❓ Mr. Love questions the Minister for Regional Development about the SuperTowns project following criticism from the Leader of the Opposition. The Minister defends the program, refuting claims of it being axed or having funding shortfalls.
AnsweredQoN 94Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
SUPERTOWNS PROGRAM
94. Mr R.S. LOVE to the
Minister for Regional Development:
I refer to comments by the Leader of the Opposition last week
in which he described the SuperTowns project as a complete con. With this in
mind, can the Minister for Regional Development please explain to the house how
the Liberal–National government's SuperTowns project is
supporting the development of the nine regional centres selected under the
program, including Jurien Bay and Morawa in my electorate?
94. Mr R.S. LOVE to the
Minister for Regional Development:
I refer to comments by the Leader of the Opposition last week
in which he described the SuperTowns project as a complete con. With this in
mind, can the Minister for Regional Development please explain to the house how
the Liberal–National government's SuperTowns project is
supporting the development of the nine regional centres selected under the
program, including Jurien Bay and Morawa in my electorate?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Moore for the
question. It is quite an appropriate one, because I can see how things played
out last week. I can see how the Leader of the Opposition would have rung
around, perhaps got hold of the member for Collie–Preston, and said, ''Mick,
I'm coming out to the bush for my annual trip. What do you think we
might be able to have a crack at them on?'' I can see that the response
was, ''What about having a crack at SuperTowns? I think we can get them
on that.'' So the Leader of the Opposition put out a media release and
brought a whole heap of attention to SuperTowns. This is absolutely two pages
of garbage; a whole heap of claims that are fundamentally wrong. He then did a
range of media campaigns and ran these particular claims. The bit that he got
right was about the nine SuperTowns in Western Australia, and he drew some
attention to the fact that the Liberal–National government had rolled
out a program to support blueprints for growth in key communities in the south
west part of the state, to support the growth in population and the development
of regional Western Australia.
I will have a look at some of his
claims. He said that the SuperTowns program had been axed—wrong, it has
not. He said that the end of the country local government fund would mean the
end of SuperTowns—wrong. He said that the nine SuperTowns had funding
shortfalls—wrong. He said that the projects would be delayed or
cancelled—wrong. He also said that the towns that banked on this
funding would be devastated—wrong, because not one single local
government involved with a SuperTown made a claim that supported the Leader of
the Opposition's claims around SuperTowns. What is more, I think he had
only one supporter; that is, the member for Collie–Preston. It shows
that the opposition comes up short when it comes to all things regional Western
Australia, and it has done so again.
question. It is quite an appropriate one, because I can see how things played
out last week. I can see how the Leader of the Opposition would have rung
around, perhaps got hold of the member for Collie–Preston, and said, ''Mick,
I'm coming out to the bush for my annual trip. What do you think we
might be able to have a crack at them on?'' I can see that the response
was, ''What about having a crack at SuperTowns? I think we can get them
on that.'' So the Leader of the Opposition put out a media release and
brought a whole heap of attention to SuperTowns. This is absolutely two pages
of garbage; a whole heap of claims that are fundamentally wrong. He then did a
range of media campaigns and ran these particular claims. The bit that he got
right was about the nine SuperTowns in Western Australia, and he drew some
attention to the fact that the Liberal–National government had rolled
out a program to support blueprints for growth in key communities in the south
west part of the state, to support the growth in population and the development
of regional Western Australia.
I will have a look at some of his
claims. He said that the SuperTowns program had been axed—wrong, it has
not. He said that the end of the country local government fund would mean the
end of SuperTowns—wrong. He said that the nine SuperTowns had funding
shortfalls—wrong. He said that the projects would be delayed or
cancelled—wrong. He also said that the towns that banked on this
funding would be devastated—wrong, because not one single local
government involved with a SuperTown made a claim that supported the Leader of
the Opposition's claims around SuperTowns. What is more, I think he had
only one supporter; that is, the member for Collie–Preston. It shows
that the opposition comes up short when it comes to all things regional Western
Australia, and it has done so again.
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