses the Nationals of hypocrisy, citing their past use of the fund for similar purposes. The exchange becomes heated, with the Speaker intervening.
AnsweredQoN 775Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ROYALTIES FOR REGIONS —
2020–21 STATE BUDGET
775. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Premier:
I
have a supplementary question. Thank you, Premier. I am not sure that the
Premier entirely answered the question.
Can the Premier confirm, so the
people of regional Western Australia are absolutely clear, that the Premier and
his regional members of Parliament fully
support the subsidisation of the Water Corporation, TAFE fees, orange school buses and paying for Metronet with funds from royalties for regions, the state's
regional development program—yes or no?
2020–21 STATE BUDGET
775. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Premier:
I
have a supplementary question. Thank you, Premier. I am not sure that the
Premier entirely answered the question.
Can the Premier confirm, so the
people of regional Western Australia are absolutely clear, that the Premier and
his regional members of Parliament fully
support the subsidisation of the Water Corporation, TAFE fees, orange school buses and paying for Metronet with funds from royalties for regions, the state's
regional development program—yes or no?
AnswerView source ↗
Clearly, from the tone of the
Leader of the National Party's question —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
National Party, I call you to order for the first time—also the
Treasurer.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Clearly from
the tone of the question, the Nationals WA does not support supporting families
all over regional Western Australia with support for their water bills,
electricity bills and school buses for children. Clearly, Nationals members do not support that. But, frankly, that is a new
position because when they were in office under the royalties for
regions program, what did they do? They subsidised from royalties for regions
the orange school bus scheme. They subsidised water around regional WA.
Ms M.J. Davies : No, we didn't.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Yes, you did!
They subsidised the Pilbara
essential services program, which is the water program all over the Pilbara, to
the tune of more than $100 million.
Ms M.J. Davies interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
National Party!
Mr M. McGOWAN : They subsidised
the orange school bus initiative out of royalties for regions when they were in
office.
Ms M.J. Davies interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
National Party! I call you to order for the second time. You have already had
two goes.
Mr M. McGOWAN : No, no. I am
just letting the member know a few things.
When they were in office, they put
money into a so-called core business, which, of course, was capital works in
schools. Are hospitals a core business?
There is no answer!
The SPEAKER : I will allow you
to —
Mr M. McGOWAN : Members
opposite put money into hospital builds when they were in office. They might
note that much of our hospital build for regional WA is out of the consolidated
account. I think the Leader of the National Party comes to this argument with
some history. The history is, obviously, that when she was in office —
Ms M.J. Davies interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Do you want
me to tell you again? I have it all here.
Ms M.J. Davies interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
National Party, I call you to order for the third time.
Mr M. McGOWAN : When it
comes to education, orange school buses, roads, water and hospitals, which are
things that state governments do,
members opposite paid for them out of royalties for regions when they were in
office over that eight years. That is what they did. They should not
come in here now and say that somehow the government cannot pay for things out
of royalties for regions when they did exactly that.
Leader of the National Party's question —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
National Party, I call you to order for the first time—also the
Treasurer.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Clearly from
the tone of the question, the Nationals WA does not support supporting families
all over regional Western Australia with support for their water bills,
electricity bills and school buses for children. Clearly, Nationals members do not support that. But, frankly, that is a new
position because when they were in office under the royalties for
regions program, what did they do? They subsidised from royalties for regions
the orange school bus scheme. They subsidised water around regional WA.
Ms M.J. Davies : No, we didn't.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Yes, you did!
They subsidised the Pilbara
essential services program, which is the water program all over the Pilbara, to
the tune of more than $100 million.
Ms M.J. Davies interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
National Party!
Mr M. McGOWAN : They subsidised
the orange school bus initiative out of royalties for regions when they were in
office.
Ms M.J. Davies interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
National Party! I call you to order for the second time. You have already had
two goes.
Mr M. McGOWAN : No, no. I am
just letting the member know a few things.
When they were in office, they put
money into a so-called core business, which, of course, was capital works in
schools. Are hospitals a core business?
There is no answer!
The SPEAKER : I will allow you
to —
Mr M. McGOWAN : Members
opposite put money into hospital builds when they were in office. They might
note that much of our hospital build for regional WA is out of the consolidated
account. I think the Leader of the National Party comes to this argument with
some history. The history is, obviously, that when she was in office —
Ms M.J. Davies interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Do you want
me to tell you again? I have it all here.
Ms M.J. Davies interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
National Party, I call you to order for the third time.
Mr M. McGOWAN : When it
comes to education, orange school buses, roads, water and hospitals, which are
things that state governments do,
members opposite paid for them out of royalties for regions when they were in
office over that eight years. That is what they did. They should not
come in here now and say that somehow the government cannot pay for things out
of royalties for regions when they did exactly that.
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