❓ The Treasurer outlines the 'Build Now' campaign, a private sector initiative to stimulate housing investment and support the WA economy, highlighting its job creation potential and contrasting the government's investment approach with the opposition's.
AnsweredQoN 554Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
BUILD NOW CAMPAIGN — LAUNCH
I refer to the state government’s record capital investment program and the efforts being undertaken by the private sector that complement the government’s actions. Today I was privileged to attend the launch of a new housing initiative, launched by the Treasurer along with the Master Builders Association and the Housing Industry Association. Several members interjected. Mr A.P. JACOB : Can the Treasurer please outline to the house information on this campaign and its benefits? Mr T.R. BUSWELL
I refer to the state government’s record capital investment program and the efforts being undertaken by the private sector that complement the government’s actions. Today I was privileged to attend the launch of a new housing initiative, launched by the Treasurer along with the Master Builders Association and the Housing Industry Association. Several members interjected. Mr A.P. JACOB : Can the Treasurer please outline to the house information on this campaign and its benefits? Mr T.R. BUSWELL
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Ocean Reef very much for the question. I must say how enjoyable it was to travel north to Burns Beach to launch, with the Housing Industry Association and the Master Builders Association, this very important initiative. The workers working on $500 000 houses have mortgages to pay and families to feed in the same way that workers working on $300 000 houses have. Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I am not going to let the politics of envy and poison from members opposite stop us from helping the private sector. This is a diagram, which I am holding up to show members, of what we launched. Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : The only way is up! Before I talk about the launch, I must apologise to the member for Ocean Reef. I offered to him perhaps one of the greatest insults that I could offer to a member while I was at the launch and I apologise to him immensely. In my introductory comments while I was speaking, I acknowledged him as the member for Mindarie, and for that I apologise profusely. Mr B.S. Wyatt : His margin will go up! Mr E.S. Ripper : People will think he’s effective! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I will tell members quickly about the Build Now campaign that we launched this morning. Build Now is a campaign, under the umbrella of the HIA and the MBA, that builders, suppliers, land developers and a range of other people, including labour-hire firms, have come together to fund to encourage Western Australians to invest in housing. The message is simple: interest rates are low, the price of housing is as competitive as it has been for some time, the price of land is competitive and people can get things built in a short period; so people should go out and invest in properties, not for the first home owner market but for the balance of the market. Several hundred thousand dollars have been committed to the program. It is a very good program. It is a great thing to see an industry sector that is prepared to get up off its backside, dip its hands in its pockets and invest in and encourage private Western Australians to actively support the industry, and, more importantly, to actively support the state’s economy. As I said earlier, the advice from the industry is that $1 million spent in housing with flow-on multiplier effects creates 13 extra jobs in Western Australia. It is good to be out there. The message for the government is positive from this sector. It is a sector that faces challenges. It appreciates our payroll tax initiatives. It appreciates the fact that we are investing a massive amount of money in capital—$8.3 billion this year—but, more importantly, it appreciates the partnership with the commonwealth to build in the next couple of years 3 000 extra homes in Western Australia. It will involve $900 million of expenditure and will provide 10 000 to 12 000 jobs. That is what the sector likes to see and that is what the people of Western Australia like to see. That is why we will keep borrowing money, because $1 million in borrowing invested in property keeps 13 Western Australians in jobs. When I go out to areas such as Ocean Reef I tell the people there that they have two choices in Western Australia: they can have a government that is prepared to borrow money to support jobs or they can have an opposition that does not know what it wants to do. The opposition gets up and opposes every single measure that we propose and says that we borrow too much money, yet it wants to spend, spend, spend. I will provide a quick analysis. Yesterday, two other Australian states handed down their budgets—New South Wales and Victoria. Mr B.S. Wyatt : Queensland. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : New South Wales and Queensland. In Western Australia this year, we have a budget surplus of $410 million, debt in four years projected to be $19 billion, and a Standard and Poor’s net-financial-to-revenue-liability ratio of 85 per cent. New South Wales has a deficit in the next year of $1 billion, debt in four years projected to be $55 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 113 per cent. Queensland has a deficit of $1.2 billion, debt in four years of $50 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 155 per cent. It is difficult to manage state finances in Western Australia. It is difficult to manage state finances across Australia. But we are committed to protecting jobs. Members opposite will have another jobs test soon when they come into this place to vote on extended trading hours, because extended trading hours equals jobs. I have a suspicion — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Hang on, member for Cannington; I know how the member is going to vote. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Thank you. I realise that the Treasurer has a point to make and I hope that he will make it rapidly because I would like to stop people on the other side of this place pointing at people on this side. Treasurer, please draw your answer to a conclusion. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : In closing, I will — Mr D.A. Templeman interjected. The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Several members interjected. Mr A.P. JACOB : Can the Treasurer please outline to the house information on this campaign and its benefits? Mr T.R. BUSWELL replied: I thank the member for Ocean Reef very much for the question. I must say how enjoyable it was to travel north to Burns Beach to launch, with the Housing Industry Association and the Master Builders Association, this very important initiative. The workers working on $500 000 houses have mortgages to pay and families to feed in the same way that workers working on $300 000 houses have. Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I am not going to let the politics of envy and poison from members opposite stop us from helping the private sector. This is a diagram, which I am holding up to show members, of what we launched. Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : The only way is up! Before I talk about the launch, I must apologise to the member for Ocean Reef. I offered to him perhaps one of the greatest insults that I could offer to a member while I was at the launch and I apologise to him immensely. In my introductory comments while I was speaking, I acknowledged him as the member for Mindarie, and for that I apologise profusely. Mr B.S. Wyatt : His margin will go up! Mr E.S. Ripper : People will think he’s effective! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I will tell members quickly about the Build Now campaign that we launched this morning. Build Now is a campaign, under the umbrella of the HIA and the MBA, that builders, suppliers, land developers and a range of other people, including labour-hire firms, have come together to fund to encourage Western Australians to invest in housing. The message is simple: interest rates are low, the price of housing is as competitive as it has been for some time, the price of land is competitive and people can get things built in a short period; so people should go out and invest in properties, not for the first home owner market but for the balance of the market. Several hundred thousand dollars have been committed to the program. It is a very good program. It is a great thing to see an industry sector that is prepared to get up off its backside, dip its hands in its pockets and invest in and encourage private Western Australians to actively support the industry, and, more importantly, to actively support the state’s economy. As I said earlier, the advice from the industry is that $1 million spent in housing with flow-on multiplier effects creates 13 extra jobs in Western Australia. It is good to be out there. The message for the government is positive from this sector. It is a sector that faces challenges. It appreciates our payroll tax initiatives. It appreciates the fact that we are investing a massive amount of money in capital—$8.3 billion this year—but, more importantly, it appreciates the partnership with the commonwealth to build in the next couple of years 3 000 extra homes in Western Australia. It will involve $900 million of expenditure and will provide 10 000 to 12 000 jobs. That is what the sector likes to see and that is what the people of Western Australia like to see. That is why we will keep borrowing money, because $1 million in borrowing invested in property keeps 13 Western Australians in jobs. When I go out to areas such as Ocean Reef I tell the people there that they have two choices in Western Australia: they can have a government that is prepared to borrow money to support jobs or they can have an opposition that does not know what it wants to do. The opposition gets up and opposes every single measure that we propose and says that we borrow too much money, yet it wants to spend, spend, spend. I will provide a quick analysis. Yesterday, two other Australian states handed down their budgets—New South Wales and Victoria. Mr B.S. Wyatt : Queensland. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : New South Wales and Queensland. In Western Australia this year, we have a budget surplus of $410 million, debt in four years projected to be $19 billion, and a Standard and Poor’s net-financial-to-revenue-liability ratio of 85 per cent. New South Wales has a deficit in the next year of $1 billion, debt in four years projected to be $55 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 113 per cent. Queensland has a deficit of $1.2 billion, debt in four years of $50 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 155 per cent. It is difficult to manage state finances in Western Australia. It is difficult to manage state finances across Australia. But we are committed to protecting jobs. Members opposite will have another jobs test soon when they come into this place to vote on extended trading hours, because extended trading hours equals jobs. I have a suspicion — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Hang on, member for Cannington; I know how the member is going to vote. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Thank you. I realise that the Treasurer has a point to make and I hope that he will make it rapidly because I would like to stop people on the other side of this place pointing at people on this side. Treasurer, please draw your answer to a conclusion. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : In closing, I will — Mr D.A. Templeman interjected. The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Mr A.P. JACOB : Can the Treasurer please outline to the house information on this campaign and its benefits? Mr T.R. BUSWELL replied: I thank the member for Ocean Reef very much for the question. I must say how enjoyable it was to travel north to Burns Beach to launch, with the Housing Industry Association and the Master Builders Association, this very important initiative. The workers working on $500 000 houses have mortgages to pay and families to feed in the same way that workers working on $300 000 houses have. Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I am not going to let the politics of envy and poison from members opposite stop us from helping the private sector. This is a diagram, which I am holding up to show members, of what we launched. Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : The only way is up! Before I talk about the launch, I must apologise to the member for Ocean Reef. I offered to him perhaps one of the greatest insults that I could offer to a member while I was at the launch and I apologise to him immensely. In my introductory comments while I was speaking, I acknowledged him as the member for Mindarie, and for that I apologise profusely. Mr B.S. Wyatt : His margin will go up! Mr E.S. Ripper : People will think he’s effective! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I will tell members quickly about the Build Now campaign that we launched this morning. Build Now is a campaign, under the umbrella of the HIA and the MBA, that builders, suppliers, land developers and a range of other people, including labour-hire firms, have come together to fund to encourage Western Australians to invest in housing. The message is simple: interest rates are low, the price of housing is as competitive as it has been for some time, the price of land is competitive and people can get things built in a short period; so people should go out and invest in properties, not for the first home owner market but for the balance of the market. Several hundred thousand dollars have been committed to the program. It is a very good program. It is a great thing to see an industry sector that is prepared to get up off its backside, dip its hands in its pockets and invest in and encourage private Western Australians to actively support the industry, and, more importantly, to actively support the state’s economy. As I said earlier, the advice from the industry is that $1 million spent in housing with flow-on multiplier effects creates 13 extra jobs in Western Australia. It is good to be out there. The message for the government is positive from this sector. It is a sector that faces challenges. It appreciates our payroll tax initiatives. It appreciates the fact that we are investing a massive amount of money in capital—$8.3 billion this year—but, more importantly, it appreciates the partnership with the commonwealth to build in the next couple of years 3 000 extra homes in Western Australia. It will involve $900 million of expenditure and will provide 10 000 to 12 000 jobs. That is what the sector likes to see and that is what the people of Western Australia like to see. That is why we will keep borrowing money, because $1 million in borrowing invested in property keeps 13 Western Australians in jobs. When I go out to areas such as Ocean Reef I tell the people there that they have two choices in Western Australia: they can have a government that is prepared to borrow money to support jobs or they can have an opposition that does not know what it wants to do. The opposition gets up and opposes every single measure that we propose and says that we borrow too much money, yet it wants to spend, spend, spend. I will provide a quick analysis. Yesterday, two other Australian states handed down their budgets—New South Wales and Victoria. Mr B.S. Wyatt : Queensland. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : New South Wales and Queensland. In Western Australia this year, we have a budget surplus of $410 million, debt in four years projected to be $19 billion, and a Standard and Poor’s net-financial-to-revenue-liability ratio of 85 per cent. New South Wales has a deficit in the next year of $1 billion, debt in four years projected to be $55 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 113 per cent. Queensland has a deficit of $1.2 billion, debt in four years of $50 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 155 per cent. It is difficult to manage state finances in Western Australia. It is difficult to manage state finances across Australia. But we are committed to protecting jobs. Members opposite will have another jobs test soon when they come into this place to vote on extended trading hours, because extended trading hours equals jobs. I have a suspicion — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Hang on, member for Cannington; I know how the member is going to vote. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Thank you. I realise that the Treasurer has a point to make and I hope that he will make it rapidly because I would like to stop people on the other side of this place pointing at people on this side. Treasurer, please draw your answer to a conclusion. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : In closing, I will — Mr D.A. Templeman interjected. The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL replied: I thank the member for Ocean Reef very much for the question. I must say how enjoyable it was to travel north to Burns Beach to launch, with the Housing Industry Association and the Master Builders Association, this very important initiative. The workers working on $500 000 houses have mortgages to pay and families to feed in the same way that workers working on $300 000 houses have. Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I am not going to let the politics of envy and poison from members opposite stop us from helping the private sector. This is a diagram, which I am holding up to show members, of what we launched. Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : The only way is up! Before I talk about the launch, I must apologise to the member for Ocean Reef. I offered to him perhaps one of the greatest insults that I could offer to a member while I was at the launch and I apologise to him immensely. In my introductory comments while I was speaking, I acknowledged him as the member for Mindarie, and for that I apologise profusely. Mr B.S. Wyatt : His margin will go up! Mr E.S. Ripper : People will think he’s effective! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I will tell members quickly about the Build Now campaign that we launched this morning. Build Now is a campaign, under the umbrella of the HIA and the MBA, that builders, suppliers, land developers and a range of other people, including labour-hire firms, have come together to fund to encourage Western Australians to invest in housing. The message is simple: interest rates are low, the price of housing is as competitive as it has been for some time, the price of land is competitive and people can get things built in a short period; so people should go out and invest in properties, not for the first home owner market but for the balance of the market. Several hundred thousand dollars have been committed to the program. It is a very good program. It is a great thing to see an industry sector that is prepared to get up off its backside, dip its hands in its pockets and invest in and encourage private Western Australians to actively support the industry, and, more importantly, to actively support the state’s economy. As I said earlier, the advice from the industry is that $1 million spent in housing with flow-on multiplier effects creates 13 extra jobs in Western Australia. It is good to be out there. The message for the government is positive from this sector. It is a sector that faces challenges. It appreciates our payroll tax initiatives. It appreciates the fact that we are investing a massive amount of money in capital—$8.3 billion this year—but, more importantly, it appreciates the partnership with the commonwealth to build in the next couple of years 3 000 extra homes in Western Australia. It will involve $900 million of expenditure and will provide 10 000 to 12 000 jobs. That is what the sector likes to see and that is what the people of Western Australia like to see. That is why we will keep borrowing money, because $1 million in borrowing invested in property keeps 13 Western Australians in jobs. When I go out to areas such as Ocean Reef I tell the people there that they have two choices in Western Australia: they can have a government that is prepared to borrow money to support jobs or they can have an opposition that does not know what it wants to do. The opposition gets up and opposes every single measure that we propose and says that we borrow too much money, yet it wants to spend, spend, spend. I will provide a quick analysis. Yesterday, two other Australian states handed down their budgets—New South Wales and Victoria. Mr B.S. Wyatt : Queensland. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : New South Wales and Queensland. In Western Australia this year, we have a budget surplus of $410 million, debt in four years projected to be $19 billion, and a Standard and Poor’s net-financial-to-revenue-liability ratio of 85 per cent. New South Wales has a deficit in the next year of $1 billion, debt in four years projected to be $55 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 113 per cent. Queensland has a deficit of $1.2 billion, debt in four years of $50 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 155 per cent. It is difficult to manage state finances in Western Australia. It is difficult to manage state finances across Australia. But we are committed to protecting jobs. Members opposite will have another jobs test soon when they come into this place to vote on extended trading hours, because extended trading hours equals jobs. I have a suspicion — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Hang on, member for Cannington; I know how the member is going to vote. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Thank you. I realise that the Treasurer has a point to make and I hope that he will make it rapidly because I would like to stop people on the other side of this place pointing at people on this side. Treasurer, please draw your answer to a conclusion. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : In closing, I will — Mr D.A. Templeman interjected. The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
I thank the member for Ocean Reef very much for the question. I must say how enjoyable it was to travel north to Burns Beach to launch, with the Housing Industry Association and the Master Builders Association, this very important initiative. The workers working on $500 000 houses have mortgages to pay and families to feed in the same way that workers working on $300 000 houses have. Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I am not going to let the politics of envy and poison from members opposite stop us from helping the private sector. This is a diagram, which I am holding up to show members, of what we launched. Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : The only way is up! Before I talk about the launch, I must apologise to the member for Ocean Reef. I offered to him perhaps one of the greatest insults that I could offer to a member while I was at the launch and I apologise to him immensely. In my introductory comments while I was speaking, I acknowledged him as the member for Mindarie, and for that I apologise profusely. Mr B.S. Wyatt : His margin will go up! Mr E.S. Ripper : People will think he’s effective! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I will tell members quickly about the Build Now campaign that we launched this morning. Build Now is a campaign, under the umbrella of the HIA and the MBA, that builders, suppliers, land developers and a range of other people, including labour-hire firms, have come together to fund to encourage Western Australians to invest in housing. The message is simple: interest rates are low, the price of housing is as competitive as it has been for some time, the price of land is competitive and people can get things built in a short period; so people should go out and invest in properties, not for the first home owner market but for the balance of the market. Several hundred thousand dollars have been committed to the program. It is a very good program. It is a great thing to see an industry sector that is prepared to get up off its backside, dip its hands in its pockets and invest in and encourage private Western Australians to actively support the industry, and, more importantly, to actively support the state’s economy. As I said earlier, the advice from the industry is that $1 million spent in housing with flow-on multiplier effects creates 13 extra jobs in Western Australia. It is good to be out there. The message for the government is positive from this sector. It is a sector that faces challenges. It appreciates our payroll tax initiatives. It appreciates the fact that we are investing a massive amount of money in capital—$8.3 billion this year—but, more importantly, it appreciates the partnership with the commonwealth to build in the next couple of years 3 000 extra homes in Western Australia. It will involve $900 million of expenditure and will provide 10 000 to 12 000 jobs. That is what the sector likes to see and that is what the people of Western Australia like to see. That is why we will keep borrowing money, because $1 million in borrowing invested in property keeps 13 Western Australians in jobs. When I go out to areas such as Ocean Reef I tell the people there that they have two choices in Western Australia: they can have a government that is prepared to borrow money to support jobs or they can have an opposition that does not know what it wants to do. The opposition gets up and opposes every single measure that we propose and says that we borrow too much money, yet it wants to spend, spend, spend. I will provide a quick analysis. Yesterday, two other Australian states handed down their budgets—New South Wales and Victoria. Mr B.S. Wyatt : Queensland. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : New South Wales and Queensland. In Western Australia this year, we have a budget surplus of $410 million, debt in four years projected to be $19 billion, and a Standard and Poor’s net-financial-to-revenue-liability ratio of 85 per cent. New South Wales has a deficit in the next year of $1 billion, debt in four years projected to be $55 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 113 per cent. Queensland has a deficit of $1.2 billion, debt in four years of $50 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 155 per cent. It is difficult to manage state finances in Western Australia. It is difficult to manage state finances across Australia. But we are committed to protecting jobs. Members opposite will have another jobs test soon when they come into this place to vote on extended trading hours, because extended trading hours equals jobs. I have a suspicion — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Hang on, member for Cannington; I know how the member is going to vote. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Thank you. I realise that the Treasurer has a point to make and I hope that he will make it rapidly because I would like to stop people on the other side of this place pointing at people on this side. Treasurer, please draw your answer to a conclusion. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : In closing, I will — Mr D.A. Templeman interjected. The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I am not going to let the politics of envy and poison from members opposite stop us from helping the private sector. This is a diagram, which I am holding up to show members, of what we launched. Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : The only way is up! Before I talk about the launch, I must apologise to the member for Ocean Reef. I offered to him perhaps one of the greatest insults that I could offer to a member while I was at the launch and I apologise to him immensely. In my introductory comments while I was speaking, I acknowledged him as the member for Mindarie, and for that I apologise profusely. Mr B.S. Wyatt : His margin will go up! Mr E.S. Ripper : People will think he’s effective! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I will tell members quickly about the Build Now campaign that we launched this morning. Build Now is a campaign, under the umbrella of the HIA and the MBA, that builders, suppliers, land developers and a range of other people, including labour-hire firms, have come together to fund to encourage Western Australians to invest in housing. The message is simple: interest rates are low, the price of housing is as competitive as it has been for some time, the price of land is competitive and people can get things built in a short period; so people should go out and invest in properties, not for the first home owner market but for the balance of the market. Several hundred thousand dollars have been committed to the program. It is a very good program. It is a great thing to see an industry sector that is prepared to get up off its backside, dip its hands in its pockets and invest in and encourage private Western Australians to actively support the industry, and, more importantly, to actively support the state’s economy. As I said earlier, the advice from the industry is that $1 million spent in housing with flow-on multiplier effects creates 13 extra jobs in Western Australia. It is good to be out there. The message for the government is positive from this sector. It is a sector that faces challenges. It appreciates our payroll tax initiatives. It appreciates the fact that we are investing a massive amount of money in capital—$8.3 billion this year—but, more importantly, it appreciates the partnership with the commonwealth to build in the next couple of years 3 000 extra homes in Western Australia. It will involve $900 million of expenditure and will provide 10 000 to 12 000 jobs. That is what the sector likes to see and that is what the people of Western Australia like to see. That is why we will keep borrowing money, because $1 million in borrowing invested in property keeps 13 Western Australians in jobs. When I go out to areas such as Ocean Reef I tell the people there that they have two choices in Western Australia: they can have a government that is prepared to borrow money to support jobs or they can have an opposition that does not know what it wants to do. The opposition gets up and opposes every single measure that we propose and says that we borrow too much money, yet it wants to spend, spend, spend. I will provide a quick analysis. Yesterday, two other Australian states handed down their budgets—New South Wales and Victoria. Mr B.S. Wyatt : Queensland. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : New South Wales and Queensland. In Western Australia this year, we have a budget surplus of $410 million, debt in four years projected to be $19 billion, and a Standard and Poor’s net-financial-to-revenue-liability ratio of 85 per cent. New South Wales has a deficit in the next year of $1 billion, debt in four years projected to be $55 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 113 per cent. Queensland has a deficit of $1.2 billion, debt in four years of $50 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 155 per cent. It is difficult to manage state finances in Western Australia. It is difficult to manage state finances across Australia. But we are committed to protecting jobs. Members opposite will have another jobs test soon when they come into this place to vote on extended trading hours, because extended trading hours equals jobs. I have a suspicion — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Hang on, member for Cannington; I know how the member is going to vote. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Thank you. I realise that the Treasurer has a point to make and I hope that he will make it rapidly because I would like to stop people on the other side of this place pointing at people on this side. Treasurer, please draw your answer to a conclusion. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : In closing, I will — Mr D.A. Templeman interjected. The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I am not going to let the politics of envy and poison from members opposite stop us from helping the private sector. This is a diagram, which I am holding up to show members, of what we launched. Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : The only way is up! Before I talk about the launch, I must apologise to the member for Ocean Reef. I offered to him perhaps one of the greatest insults that I could offer to a member while I was at the launch and I apologise to him immensely. In my introductory comments while I was speaking, I acknowledged him as the member for Mindarie, and for that I apologise profusely. Mr B.S. Wyatt : His margin will go up! Mr E.S. Ripper : People will think he’s effective! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I will tell members quickly about the Build Now campaign that we launched this morning. Build Now is a campaign, under the umbrella of the HIA and the MBA, that builders, suppliers, land developers and a range of other people, including labour-hire firms, have come together to fund to encourage Western Australians to invest in housing. The message is simple: interest rates are low, the price of housing is as competitive as it has been for some time, the price of land is competitive and people can get things built in a short period; so people should go out and invest in properties, not for the first home owner market but for the balance of the market. Several hundred thousand dollars have been committed to the program. It is a very good program. It is a great thing to see an industry sector that is prepared to get up off its backside, dip its hands in its pockets and invest in and encourage private Western Australians to actively support the industry, and, more importantly, to actively support the state’s economy. As I said earlier, the advice from the industry is that $1 million spent in housing with flow-on multiplier effects creates 13 extra jobs in Western Australia. It is good to be out there. The message for the government is positive from this sector. It is a sector that faces challenges. It appreciates our payroll tax initiatives. It appreciates the fact that we are investing a massive amount of money in capital—$8.3 billion this year—but, more importantly, it appreciates the partnership with the commonwealth to build in the next couple of years 3 000 extra homes in Western Australia. It will involve $900 million of expenditure and will provide 10 000 to 12 000 jobs. That is what the sector likes to see and that is what the people of Western Australia like to see. That is why we will keep borrowing money, because $1 million in borrowing invested in property keeps 13 Western Australians in jobs. When I go out to areas such as Ocean Reef I tell the people there that they have two choices in Western Australia: they can have a government that is prepared to borrow money to support jobs or they can have an opposition that does not know what it wants to do. The opposition gets up and opposes every single measure that we propose and says that we borrow too much money, yet it wants to spend, spend, spend. I will provide a quick analysis. Yesterday, two other Australian states handed down their budgets—New South Wales and Victoria. Mr B.S. Wyatt : Queensland. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : New South Wales and Queensland. In Western Australia this year, we have a budget surplus of $410 million, debt in four years projected to be $19 billion, and a Standard and Poor’s net-financial-to-revenue-liability ratio of 85 per cent. New South Wales has a deficit in the next year of $1 billion, debt in four years projected to be $55 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 113 per cent. Queensland has a deficit of $1.2 billion, debt in four years of $50 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 155 per cent. It is difficult to manage state finances in Western Australia. It is difficult to manage state finances across Australia. But we are committed to protecting jobs. Members opposite will have another jobs test soon when they come into this place to vote on extended trading hours, because extended trading hours equals jobs. I have a suspicion — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Hang on, member for Cannington; I know how the member is going to vote. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Thank you. I realise that the Treasurer has a point to make and I hope that he will make it rapidly because I would like to stop people on the other side of this place pointing at people on this side. Treasurer, please draw your answer to a conclusion. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : In closing, I will — Mr D.A. Templeman interjected. The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : The only way is up! Before I talk about the launch, I must apologise to the member for Ocean Reef. I offered to him perhaps one of the greatest insults that I could offer to a member while I was at the launch and I apologise to him immensely. In my introductory comments while I was speaking, I acknowledged him as the member for Mindarie, and for that I apologise profusely. Mr B.S. Wyatt : His margin will go up! Mr E.S. Ripper : People will think he’s effective! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I will tell members quickly about the Build Now campaign that we launched this morning. Build Now is a campaign, under the umbrella of the HIA and the MBA, that builders, suppliers, land developers and a range of other people, including labour-hire firms, have come together to fund to encourage Western Australians to invest in housing. The message is simple: interest rates are low, the price of housing is as competitive as it has been for some time, the price of land is competitive and people can get things built in a short period; so people should go out and invest in properties, not for the first home owner market but for the balance of the market. Several hundred thousand dollars have been committed to the program. It is a very good program. It is a great thing to see an industry sector that is prepared to get up off its backside, dip its hands in its pockets and invest in and encourage private Western Australians to actively support the industry, and, more importantly, to actively support the state’s economy. As I said earlier, the advice from the industry is that $1 million spent in housing with flow-on multiplier effects creates 13 extra jobs in Western Australia. It is good to be out there. The message for the government is positive from this sector. It is a sector that faces challenges. It appreciates our payroll tax initiatives. It appreciates the fact that we are investing a massive amount of money in capital—$8.3 billion this year—but, more importantly, it appreciates the partnership with the commonwealth to build in the next couple of years 3 000 extra homes in Western Australia. It will involve $900 million of expenditure and will provide 10 000 to 12 000 jobs. That is what the sector likes to see and that is what the people of Western Australia like to see. That is why we will keep borrowing money, because $1 million in borrowing invested in property keeps 13 Western Australians in jobs. When I go out to areas such as Ocean Reef I tell the people there that they have two choices in Western Australia: they can have a government that is prepared to borrow money to support jobs or they can have an opposition that does not know what it wants to do. The opposition gets up and opposes every single measure that we propose and says that we borrow too much money, yet it wants to spend, spend, spend. I will provide a quick analysis. Yesterday, two other Australian states handed down their budgets—New South Wales and Victoria. Mr B.S. Wyatt : Queensland. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : New South Wales and Queensland. In Western Australia this year, we have a budget surplus of $410 million, debt in four years projected to be $19 billion, and a Standard and Poor’s net-financial-to-revenue-liability ratio of 85 per cent. New South Wales has a deficit in the next year of $1 billion, debt in four years projected to be $55 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 113 per cent. Queensland has a deficit of $1.2 billion, debt in four years of $50 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 155 per cent. It is difficult to manage state finances in Western Australia. It is difficult to manage state finances across Australia. But we are committed to protecting jobs. Members opposite will have another jobs test soon when they come into this place to vote on extended trading hours, because extended trading hours equals jobs. I have a suspicion — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Hang on, member for Cannington; I know how the member is going to vote. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Thank you. I realise that the Treasurer has a point to make and I hope that he will make it rapidly because I would like to stop people on the other side of this place pointing at people on this side. Treasurer, please draw your answer to a conclusion. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : In closing, I will — Mr D.A. Templeman interjected. The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : The only way is up! Before I talk about the launch, I must apologise to the member for Ocean Reef. I offered to him perhaps one of the greatest insults that I could offer to a member while I was at the launch and I apologise to him immensely. In my introductory comments while I was speaking, I acknowledged him as the member for Mindarie, and for that I apologise profusely. Mr B.S. Wyatt : His margin will go up! Mr E.S. Ripper : People will think he’s effective! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I will tell members quickly about the Build Now campaign that we launched this morning. Build Now is a campaign, under the umbrella of the HIA and the MBA, that builders, suppliers, land developers and a range of other people, including labour-hire firms, have come together to fund to encourage Western Australians to invest in housing. The message is simple: interest rates are low, the price of housing is as competitive as it has been for some time, the price of land is competitive and people can get things built in a short period; so people should go out and invest in properties, not for the first home owner market but for the balance of the market. Several hundred thousand dollars have been committed to the program. It is a very good program. It is a great thing to see an industry sector that is prepared to get up off its backside, dip its hands in its pockets and invest in and encourage private Western Australians to actively support the industry, and, more importantly, to actively support the state’s economy. As I said earlier, the advice from the industry is that $1 million spent in housing with flow-on multiplier effects creates 13 extra jobs in Western Australia. It is good to be out there. The message for the government is positive from this sector. It is a sector that faces challenges. It appreciates our payroll tax initiatives. It appreciates the fact that we are investing a massive amount of money in capital—$8.3 billion this year—but, more importantly, it appreciates the partnership with the commonwealth to build in the next couple of years 3 000 extra homes in Western Australia. It will involve $900 million of expenditure and will provide 10 000 to 12 000 jobs. That is what the sector likes to see and that is what the people of Western Australia like to see. That is why we will keep borrowing money, because $1 million in borrowing invested in property keeps 13 Western Australians in jobs. When I go out to areas such as Ocean Reef I tell the people there that they have two choices in Western Australia: they can have a government that is prepared to borrow money to support jobs or they can have an opposition that does not know what it wants to do. The opposition gets up and opposes every single measure that we propose and says that we borrow too much money, yet it wants to spend, spend, spend. I will provide a quick analysis. Yesterday, two other Australian states handed down their budgets—New South Wales and Victoria. Mr B.S. Wyatt : Queensland. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : New South Wales and Queensland. In Western Australia this year, we have a budget surplus of $410 million, debt in four years projected to be $19 billion, and a Standard and Poor’s net-financial-to-revenue-liability ratio of 85 per cent. New South Wales has a deficit in the next year of $1 billion, debt in four years projected to be $55 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 113 per cent. Queensland has a deficit of $1.2 billion, debt in four years of $50 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 155 per cent. It is difficult to manage state finances in Western Australia. It is difficult to manage state finances across Australia. But we are committed to protecting jobs. Members opposite will have another jobs test soon when they come into this place to vote on extended trading hours, because extended trading hours equals jobs. I have a suspicion — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Hang on, member for Cannington; I know how the member is going to vote. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Thank you. I realise that the Treasurer has a point to make and I hope that he will make it rapidly because I would like to stop people on the other side of this place pointing at people on this side. Treasurer, please draw your answer to a conclusion. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : In closing, I will — Mr D.A. Templeman interjected. The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Mr B.S. Wyatt : His margin will go up! Mr E.S. Ripper : People will think he’s effective! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I will tell members quickly about the Build Now campaign that we launched this morning. Build Now is a campaign, under the umbrella of the HIA and the MBA, that builders, suppliers, land developers and a range of other people, including labour-hire firms, have come together to fund to encourage Western Australians to invest in housing. The message is simple: interest rates are low, the price of housing is as competitive as it has been for some time, the price of land is competitive and people can get things built in a short period; so people should go out and invest in properties, not for the first home owner market but for the balance of the market. Several hundred thousand dollars have been committed to the program. It is a very good program. It is a great thing to see an industry sector that is prepared to get up off its backside, dip its hands in its pockets and invest in and encourage private Western Australians to actively support the industry, and, more importantly, to actively support the state’s economy. As I said earlier, the advice from the industry is that $1 million spent in housing with flow-on multiplier effects creates 13 extra jobs in Western Australia. It is good to be out there. The message for the government is positive from this sector. It is a sector that faces challenges. It appreciates our payroll tax initiatives. It appreciates the fact that we are investing a massive amount of money in capital—$8.3 billion this year—but, more importantly, it appreciates the partnership with the commonwealth to build in the next couple of years 3 000 extra homes in Western Australia. It will involve $900 million of expenditure and will provide 10 000 to 12 000 jobs. That is what the sector likes to see and that is what the people of Western Australia like to see. That is why we will keep borrowing money, because $1 million in borrowing invested in property keeps 13 Western Australians in jobs. When I go out to areas such as Ocean Reef I tell the people there that they have two choices in Western Australia: they can have a government that is prepared to borrow money to support jobs or they can have an opposition that does not know what it wants to do. The opposition gets up and opposes every single measure that we propose and says that we borrow too much money, yet it wants to spend, spend, spend. I will provide a quick analysis. Yesterday, two other Australian states handed down their budgets—New South Wales and Victoria. Mr B.S. Wyatt : Queensland. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : New South Wales and Queensland. In Western Australia this year, we have a budget surplus of $410 million, debt in four years projected to be $19 billion, and a Standard and Poor’s net-financial-to-revenue-liability ratio of 85 per cent. New South Wales has a deficit in the next year of $1 billion, debt in four years projected to be $55 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 113 per cent. Queensland has a deficit of $1.2 billion, debt in four years of $50 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 155 per cent. It is difficult to manage state finances in Western Australia. It is difficult to manage state finances across Australia. But we are committed to protecting jobs. Members opposite will have another jobs test soon when they come into this place to vote on extended trading hours, because extended trading hours equals jobs. I have a suspicion — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Hang on, member for Cannington; I know how the member is going to vote. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Thank you. I realise that the Treasurer has a point to make and I hope that he will make it rapidly because I would like to stop people on the other side of this place pointing at people on this side. Treasurer, please draw your answer to a conclusion. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : In closing, I will — Mr D.A. Templeman interjected. The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Mr E.S. Ripper : People will think he’s effective! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I will tell members quickly about the Build Now campaign that we launched this morning. Build Now is a campaign, under the umbrella of the HIA and the MBA, that builders, suppliers, land developers and a range of other people, including labour-hire firms, have come together to fund to encourage Western Australians to invest in housing. The message is simple: interest rates are low, the price of housing is as competitive as it has been for some time, the price of land is competitive and people can get things built in a short period; so people should go out and invest in properties, not for the first home owner market but for the balance of the market. Several hundred thousand dollars have been committed to the program. It is a very good program. It is a great thing to see an industry sector that is prepared to get up off its backside, dip its hands in its pockets and invest in and encourage private Western Australians to actively support the industry, and, more importantly, to actively support the state’s economy. As I said earlier, the advice from the industry is that $1 million spent in housing with flow-on multiplier effects creates 13 extra jobs in Western Australia. It is good to be out there. The message for the government is positive from this sector. It is a sector that faces challenges. It appreciates our payroll tax initiatives. It appreciates the fact that we are investing a massive amount of money in capital—$8.3 billion this year—but, more importantly, it appreciates the partnership with the commonwealth to build in the next couple of years 3 000 extra homes in Western Australia. It will involve $900 million of expenditure and will provide 10 000 to 12 000 jobs. That is what the sector likes to see and that is what the people of Western Australia like to see. That is why we will keep borrowing money, because $1 million in borrowing invested in property keeps 13 Western Australians in jobs. When I go out to areas such as Ocean Reef I tell the people there that they have two choices in Western Australia: they can have a government that is prepared to borrow money to support jobs or they can have an opposition that does not know what it wants to do. The opposition gets up and opposes every single measure that we propose and says that we borrow too much money, yet it wants to spend, spend, spend. I will provide a quick analysis. Yesterday, two other Australian states handed down their budgets—New South Wales and Victoria. Mr B.S. Wyatt : Queensland. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : New South Wales and Queensland. In Western Australia this year, we have a budget surplus of $410 million, debt in four years projected to be $19 billion, and a Standard and Poor’s net-financial-to-revenue-liability ratio of 85 per cent. New South Wales has a deficit in the next year of $1 billion, debt in four years projected to be $55 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 113 per cent. Queensland has a deficit of $1.2 billion, debt in four years of $50 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 155 per cent. It is difficult to manage state finances in Western Australia. It is difficult to manage state finances across Australia. But we are committed to protecting jobs. Members opposite will have another jobs test soon when they come into this place to vote on extended trading hours, because extended trading hours equals jobs. I have a suspicion — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Hang on, member for Cannington; I know how the member is going to vote. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Thank you. I realise that the Treasurer has a point to make and I hope that he will make it rapidly because I would like to stop people on the other side of this place pointing at people on this side. Treasurer, please draw your answer to a conclusion. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : In closing, I will — Mr D.A. Templeman interjected. The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I will tell members quickly about the Build Now campaign that we launched this morning. Build Now is a campaign, under the umbrella of the HIA and the MBA, that builders, suppliers, land developers and a range of other people, including labour-hire firms, have come together to fund to encourage Western Australians to invest in housing. The message is simple: interest rates are low, the price of housing is as competitive as it has been for some time, the price of land is competitive and people can get things built in a short period; so people should go out and invest in properties, not for the first home owner market but for the balance of the market. Several hundred thousand dollars have been committed to the program. It is a very good program. It is a great thing to see an industry sector that is prepared to get up off its backside, dip its hands in its pockets and invest in and encourage private Western Australians to actively support the industry, and, more importantly, to actively support the state’s economy. As I said earlier, the advice from the industry is that $1 million spent in housing with flow-on multiplier effects creates 13 extra jobs in Western Australia. It is good to be out there. The message for the government is positive from this sector. It is a sector that faces challenges. It appreciates our payroll tax initiatives. It appreciates the fact that we are investing a massive amount of money in capital—$8.3 billion this year—but, more importantly, it appreciates the partnership with the commonwealth to build in the next couple of years 3 000 extra homes in Western Australia. It will involve $900 million of expenditure and will provide 10 000 to 12 000 jobs. That is what the sector likes to see and that is what the people of Western Australia like to see. That is why we will keep borrowing money, because $1 million in borrowing invested in property keeps 13 Western Australians in jobs. When I go out to areas such as Ocean Reef I tell the people there that they have two choices in Western Australia: they can have a government that is prepared to borrow money to support jobs or they can have an opposition that does not know what it wants to do. The opposition gets up and opposes every single measure that we propose and says that we borrow too much money, yet it wants to spend, spend, spend. I will provide a quick analysis. Yesterday, two other Australian states handed down their budgets—New South Wales and Victoria. Mr B.S. Wyatt : Queensland. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : New South Wales and Queensland. In Western Australia this year, we have a budget surplus of $410 million, debt in four years projected to be $19 billion, and a Standard and Poor’s net-financial-to-revenue-liability ratio of 85 per cent. New South Wales has a deficit in the next year of $1 billion, debt in four years projected to be $55 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 113 per cent. Queensland has a deficit of $1.2 billion, debt in four years of $50 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 155 per cent. It is difficult to manage state finances in Western Australia. It is difficult to manage state finances across Australia. But we are committed to protecting jobs. Members opposite will have another jobs test soon when they come into this place to vote on extended trading hours, because extended trading hours equals jobs. I have a suspicion — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Hang on, member for Cannington; I know how the member is going to vote. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Thank you. I realise that the Treasurer has a point to make and I hope that he will make it rapidly because I would like to stop people on the other side of this place pointing at people on this side. Treasurer, please draw your answer to a conclusion. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : In closing, I will — Mr D.A. Templeman interjected. The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Mr B.S. Wyatt : Queensland. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : New South Wales and Queensland. In Western Australia this year, we have a budget surplus of $410 million, debt in four years projected to be $19 billion, and a Standard and Poor’s net-financial-to-revenue-liability ratio of 85 per cent. New South Wales has a deficit in the next year of $1 billion, debt in four years projected to be $55 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 113 per cent. Queensland has a deficit of $1.2 billion, debt in four years of $50 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 155 per cent. It is difficult to manage state finances in Western Australia. It is difficult to manage state finances across Australia. But we are committed to protecting jobs. Members opposite will have another jobs test soon when they come into this place to vote on extended trading hours, because extended trading hours equals jobs. I have a suspicion — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Hang on, member for Cannington; I know how the member is going to vote. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Thank you. I realise that the Treasurer has a point to make and I hope that he will make it rapidly because I would like to stop people on the other side of this place pointing at people on this side. Treasurer, please draw your answer to a conclusion. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : In closing, I will — Mr D.A. Templeman interjected. The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : New South Wales and Queensland. In Western Australia this year, we have a budget surplus of $410 million, debt in four years projected to be $19 billion, and a Standard and Poor’s net-financial-to-revenue-liability ratio of 85 per cent. New South Wales has a deficit in the next year of $1 billion, debt in four years projected to be $55 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 113 per cent. Queensland has a deficit of $1.2 billion, debt in four years of $50 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 155 per cent. It is difficult to manage state finances in Western Australia. It is difficult to manage state finances across Australia. But we are committed to protecting jobs. Members opposite will have another jobs test soon when they come into this place to vote on extended trading hours, because extended trading hours equals jobs. I have a suspicion — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Hang on, member for Cannington; I know how the member is going to vote. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Thank you. I realise that the Treasurer has a point to make and I hope that he will make it rapidly because I would like to stop people on the other side of this place pointing at people on this side. Treasurer, please draw your answer to a conclusion. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : In closing, I will — Mr D.A. Templeman interjected. The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Members opposite will have another jobs test soon when they come into this place to vote on extended trading hours, because extended trading hours equals jobs. I have a suspicion — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Hang on, member for Cannington; I know how the member is going to vote. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Thank you. I realise that the Treasurer has a point to make and I hope that he will make it rapidly because I would like to stop people on the other side of this place pointing at people on this side. Treasurer, please draw your answer to a conclusion. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : In closing, I will — Mr D.A. Templeman interjected. The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Hang on, member for Cannington; I know how the member is going to vote. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Thank you. I realise that the Treasurer has a point to make and I hope that he will make it rapidly because I would like to stop people on the other side of this place pointing at people on this side. Treasurer, please draw your answer to a conclusion. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : In closing, I will — Mr D.A. Templeman interjected. The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Hang on, member for Cannington; I know how the member is going to vote. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Thank you. I realise that the Treasurer has a point to make and I hope that he will make it rapidly because I would like to stop people on the other side of this place pointing at people on this side. Treasurer, please draw your answer to a conclusion. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : In closing, I will — Mr D.A. Templeman interjected. The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Hang on, member for Cannington; I know how the member is going to vote. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Thank you. I realise that the Treasurer has a point to make and I hope that he will make it rapidly because I would like to stop people on the other side of this place pointing at people on this side. Treasurer, please draw your answer to a conclusion. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : In closing, I will — Mr D.A. Templeman interjected. The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Thank you. I realise that the Treasurer has a point to make and I hope that he will make it rapidly because I would like to stop people on the other side of this place pointing at people on this side. Treasurer, please draw your answer to a conclusion. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : In closing, I will — Mr D.A. Templeman interjected. The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
The SPEAKER : Order, members! Thank you. I realise that the Treasurer has a point to make and I hope that he will make it rapidly because I would like to stop people on the other side of this place pointing at people on this side. Treasurer, please draw your answer to a conclusion. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : In closing, I will — Mr D.A. Templeman interjected. The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : In closing, I will — Mr D.A. Templeman interjected. The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Mr D.A. Templeman interjected. The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Several members interjected. Mr A.P. JACOB : Can the Treasurer please outline to the house information on this campaign and its benefits? Mr T.R. BUSWELL replied: I thank the member for Ocean Reef very much for the question. I must say how enjoyable it was to travel north to Burns Beach to launch, with the Housing Industry Association and the Master Builders Association, this very important initiative. The workers working on $500 000 houses have mortgages to pay and families to feed in the same way that workers working on $300 000 houses have. Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I am not going to let the politics of envy and poison from members opposite stop us from helping the private sector. This is a diagram, which I am holding up to show members, of what we launched. Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : The only way is up! Before I talk about the launch, I must apologise to the member for Ocean Reef. I offered to him perhaps one of the greatest insults that I could offer to a member while I was at the launch and I apologise to him immensely. In my introductory comments while I was speaking, I acknowledged him as the member for Mindarie, and for that I apologise profusely. Mr B.S. Wyatt : His margin will go up! Mr E.S. Ripper : People will think he’s effective! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I will tell members quickly about the Build Now campaign that we launched this morning. Build Now is a campaign, under the umbrella of the HIA and the MBA, that builders, suppliers, land developers and a range of other people, including labour-hire firms, have come together to fund to encourage Western Australians to invest in housing. The message is simple: interest rates are low, the price of housing is as competitive as it has been for some time, the price of land is competitive and people can get things built in a short period; so people should go out and invest in properties, not for the first home owner market but for the balance of the market. Several hundred thousand dollars have been committed to the program. It is a very good program. It is a great thing to see an industry sector that is prepared to get up off its backside, dip its hands in its pockets and invest in and encourage private Western Australians to actively support the industry, and, more importantly, to actively support the state’s economy. As I said earlier, the advice from the industry is that $1 million spent in housing with flow-on multiplier effects creates 13 extra jobs in Western Australia. It is good to be out there. The message for the government is positive from this sector. It is a sector that faces challenges. It appreciates our payroll tax initiatives. It appreciates the fact that we are investing a massive amount of money in capital—$8.3 billion this year—but, more importantly, it appreciates the partnership with the commonwealth to build in the next couple of years 3 000 extra homes in Western Australia. It will involve $900 million of expenditure and will provide 10 000 to 12 000 jobs. That is what the sector likes to see and that is what the people of Western Australia like to see. That is why we will keep borrowing money, because $1 million in borrowing invested in property keeps 13 Western Australians in jobs. When I go out to areas such as Ocean Reef I tell the people there that they have two choices in Western Australia: they can have a government that is prepared to borrow money to support jobs or they can have an opposition that does not know what it wants to do. The opposition gets up and opposes every single measure that we propose and says that we borrow too much money, yet it wants to spend, spend, spend. I will provide a quick analysis. Yesterday, two other Australian states handed down their budgets—New South Wales and Victoria. Mr B.S. Wyatt : Queensland. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : New South Wales and Queensland. In Western Australia this year, we have a budget surplus of $410 million, debt in four years projected to be $19 billion, and a Standard and Poor’s net-financial-to-revenue-liability ratio of 85 per cent. New South Wales has a deficit in the next year of $1 billion, debt in four years projected to be $55 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 113 per cent. Queensland has a deficit of $1.2 billion, debt in four years of $50 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 155 per cent. It is difficult to manage state finances in Western Australia. It is difficult to manage state finances across Australia. But we are committed to protecting jobs. Members opposite will have another jobs test soon when they come into this place to vote on extended trading hours, because extended trading hours equals jobs. I have a suspicion — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Hang on, member for Cannington; I know how the member is going to vote. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Thank you. I realise that the Treasurer has a point to make and I hope that he will make it rapidly because I would like to stop people on the other side of this place pointing at people on this side. Treasurer, please draw your answer to a conclusion. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : In closing, I will — Mr D.A. Templeman interjected. The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Mr A.P. JACOB : Can the Treasurer please outline to the house information on this campaign and its benefits? Mr T.R. BUSWELL replied: I thank the member for Ocean Reef very much for the question. I must say how enjoyable it was to travel north to Burns Beach to launch, with the Housing Industry Association and the Master Builders Association, this very important initiative. The workers working on $500 000 houses have mortgages to pay and families to feed in the same way that workers working on $300 000 houses have. Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I am not going to let the politics of envy and poison from members opposite stop us from helping the private sector. This is a diagram, which I am holding up to show members, of what we launched. Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : The only way is up! Before I talk about the launch, I must apologise to the member for Ocean Reef. I offered to him perhaps one of the greatest insults that I could offer to a member while I was at the launch and I apologise to him immensely. In my introductory comments while I was speaking, I acknowledged him as the member for Mindarie, and for that I apologise profusely. Mr B.S. Wyatt : His margin will go up! Mr E.S. Ripper : People will think he’s effective! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I will tell members quickly about the Build Now campaign that we launched this morning. Build Now is a campaign, under the umbrella of the HIA and the MBA, that builders, suppliers, land developers and a range of other people, including labour-hire firms, have come together to fund to encourage Western Australians to invest in housing. The message is simple: interest rates are low, the price of housing is as competitive as it has been for some time, the price of land is competitive and people can get things built in a short period; so people should go out and invest in properties, not for the first home owner market but for the balance of the market. Several hundred thousand dollars have been committed to the program. It is a very good program. It is a great thing to see an industry sector that is prepared to get up off its backside, dip its hands in its pockets and invest in and encourage private Western Australians to actively support the industry, and, more importantly, to actively support the state’s economy. As I said earlier, the advice from the industry is that $1 million spent in housing with flow-on multiplier effects creates 13 extra jobs in Western Australia. It is good to be out there. The message for the government is positive from this sector. It is a sector that faces challenges. It appreciates our payroll tax initiatives. It appreciates the fact that we are investing a massive amount of money in capital—$8.3 billion this year—but, more importantly, it appreciates the partnership with the commonwealth to build in the next couple of years 3 000 extra homes in Western Australia. It will involve $900 million of expenditure and will provide 10 000 to 12 000 jobs. That is what the sector likes to see and that is what the people of Western Australia like to see. That is why we will keep borrowing money, because $1 million in borrowing invested in property keeps 13 Western Australians in jobs. When I go out to areas such as Ocean Reef I tell the people there that they have two choices in Western Australia: they can have a government that is prepared to borrow money to support jobs or they can have an opposition that does not know what it wants to do. The opposition gets up and opposes every single measure that we propose and says that we borrow too much money, yet it wants to spend, spend, spend. I will provide a quick analysis. Yesterday, two other Australian states handed down their budgets—New South Wales and Victoria. Mr B.S. Wyatt : Queensland. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : New South Wales and Queensland. In Western Australia this year, we have a budget surplus of $410 million, debt in four years projected to be $19 billion, and a Standard and Poor’s net-financial-to-revenue-liability ratio of 85 per cent. New South Wales has a deficit in the next year of $1 billion, debt in four years projected to be $55 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 113 per cent. Queensland has a deficit of $1.2 billion, debt in four years of $50 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 155 per cent. It is difficult to manage state finances in Western Australia. It is difficult to manage state finances across Australia. But we are committed to protecting jobs. Members opposite will have another jobs test soon when they come into this place to vote on extended trading hours, because extended trading hours equals jobs. I have a suspicion — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Hang on, member for Cannington; I know how the member is going to vote. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Thank you. I realise that the Treasurer has a point to make and I hope that he will make it rapidly because I would like to stop people on the other side of this place pointing at people on this side. Treasurer, please draw your answer to a conclusion. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : In closing, I will — Mr D.A. Templeman interjected. The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL replied: I thank the member for Ocean Reef very much for the question. I must say how enjoyable it was to travel north to Burns Beach to launch, with the Housing Industry Association and the Master Builders Association, this very important initiative. The workers working on $500 000 houses have mortgages to pay and families to feed in the same way that workers working on $300 000 houses have. Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I am not going to let the politics of envy and poison from members opposite stop us from helping the private sector. This is a diagram, which I am holding up to show members, of what we launched. Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : The only way is up! Before I talk about the launch, I must apologise to the member for Ocean Reef. I offered to him perhaps one of the greatest insults that I could offer to a member while I was at the launch and I apologise to him immensely. In my introductory comments while I was speaking, I acknowledged him as the member for Mindarie, and for that I apologise profusely. Mr B.S. Wyatt : His margin will go up! Mr E.S. Ripper : People will think he’s effective! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I will tell members quickly about the Build Now campaign that we launched this morning. Build Now is a campaign, under the umbrella of the HIA and the MBA, that builders, suppliers, land developers and a range of other people, including labour-hire firms, have come together to fund to encourage Western Australians to invest in housing. The message is simple: interest rates are low, the price of housing is as competitive as it has been for some time, the price of land is competitive and people can get things built in a short period; so people should go out and invest in properties, not for the first home owner market but for the balance of the market. Several hundred thousand dollars have been committed to the program. It is a very good program. It is a great thing to see an industry sector that is prepared to get up off its backside, dip its hands in its pockets and invest in and encourage private Western Australians to actively support the industry, and, more importantly, to actively support the state’s economy. As I said earlier, the advice from the industry is that $1 million spent in housing with flow-on multiplier effects creates 13 extra jobs in Western Australia. It is good to be out there. The message for the government is positive from this sector. It is a sector that faces challenges. It appreciates our payroll tax initiatives. It appreciates the fact that we are investing a massive amount of money in capital—$8.3 billion this year—but, more importantly, it appreciates the partnership with the commonwealth to build in the next couple of years 3 000 extra homes in Western Australia. It will involve $900 million of expenditure and will provide 10 000 to 12 000 jobs. That is what the sector likes to see and that is what the people of Western Australia like to see. That is why we will keep borrowing money, because $1 million in borrowing invested in property keeps 13 Western Australians in jobs. When I go out to areas such as Ocean Reef I tell the people there that they have two choices in Western Australia: they can have a government that is prepared to borrow money to support jobs or they can have an opposition that does not know what it wants to do. The opposition gets up and opposes every single measure that we propose and says that we borrow too much money, yet it wants to spend, spend, spend. I will provide a quick analysis. Yesterday, two other Australian states handed down their budgets—New South Wales and Victoria. Mr B.S. Wyatt : Queensland. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : New South Wales and Queensland. In Western Australia this year, we have a budget surplus of $410 million, debt in four years projected to be $19 billion, and a Standard and Poor’s net-financial-to-revenue-liability ratio of 85 per cent. New South Wales has a deficit in the next year of $1 billion, debt in four years projected to be $55 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 113 per cent. Queensland has a deficit of $1.2 billion, debt in four years of $50 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 155 per cent. It is difficult to manage state finances in Western Australia. It is difficult to manage state finances across Australia. But we are committed to protecting jobs. Members opposite will have another jobs test soon when they come into this place to vote on extended trading hours, because extended trading hours equals jobs. I have a suspicion — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Hang on, member for Cannington; I know how the member is going to vote. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Thank you. I realise that the Treasurer has a point to make and I hope that he will make it rapidly because I would like to stop people on the other side of this place pointing at people on this side. Treasurer, please draw your answer to a conclusion. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : In closing, I will — Mr D.A. Templeman interjected. The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
I thank the member for Ocean Reef very much for the question. I must say how enjoyable it was to travel north to Burns Beach to launch, with the Housing Industry Association and the Master Builders Association, this very important initiative. The workers working on $500 000 houses have mortgages to pay and families to feed in the same way that workers working on $300 000 houses have. Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I am not going to let the politics of envy and poison from members opposite stop us from helping the private sector. This is a diagram, which I am holding up to show members, of what we launched. Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : The only way is up! Before I talk about the launch, I must apologise to the member for Ocean Reef. I offered to him perhaps one of the greatest insults that I could offer to a member while I was at the launch and I apologise to him immensely. In my introductory comments while I was speaking, I acknowledged him as the member for Mindarie, and for that I apologise profusely. Mr B.S. Wyatt : His margin will go up! Mr E.S. Ripper : People will think he’s effective! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I will tell members quickly about the Build Now campaign that we launched this morning. Build Now is a campaign, under the umbrella of the HIA and the MBA, that builders, suppliers, land developers and a range of other people, including labour-hire firms, have come together to fund to encourage Western Australians to invest in housing. The message is simple: interest rates are low, the price of housing is as competitive as it has been for some time, the price of land is competitive and people can get things built in a short period; so people should go out and invest in properties, not for the first home owner market but for the balance of the market. Several hundred thousand dollars have been committed to the program. It is a very good program. It is a great thing to see an industry sector that is prepared to get up off its backside, dip its hands in its pockets and invest in and encourage private Western Australians to actively support the industry, and, more importantly, to actively support the state’s economy. As I said earlier, the advice from the industry is that $1 million spent in housing with flow-on multiplier effects creates 13 extra jobs in Western Australia. It is good to be out there. The message for the government is positive from this sector. It is a sector that faces challenges. It appreciates our payroll tax initiatives. It appreciates the fact that we are investing a massive amount of money in capital—$8.3 billion this year—but, more importantly, it appreciates the partnership with the commonwealth to build in the next couple of years 3 000 extra homes in Western Australia. It will involve $900 million of expenditure and will provide 10 000 to 12 000 jobs. That is what the sector likes to see and that is what the people of Western Australia like to see. That is why we will keep borrowing money, because $1 million in borrowing invested in property keeps 13 Western Australians in jobs. When I go out to areas such as Ocean Reef I tell the people there that they have two choices in Western Australia: they can have a government that is prepared to borrow money to support jobs or they can have an opposition that does not know what it wants to do. The opposition gets up and opposes every single measure that we propose and says that we borrow too much money, yet it wants to spend, spend, spend. I will provide a quick analysis. Yesterday, two other Australian states handed down their budgets—New South Wales and Victoria. Mr B.S. Wyatt : Queensland. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : New South Wales and Queensland. In Western Australia this year, we have a budget surplus of $410 million, debt in four years projected to be $19 billion, and a Standard and Poor’s net-financial-to-revenue-liability ratio of 85 per cent. New South Wales has a deficit in the next year of $1 billion, debt in four years projected to be $55 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 113 per cent. Queensland has a deficit of $1.2 billion, debt in four years of $50 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 155 per cent. It is difficult to manage state finances in Western Australia. It is difficult to manage state finances across Australia. But we are committed to protecting jobs. Members opposite will have another jobs test soon when they come into this place to vote on extended trading hours, because extended trading hours equals jobs. I have a suspicion — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Hang on, member for Cannington; I know how the member is going to vote. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Thank you. I realise that the Treasurer has a point to make and I hope that he will make it rapidly because I would like to stop people on the other side of this place pointing at people on this side. Treasurer, please draw your answer to a conclusion. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : In closing, I will — Mr D.A. Templeman interjected. The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I am not going to let the politics of envy and poison from members opposite stop us from helping the private sector. This is a diagram, which I am holding up to show members, of what we launched. Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : The only way is up! Before I talk about the launch, I must apologise to the member for Ocean Reef. I offered to him perhaps one of the greatest insults that I could offer to a member while I was at the launch and I apologise to him immensely. In my introductory comments while I was speaking, I acknowledged him as the member for Mindarie, and for that I apologise profusely. Mr B.S. Wyatt : His margin will go up! Mr E.S. Ripper : People will think he’s effective! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I will tell members quickly about the Build Now campaign that we launched this morning. Build Now is a campaign, under the umbrella of the HIA and the MBA, that builders, suppliers, land developers and a range of other people, including labour-hire firms, have come together to fund to encourage Western Australians to invest in housing. The message is simple: interest rates are low, the price of housing is as competitive as it has been for some time, the price of land is competitive and people can get things built in a short period; so people should go out and invest in properties, not for the first home owner market but for the balance of the market. Several hundred thousand dollars have been committed to the program. It is a very good program. It is a great thing to see an industry sector that is prepared to get up off its backside, dip its hands in its pockets and invest in and encourage private Western Australians to actively support the industry, and, more importantly, to actively support the state’s economy. As I said earlier, the advice from the industry is that $1 million spent in housing with flow-on multiplier effects creates 13 extra jobs in Western Australia. It is good to be out there. The message for the government is positive from this sector. It is a sector that faces challenges. It appreciates our payroll tax initiatives. It appreciates the fact that we are investing a massive amount of money in capital—$8.3 billion this year—but, more importantly, it appreciates the partnership with the commonwealth to build in the next couple of years 3 000 extra homes in Western Australia. It will involve $900 million of expenditure and will provide 10 000 to 12 000 jobs. That is what the sector likes to see and that is what the people of Western Australia like to see. That is why we will keep borrowing money, because $1 million in borrowing invested in property keeps 13 Western Australians in jobs. When I go out to areas such as Ocean Reef I tell the people there that they have two choices in Western Australia: they can have a government that is prepared to borrow money to support jobs or they can have an opposition that does not know what it wants to do. The opposition gets up and opposes every single measure that we propose and says that we borrow too much money, yet it wants to spend, spend, spend. I will provide a quick analysis. Yesterday, two other Australian states handed down their budgets—New South Wales and Victoria. Mr B.S. Wyatt : Queensland. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : New South Wales and Queensland. In Western Australia this year, we have a budget surplus of $410 million, debt in four years projected to be $19 billion, and a Standard and Poor’s net-financial-to-revenue-liability ratio of 85 per cent. New South Wales has a deficit in the next year of $1 billion, debt in four years projected to be $55 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 113 per cent. Queensland has a deficit of $1.2 billion, debt in four years of $50 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 155 per cent. It is difficult to manage state finances in Western Australia. It is difficult to manage state finances across Australia. But we are committed to protecting jobs. Members opposite will have another jobs test soon when they come into this place to vote on extended trading hours, because extended trading hours equals jobs. I have a suspicion — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Hang on, member for Cannington; I know how the member is going to vote. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Thank you. I realise that the Treasurer has a point to make and I hope that he will make it rapidly because I would like to stop people on the other side of this place pointing at people on this side. Treasurer, please draw your answer to a conclusion. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : In closing, I will — Mr D.A. Templeman interjected. The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I am not going to let the politics of envy and poison from members opposite stop us from helping the private sector. This is a diagram, which I am holding up to show members, of what we launched. Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : The only way is up! Before I talk about the launch, I must apologise to the member for Ocean Reef. I offered to him perhaps one of the greatest insults that I could offer to a member while I was at the launch and I apologise to him immensely. In my introductory comments while I was speaking, I acknowledged him as the member for Mindarie, and for that I apologise profusely. Mr B.S. Wyatt : His margin will go up! Mr E.S. Ripper : People will think he’s effective! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I will tell members quickly about the Build Now campaign that we launched this morning. Build Now is a campaign, under the umbrella of the HIA and the MBA, that builders, suppliers, land developers and a range of other people, including labour-hire firms, have come together to fund to encourage Western Australians to invest in housing. The message is simple: interest rates are low, the price of housing is as competitive as it has been for some time, the price of land is competitive and people can get things built in a short period; so people should go out and invest in properties, not for the first home owner market but for the balance of the market. Several hundred thousand dollars have been committed to the program. It is a very good program. It is a great thing to see an industry sector that is prepared to get up off its backside, dip its hands in its pockets and invest in and encourage private Western Australians to actively support the industry, and, more importantly, to actively support the state’s economy. As I said earlier, the advice from the industry is that $1 million spent in housing with flow-on multiplier effects creates 13 extra jobs in Western Australia. It is good to be out there. The message for the government is positive from this sector. It is a sector that faces challenges. It appreciates our payroll tax initiatives. It appreciates the fact that we are investing a massive amount of money in capital—$8.3 billion this year—but, more importantly, it appreciates the partnership with the commonwealth to build in the next couple of years 3 000 extra homes in Western Australia. It will involve $900 million of expenditure and will provide 10 000 to 12 000 jobs. That is what the sector likes to see and that is what the people of Western Australia like to see. That is why we will keep borrowing money, because $1 million in borrowing invested in property keeps 13 Western Australians in jobs. When I go out to areas such as Ocean Reef I tell the people there that they have two choices in Western Australia: they can have a government that is prepared to borrow money to support jobs or they can have an opposition that does not know what it wants to do. The opposition gets up and opposes every single measure that we propose and says that we borrow too much money, yet it wants to spend, spend, spend. I will provide a quick analysis. Yesterday, two other Australian states handed down their budgets—New South Wales and Victoria. Mr B.S. Wyatt : Queensland. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : New South Wales and Queensland. In Western Australia this year, we have a budget surplus of $410 million, debt in four years projected to be $19 billion, and a Standard and Poor’s net-financial-to-revenue-liability ratio of 85 per cent. New South Wales has a deficit in the next year of $1 billion, debt in four years projected to be $55 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 113 per cent. Queensland has a deficit of $1.2 billion, debt in four years of $50 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 155 per cent. It is difficult to manage state finances in Western Australia. It is difficult to manage state finances across Australia. But we are committed to protecting jobs. Members opposite will have another jobs test soon when they come into this place to vote on extended trading hours, because extended trading hours equals jobs. I have a suspicion — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Hang on, member for Cannington; I know how the member is going to vote. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Thank you. I realise that the Treasurer has a point to make and I hope that he will make it rapidly because I would like to stop people on the other side of this place pointing at people on this side. Treasurer, please draw your answer to a conclusion. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : In closing, I will — Mr D.A. Templeman interjected. The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : The only way is up! Before I talk about the launch, I must apologise to the member for Ocean Reef. I offered to him perhaps one of the greatest insults that I could offer to a member while I was at the launch and I apologise to him immensely. In my introductory comments while I was speaking, I acknowledged him as the member for Mindarie, and for that I apologise profusely. Mr B.S. Wyatt : His margin will go up! Mr E.S. Ripper : People will think he’s effective! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I will tell members quickly about the Build Now campaign that we launched this morning. Build Now is a campaign, under the umbrella of the HIA and the MBA, that builders, suppliers, land developers and a range of other people, including labour-hire firms, have come together to fund to encourage Western Australians to invest in housing. The message is simple: interest rates are low, the price of housing is as competitive as it has been for some time, the price of land is competitive and people can get things built in a short period; so people should go out and invest in properties, not for the first home owner market but for the balance of the market. Several hundred thousand dollars have been committed to the program. It is a very good program. It is a great thing to see an industry sector that is prepared to get up off its backside, dip its hands in its pockets and invest in and encourage private Western Australians to actively support the industry, and, more importantly, to actively support the state’s economy. As I said earlier, the advice from the industry is that $1 million spent in housing with flow-on multiplier effects creates 13 extra jobs in Western Australia. It is good to be out there. The message for the government is positive from this sector. It is a sector that faces challenges. It appreciates our payroll tax initiatives. It appreciates the fact that we are investing a massive amount of money in capital—$8.3 billion this year—but, more importantly, it appreciates the partnership with the commonwealth to build in the next couple of years 3 000 extra homes in Western Australia. It will involve $900 million of expenditure and will provide 10 000 to 12 000 jobs. That is what the sector likes to see and that is what the people of Western Australia like to see. That is why we will keep borrowing money, because $1 million in borrowing invested in property keeps 13 Western Australians in jobs. When I go out to areas such as Ocean Reef I tell the people there that they have two choices in Western Australia: they can have a government that is prepared to borrow money to support jobs or they can have an opposition that does not know what it wants to do. The opposition gets up and opposes every single measure that we propose and says that we borrow too much money, yet it wants to spend, spend, spend. I will provide a quick analysis. Yesterday, two other Australian states handed down their budgets—New South Wales and Victoria. Mr B.S. Wyatt : Queensland. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : New South Wales and Queensland. In Western Australia this year, we have a budget surplus of $410 million, debt in four years projected to be $19 billion, and a Standard and Poor’s net-financial-to-revenue-liability ratio of 85 per cent. New South Wales has a deficit in the next year of $1 billion, debt in four years projected to be $55 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 113 per cent. Queensland has a deficit of $1.2 billion, debt in four years of $50 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 155 per cent. It is difficult to manage state finances in Western Australia. It is difficult to manage state finances across Australia. But we are committed to protecting jobs. Members opposite will have another jobs test soon when they come into this place to vote on extended trading hours, because extended trading hours equals jobs. I have a suspicion — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Hang on, member for Cannington; I know how the member is going to vote. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Thank you. I realise that the Treasurer has a point to make and I hope that he will make it rapidly because I would like to stop people on the other side of this place pointing at people on this side. Treasurer, please draw your answer to a conclusion. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : In closing, I will — Mr D.A. Templeman interjected. The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : The only way is up! Before I talk about the launch, I must apologise to the member for Ocean Reef. I offered to him perhaps one of the greatest insults that I could offer to a member while I was at the launch and I apologise to him immensely. In my introductory comments while I was speaking, I acknowledged him as the member for Mindarie, and for that I apologise profusely. Mr B.S. Wyatt : His margin will go up! Mr E.S. Ripper : People will think he’s effective! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I will tell members quickly about the Build Now campaign that we launched this morning. Build Now is a campaign, under the umbrella of the HIA and the MBA, that builders, suppliers, land developers and a range of other people, including labour-hire firms, have come together to fund to encourage Western Australians to invest in housing. The message is simple: interest rates are low, the price of housing is as competitive as it has been for some time, the price of land is competitive and people can get things built in a short period; so people should go out and invest in properties, not for the first home owner market but for the balance of the market. Several hundred thousand dollars have been committed to the program. It is a very good program. It is a great thing to see an industry sector that is prepared to get up off its backside, dip its hands in its pockets and invest in and encourage private Western Australians to actively support the industry, and, more importantly, to actively support the state’s economy. As I said earlier, the advice from the industry is that $1 million spent in housing with flow-on multiplier effects creates 13 extra jobs in Western Australia. It is good to be out there. The message for the government is positive from this sector. It is a sector that faces challenges. It appreciates our payroll tax initiatives. It appreciates the fact that we are investing a massive amount of money in capital—$8.3 billion this year—but, more importantly, it appreciates the partnership with the commonwealth to build in the next couple of years 3 000 extra homes in Western Australia. It will involve $900 million of expenditure and will provide 10 000 to 12 000 jobs. That is what the sector likes to see and that is what the people of Western Australia like to see. That is why we will keep borrowing money, because $1 million in borrowing invested in property keeps 13 Western Australians in jobs. When I go out to areas such as Ocean Reef I tell the people there that they have two choices in Western Australia: they can have a government that is prepared to borrow money to support jobs or they can have an opposition that does not know what it wants to do. The opposition gets up and opposes every single measure that we propose and says that we borrow too much money, yet it wants to spend, spend, spend. I will provide a quick analysis. Yesterday, two other Australian states handed down their budgets—New South Wales and Victoria. Mr B.S. Wyatt : Queensland. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : New South Wales and Queensland. In Western Australia this year, we have a budget surplus of $410 million, debt in four years projected to be $19 billion, and a Standard and Poor’s net-financial-to-revenue-liability ratio of 85 per cent. New South Wales has a deficit in the next year of $1 billion, debt in four years projected to be $55 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 113 per cent. Queensland has a deficit of $1.2 billion, debt in four years of $50 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 155 per cent. It is difficult to manage state finances in Western Australia. It is difficult to manage state finances across Australia. But we are committed to protecting jobs. Members opposite will have another jobs test soon when they come into this place to vote on extended trading hours, because extended trading hours equals jobs. I have a suspicion — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Hang on, member for Cannington; I know how the member is going to vote. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Thank you. I realise that the Treasurer has a point to make and I hope that he will make it rapidly because I would like to stop people on the other side of this place pointing at people on this side. Treasurer, please draw your answer to a conclusion. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : In closing, I will — Mr D.A. Templeman interjected. The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Mr B.S. Wyatt : His margin will go up! Mr E.S. Ripper : People will think he’s effective! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I will tell members quickly about the Build Now campaign that we launched this morning. Build Now is a campaign, under the umbrella of the HIA and the MBA, that builders, suppliers, land developers and a range of other people, including labour-hire firms, have come together to fund to encourage Western Australians to invest in housing. The message is simple: interest rates are low, the price of housing is as competitive as it has been for some time, the price of land is competitive and people can get things built in a short period; so people should go out and invest in properties, not for the first home owner market but for the balance of the market. Several hundred thousand dollars have been committed to the program. It is a very good program. It is a great thing to see an industry sector that is prepared to get up off its backside, dip its hands in its pockets and invest in and encourage private Western Australians to actively support the industry, and, more importantly, to actively support the state’s economy. As I said earlier, the advice from the industry is that $1 million spent in housing with flow-on multiplier effects creates 13 extra jobs in Western Australia. It is good to be out there. The message for the government is positive from this sector. It is a sector that faces challenges. It appreciates our payroll tax initiatives. It appreciates the fact that we are investing a massive amount of money in capital—$8.3 billion this year—but, more importantly, it appreciates the partnership with the commonwealth to build in the next couple of years 3 000 extra homes in Western Australia. It will involve $900 million of expenditure and will provide 10 000 to 12 000 jobs. That is what the sector likes to see and that is what the people of Western Australia like to see. That is why we will keep borrowing money, because $1 million in borrowing invested in property keeps 13 Western Australians in jobs. When I go out to areas such as Ocean Reef I tell the people there that they have two choices in Western Australia: they can have a government that is prepared to borrow money to support jobs or they can have an opposition that does not know what it wants to do. The opposition gets up and opposes every single measure that we propose and says that we borrow too much money, yet it wants to spend, spend, spend. I will provide a quick analysis. Yesterday, two other Australian states handed down their budgets—New South Wales and Victoria. Mr B.S. Wyatt : Queensland. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : New South Wales and Queensland. In Western Australia this year, we have a budget surplus of $410 million, debt in four years projected to be $19 billion, and a Standard and Poor’s net-financial-to-revenue-liability ratio of 85 per cent. New South Wales has a deficit in the next year of $1 billion, debt in four years projected to be $55 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 113 per cent. Queensland has a deficit of $1.2 billion, debt in four years of $50 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 155 per cent. It is difficult to manage state finances in Western Australia. It is difficult to manage state finances across Australia. But we are committed to protecting jobs. Members opposite will have another jobs test soon when they come into this place to vote on extended trading hours, because extended trading hours equals jobs. I have a suspicion — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Hang on, member for Cannington; I know how the member is going to vote. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Thank you. I realise that the Treasurer has a point to make and I hope that he will make it rapidly because I would like to stop people on the other side of this place pointing at people on this side. Treasurer, please draw your answer to a conclusion. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : In closing, I will — Mr D.A. Templeman interjected. The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Mr E.S. Ripper : People will think he’s effective! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I will tell members quickly about the Build Now campaign that we launched this morning. Build Now is a campaign, under the umbrella of the HIA and the MBA, that builders, suppliers, land developers and a range of other people, including labour-hire firms, have come together to fund to encourage Western Australians to invest in housing. The message is simple: interest rates are low, the price of housing is as competitive as it has been for some time, the price of land is competitive and people can get things built in a short period; so people should go out and invest in properties, not for the first home owner market but for the balance of the market. Several hundred thousand dollars have been committed to the program. It is a very good program. It is a great thing to see an industry sector that is prepared to get up off its backside, dip its hands in its pockets and invest in and encourage private Western Australians to actively support the industry, and, more importantly, to actively support the state’s economy. As I said earlier, the advice from the industry is that $1 million spent in housing with flow-on multiplier effects creates 13 extra jobs in Western Australia. It is good to be out there. The message for the government is positive from this sector. It is a sector that faces challenges. It appreciates our payroll tax initiatives. It appreciates the fact that we are investing a massive amount of money in capital—$8.3 billion this year—but, more importantly, it appreciates the partnership with the commonwealth to build in the next couple of years 3 000 extra homes in Western Australia. It will involve $900 million of expenditure and will provide 10 000 to 12 000 jobs. That is what the sector likes to see and that is what the people of Western Australia like to see. That is why we will keep borrowing money, because $1 million in borrowing invested in property keeps 13 Western Australians in jobs. When I go out to areas such as Ocean Reef I tell the people there that they have two choices in Western Australia: they can have a government that is prepared to borrow money to support jobs or they can have an opposition that does not know what it wants to do. The opposition gets up and opposes every single measure that we propose and says that we borrow too much money, yet it wants to spend, spend, spend. I will provide a quick analysis. Yesterday, two other Australian states handed down their budgets—New South Wales and Victoria. Mr B.S. Wyatt : Queensland. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : New South Wales and Queensland. In Western Australia this year, we have a budget surplus of $410 million, debt in four years projected to be $19 billion, and a Standard and Poor’s net-financial-to-revenue-liability ratio of 85 per cent. New South Wales has a deficit in the next year of $1 billion, debt in four years projected to be $55 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 113 per cent. Queensland has a deficit of $1.2 billion, debt in four years of $50 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 155 per cent. It is difficult to manage state finances in Western Australia. It is difficult to manage state finances across Australia. But we are committed to protecting jobs. Members opposite will have another jobs test soon when they come into this place to vote on extended trading hours, because extended trading hours equals jobs. I have a suspicion — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Hang on, member for Cannington; I know how the member is going to vote. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Thank you. I realise that the Treasurer has a point to make and I hope that he will make it rapidly because I would like to stop people on the other side of this place pointing at people on this side. Treasurer, please draw your answer to a conclusion. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : In closing, I will — Mr D.A. Templeman interjected. The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I will tell members quickly about the Build Now campaign that we launched this morning. Build Now is a campaign, under the umbrella of the HIA and the MBA, that builders, suppliers, land developers and a range of other people, including labour-hire firms, have come together to fund to encourage Western Australians to invest in housing. The message is simple: interest rates are low, the price of housing is as competitive as it has been for some time, the price of land is competitive and people can get things built in a short period; so people should go out and invest in properties, not for the first home owner market but for the balance of the market. Several hundred thousand dollars have been committed to the program. It is a very good program. It is a great thing to see an industry sector that is prepared to get up off its backside, dip its hands in its pockets and invest in and encourage private Western Australians to actively support the industry, and, more importantly, to actively support the state’s economy. As I said earlier, the advice from the industry is that $1 million spent in housing with flow-on multiplier effects creates 13 extra jobs in Western Australia. It is good to be out there. The message for the government is positive from this sector. It is a sector that faces challenges. It appreciates our payroll tax initiatives. It appreciates the fact that we are investing a massive amount of money in capital—$8.3 billion this year—but, more importantly, it appreciates the partnership with the commonwealth to build in the next couple of years 3 000 extra homes in Western Australia. It will involve $900 million of expenditure and will provide 10 000 to 12 000 jobs. That is what the sector likes to see and that is what the people of Western Australia like to see. That is why we will keep borrowing money, because $1 million in borrowing invested in property keeps 13 Western Australians in jobs. When I go out to areas such as Ocean Reef I tell the people there that they have two choices in Western Australia: they can have a government that is prepared to borrow money to support jobs or they can have an opposition that does not know what it wants to do. The opposition gets up and opposes every single measure that we propose and says that we borrow too much money, yet it wants to spend, spend, spend. I will provide a quick analysis. Yesterday, two other Australian states handed down their budgets—New South Wales and Victoria. Mr B.S. Wyatt : Queensland. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : New South Wales and Queensland. In Western Australia this year, we have a budget surplus of $410 million, debt in four years projected to be $19 billion, and a Standard and Poor’s net-financial-to-revenue-liability ratio of 85 per cent. New South Wales has a deficit in the next year of $1 billion, debt in four years projected to be $55 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 113 per cent. Queensland has a deficit of $1.2 billion, debt in four years of $50 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 155 per cent. It is difficult to manage state finances in Western Australia. It is difficult to manage state finances across Australia. But we are committed to protecting jobs. Members opposite will have another jobs test soon when they come into this place to vote on extended trading hours, because extended trading hours equals jobs. I have a suspicion — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Hang on, member for Cannington; I know how the member is going to vote. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Thank you. I realise that the Treasurer has a point to make and I hope that he will make it rapidly because I would like to stop people on the other side of this place pointing at people on this side. Treasurer, please draw your answer to a conclusion. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : In closing, I will — Mr D.A. Templeman interjected. The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Mr B.S. Wyatt : Queensland. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : New South Wales and Queensland. In Western Australia this year, we have a budget surplus of $410 million, debt in four years projected to be $19 billion, and a Standard and Poor’s net-financial-to-revenue-liability ratio of 85 per cent. New South Wales has a deficit in the next year of $1 billion, debt in four years projected to be $55 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 113 per cent. Queensland has a deficit of $1.2 billion, debt in four years of $50 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 155 per cent. It is difficult to manage state finances in Western Australia. It is difficult to manage state finances across Australia. But we are committed to protecting jobs. Members opposite will have another jobs test soon when they come into this place to vote on extended trading hours, because extended trading hours equals jobs. I have a suspicion — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Hang on, member for Cannington; I know how the member is going to vote. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Thank you. I realise that the Treasurer has a point to make and I hope that he will make it rapidly because I would like to stop people on the other side of this place pointing at people on this side. Treasurer, please draw your answer to a conclusion. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : In closing, I will — Mr D.A. Templeman interjected. The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : New South Wales and Queensland. In Western Australia this year, we have a budget surplus of $410 million, debt in four years projected to be $19 billion, and a Standard and Poor’s net-financial-to-revenue-liability ratio of 85 per cent. New South Wales has a deficit in the next year of $1 billion, debt in four years projected to be $55 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 113 per cent. Queensland has a deficit of $1.2 billion, debt in four years of $50 billion and a Standard and Poor’s ratio of 155 per cent. It is difficult to manage state finances in Western Australia. It is difficult to manage state finances across Australia. But we are committed to protecting jobs. Members opposite will have another jobs test soon when they come into this place to vote on extended trading hours, because extended trading hours equals jobs. I have a suspicion — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Hang on, member for Cannington; I know how the member is going to vote. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Thank you. I realise that the Treasurer has a point to make and I hope that he will make it rapidly because I would like to stop people on the other side of this place pointing at people on this side. Treasurer, please draw your answer to a conclusion. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : In closing, I will — Mr D.A. Templeman interjected. The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Members opposite will have another jobs test soon when they come into this place to vote on extended trading hours, because extended trading hours equals jobs. I have a suspicion — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Hang on, member for Cannington; I know how the member is going to vote. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Thank you. I realise that the Treasurer has a point to make and I hope that he will make it rapidly because I would like to stop people on the other side of this place pointing at people on this side. Treasurer, please draw your answer to a conclusion. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : In closing, I will — Mr D.A. Templeman interjected. The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Hang on, member for Cannington; I know how the member is going to vote. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Thank you. I realise that the Treasurer has a point to make and I hope that he will make it rapidly because I would like to stop people on the other side of this place pointing at people on this side. Treasurer, please draw your answer to a conclusion. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : In closing, I will — Mr D.A. Templeman interjected. The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Hang on, member for Cannington; I know how the member is going to vote. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Thank you. I realise that the Treasurer has a point to make and I hope that he will make it rapidly because I would like to stop people on the other side of this place pointing at people on this side. Treasurer, please draw your answer to a conclusion. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : In closing, I will — Mr D.A. Templeman interjected. The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Hang on, member for Cannington; I know how the member is going to vote. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Thank you. I realise that the Treasurer has a point to make and I hope that he will make it rapidly because I would like to stop people on the other side of this place pointing at people on this side. Treasurer, please draw your answer to a conclusion. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : In closing, I will — Mr D.A. Templeman interjected. The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Thank you. I realise that the Treasurer has a point to make and I hope that he will make it rapidly because I would like to stop people on the other side of this place pointing at people on this side. Treasurer, please draw your answer to a conclusion. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : In closing, I will — Mr D.A. Templeman interjected. The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
The SPEAKER : Order, members! Thank you. I realise that the Treasurer has a point to make and I hope that he will make it rapidly because I would like to stop people on the other side of this place pointing at people on this side. Treasurer, please draw your answer to a conclusion. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : In closing, I will — Mr D.A. Templeman interjected. The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : In closing, I will — Mr D.A. Templeman interjected. The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Mr D.A. Templeman interjected. The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
The SPEAKER : Treasurer, please take a seat. I was trying to hasten this answer to a close, but the member for Mandurah has extended it somewhat and I formally call the member for the first time. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : As I was about to say, Mr Speaker, at least we know how one member opposite will vote—the member for Cannington. Point of Order Mr M. McGOWAN : The question asked, as long ago as it was, was about a housing strategy and the Treasurer has now morphed it into three different and separate issues. I ask him to stick to the question that he was asked. The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
The SPEAKER : I share the member for Rockingham’s opinion and I have asked the Treasurer to bring his remarks to a very hasty close. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : Thank you, Mr Speaker; I was just attempting to do that. I was merely reflecting on the support from Mr Joe Bullock for our retail trading hours reform legislation. Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Mr W.J. Johnston : Sit down! Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I know the member for Cannington is close to Mr Bullock and I know that he will puppet Mr Bullock’s position. But the reason we are happy to support the Housing Industry Association — Withdrawal of Remark Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : The Treasurer made a very clear reference to me and said that I would puppet a person’s opinion. Particularly given the nature of the contribution by the Minister for Local Government when he said that he only introduced a bill at the direction of the Western Australian Local Government Association, I do not believe the Treasurer should reflect on me in that way. The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
The SPEAKER : What is the point of order, member for Cannington? Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : My point of order is that I do not consider that a parliamentary approach. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
The SPEAKER : Order, members! Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I believe it unparliamentary to say that I would be a puppet of a person outside this place. The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
The SPEAKER : Thank you, member. The Treasurer will please conclude his remarks. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr T.R. BUSWELL : He may not be a puppet, Mr Speaker, but I would like to see where the hand goes! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : To conclude, we support the HIA, we support the MBA and we support jobs—unlike the opposition.
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.